National Public Toilet Map… WTF?
I know when you have to go, you have to go. But going out and thinking before you go, damn better check out where all the dunnies are just in case. Is absurd. Let alone a little disturbing. The worst of it is that it is an Australian Government website!
National Public Toilet Map is nothing I would want to lay claim to personally. But it exists. Bummer for the coder that maintains it. I am not stupid I can see where this type of information is necessary for some people; on medical grounds for example. But this site just takes that a bit far. The same information can be sourced from a half decent town map or asking someone, like the rest of us. Oh, and the blue signs that have a “Man” and “Woman” depicted on them with a big arrow are a dead give-away.
This site lists public toilets by state. Great at least you know where to look. But not only that what about browsing by a map? Yup! that’s there too. Find a toilet by town or suburb, too bad if you are in a hurry. You would probably have more trouble finding a hot spot for the WiFi than a place to take a dump.
If you are planning a trip then why not use the “Trip Planner” to plan your toilet stops? Or you can register to create your own toilet map. Not enough for you? You can also “suggest a toilet” once registered. (Any of this sounding familiar?). Get updates via a newsletter as well. Woot! Do they have the “Hot Toilet of the Week”?
Does or would anyone seriously use this service other than as a source of humour. Not to mention the money that has been pissed away coding and maintaining a site like this. Plus the assumption by the government that we citizens need help finding a toilet. Anywhere in a storm buddy, trees are fair game and leaves are natures way of looking after us. Those people out there that genuinely need to know where the great dunnies of Australia are located, are pretty smart and they will know because they need to. The rest of us would rather that the global online community was not laughing at us, thanks but; no thanks.
I thought it might be a prank site but the URL and all the info and all checks out. Shame, thought that might have saved us.
I reckon I can safely say that there is a 99% chance that I have seen everything. Go ahead, have a look and laugh.
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February 28th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
This site does specify disabled toilet access, so if you do a search on postcode 3000 (Melbourne CBD), you will find some toilets are flagged with the disabled access logo.
This alone justifies the existence of this map, but I do find it’s new look scary, as it looks much like the Melbourne Metlink site. It used to look quite different when it was first released (and covered on the ABC by Good News Week in a similar fashion).
February 28th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
As I stated in my post, I can fully understand that on say medical grounds, that this type of thing might be useful. It also covers regular public toilets. However, I disagree with you that this alone justifies the site.
I am a medical professional by trade and these people in our society don’t need this service. They are well aware of the facilities available to them. Because they need to know and they make it their business to know.
The site is new to me, never heard of it. Don’t watch telly… Although I have been watching Hero’s lately. But I thought it was funny and I could write something funny. But I also think it is a total waste of tax payers money also. The money they spend on maintaining and hosting this site would be better spent on better facilities for disabled people.
We the media
February 28th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Well now that Aus finally has it’s own official Google maps it won’t be hard to do a mash-up for that kind of thing which would be a lot better in most regards and simpler to use.
Google Maps FTW
February 28th, 2007 at 11:12 pm
Not everyone using a disabled toilet is always disabled. Those on crutches and in wheelchairs temporarily often don’t know where to find these kinds of facilities.
Good News Week hasn’t been on for years.
Almost every government website is a waste of money, as most of them are unusable and some are even written with FrontPage. Try using the website that shows bills before they become legislation.