The ridiculous and the sublime in a New York john
Look at the upper right of this photo. Why doesn’t every toilet seat have this little “lift here” handle? It could save many a marriage. And in a public restroom like this one it’s like a small smart “gift”. A splash of thoughtfulness. (Pun intended, look closely at the picture.)
I have to admit that, as I was communing with the design of this bowl, a whole drama unfolded outside the stall door. Moments earlier, as I’d waited in the bathroom line, a very tall woman of about the age 60 took a terrible, slow-motion fall trying to navigate the slippery tile floor. It was super slick because an employee was in the middle of washing it. The customer was OK, and confidently assured everyone that she was fine, while even attempting to smile. (She going to be in real posterior pain very soon.) That left the rest of us feeling nervous and somewhat galvanized. We were ready to help!
But there was nothing to do. What are you going to do…barge in the stall with the injured party and make SURE she is OK? So I slowly teetered into “my” stall to take this photo. (I’d spotted the handle an hour earlier–but first things first–I had to eat. I was at Eataly–the red-hot Italian food purveyor.)
As I adjusted my camera angle and tried a few compositions, the knot of New York Eataly patrons turned on the poor employee in the bathroom, declaring that she should be drying the floor. They loudly warned all newcomers of the dangers of entering. They roundly complained. They wholeheartedly agreed about the stupidity of washing a floor with customers coming and going. They actively tried to help the fallen women as she left her stall. It was so New York.
What did the employee do? She just kept sudsing the floor and casually tossed up a yellow plastic barrier to prevent further flack. That is probably a New York response too.
Jules Pieri 
One Response to “The ridiculous and the sublime in a New York john”
🙂
I’ve always thought those fly stickers that they put inside toilet bowls as “targets” were great ideas. Apparently they work quite well.
Hu2 (the London-based design firm featured on Daily Grommet) recently came out with a new line of toilet stickers: http://www.hu2.com/store/bathroom/thank-you-for-cleaning-sticker.html . I reckon every public bathroom in the world needs one! And I’m probably shameless enough to put one on my toilet at home as well…