An American Loo Story

Americans value their privacy more than any other race, so I was told. You can't call on someone without calling up first, you shouldn't knock on unknown doors, when lost in some town to ask for directions to I-90 or to a gas station. Even at the queues at Six Flags there was good breathing space between unacquainted people, although none between them cute cuddly couples who were busy saving each other's lips from the scorching sun above.

It's beyond me, therefore, why there are no separators between most urinals here. Of course not many men would be interested in taking a peek when taking a pee. But why not ensure the privacy of some vulnerably gifted men from prying eyes of others with right ear-rings? One granite slab of 3'x2' at the right height is all you need. Back home, we have them nice and big, the slabs that is. Sometimes taller than required...

So what's the reason then? Maybe it's the carefree open culture of men's locker rooms taken to men's lookar rooms. Maybe it's a byproduct of the have-it-flaunt-it ideology prevalent here. Maybe that’s one reason for gay abundance in the western part of the world. Regardless of reasons or ramifications, I did take time to adjust to the revelation. I can't look a little to the left or right as I am used to. Have to stare straight ahead at the flush knob, or up at the ceiling or down at...

And then there was this McDonald's restroom on I-95 where there was no flush handle and no auto-flush either. I moved away, swayed left right in front of what I thought looked like an infra-red sensor, but nothing happened. If you know me, picture me or else picture yourself doing that in there and you'll know how funny I looked. Being a reformed Indian citizen, I didn't want to leave it as is. That's when a good man noticed and said "No flush in there. that's a waterless urinal." Looked up the web and found: http://www.rotaloo.com/03urinal.html. U.S. - now a pioneer in bathroom technology too!