Hello Computer…

[ornoth]

Why it is that public (multi-person) rest rooms are almost never equipped with some sort of Muzak-style filler noise?

One would think that by the time we reached the 21st century someone would have figured out that it’s actually desirable to have some kind of noise to mask the various splashes, plops, hisses, and passages of wind that make people feel self-conscious in a public bathroom. Not to mention the benefit to the large numbers of men who suffer from “bashful bladder”.

Why is it that no interior designer or architect has ever come up with and codified this incredibly basic solution?

Comments

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

They have them in Japan, in women's restrooms, I hear.

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

Here we go (now that the kids are asleep):

"It seems that Japanese women, like myself, are ultra-paranoid about hearing the bathroom noises of strangers—and they used to waste millions of gallons of water each year by running the sink taps while otherwise engaged. Therefore, many “conservation” toilets in Japan now come equipped with noise-maker buttons. For birds, press one. For waterfalls, press two. For bulldozers, press three. And so on."

And some fuller descriptions:
http://metropolis.japantoday.com/biginjapanarchive349/323/biginjapaninc.htm

And more than you ever thought could be done with the intersection of high-tech electronics and toilets:
http://www.answers.com/topic/japanese-toilet

thanks!

[librarianinwa.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing something about this several years ago. I was going to comment on it, but you got to it before I did. :)

Re: thanks!

[ornoth.livejournal.com]

Ah ha! That would make you WAKY, unless I'm mistaken. Glad to halve you.

Re: thanks!

[librarianinwa.livejournal.com]

Yup, that's me. I don't LJ much since I have my own blog elsewhere (http://www.eclecticlibrarian.net/blog/).