
Anti-sex toilets to spray users with water jets - neverminder
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sex-toilets-spray-water-alarm-cottaging-illegal-wales-porthcawl-a9063386.html
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gillesjacobs
These toilets are an example of high tech hostile architecture. The waterjet
spraying and weight sensitive floor "anti-sex features" do not seem to be
primarily aimed at sex but prevent the homeless from staying inside:

> "The planning documents detail a range of security features to deter rough
> sleeping, including an audible warning, combined with the lights and heating
> being switched off."

> "Each night the toilets would close for 10 minutes while the unit undertakes
> a deep clean process."

I think these feature are really about preventing the homeless resting in the
toilets and automated cleaning primarily. The so-called "anti-sex
functionality" is accidental and for marketing purposes. Especially since
hostile architecture has received a lot negative public attention lately.

~~~
cameronbrown
> Especially since hostile architecture has received a lot negative public
> attention lately.

As it should. Brushing the problem aside rather than addressing it like a
human being is just sickening. If the homeless aren't even allowed to sleep in
public toilets..? Seriously, what's the worst that can happen?

~~~
stickfigure
Public toilets are a limited, expensive resource. "The worst that happens" is
that they stop being _public toilets_.

Go ahead and make an argument that we should build hotels for the homeless.
Public toilets are not that. Sleeping in them is not even fair to other
homeless people who need to use the toilet!

~~~
cameronbrown
My point was more about hostile architecture in general. I was trying to point
out that the homeless have very few places to go - can't even shelter in a
filthy public toilet. Anyone desperate enough to try has been stomped on
enough without adding salt to the wound.

The better solution is to try and fix the underlying cause rather than hiding
the symptoms.

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edgwatson2
I have a friend who has a disabled 18 year old son. Sometimes when the
disabled bathroom is busy, he or his wife will go into a cubicle with the son
to help - would that activate the no sex alarm?

~~~
d0100
When having violent diarrhea I sometimes trash my arms around, or move my
torso a lot. Would I get sprayed with water and subjected to public
humiliation, mora than it already is having to shit in a public toilet?

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TazeTSchnitzel
It's an Equality Act or Human Rights Act case waiting to happen.

~~~
TomK32
No it won't because by entering the facilities you agree to the EULA in which
you give up those rights.

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noname120
> Violent movement sensors will automatically open the doors

Is this even legal? This would expose users' nudity without their consent.

~~~
defertoreptar
I imagine they'll have a disclaimer printed for this exact reason.

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microtherion
Besides the risk of malfunction, there's also the risk of attracting people
who get a kick out of being sprayed with water jets and "accidentally" exposed
during sex.

I don't know that I personally would be into that, but neither fetish seems to
be particularly uncommon.

~~~
TomK32
For 50p extra you can choose from a variety of flavours added to the water.

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Zenst
I read about these toilets the other day, though they do concern me in a few
area's:

Some people sneeze and it causes sudden physical movement - boosh - soaked in
water from a jet. Over-normalised by weight person uses the toilet - door
won't close as thinks two people. People with IBS, constipation, ..... - door
opens as taking too long.

Whilst I think these are good - we did have the perfect solution decades ago -
a toilet attendant. Simple, effective, caters for all the edge cases and above
all - utilises the over abundant resource of humans that just keeps on growing
in numbers. Not many resources do that on this planet - apart from Co2.

So whilst the sentiments and efforts are great, not all solutions are IMHO
suited for automation and unless we are striving to create as many unemployed
humans as possible, I see not need to move in that direction upon this. Bring
back toilet attendants, they just worked.

As for myself, fear of a long bowel movement and violent sneeze would see me
soaking wet with the door open and unable to do anything about it.

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cryptozeus
Seems like a bad idea, is sex in the bathroom this big of a problem ? Does it
happen this often ? Except for the dance clubs I have never witnessed this.

~~~
gillesjacobs
I believe the anti-sex features are actually anti-homeless features because
toilet-sex probably is not that common + it does not cause many issues when it
does happen.

~~~
ajmurmann
What is the detection of violent movements for of not the sex detection? I
assumed the homeless would try to sleep resulting in closer to no movement.
She goes for the weight detector that's supposedly there to see if two people
are in there. The homeless issue could really be solved by a generous time
limit.

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jgtrosh
This is tricky. There is IMO no good technical way to implement the requested
features without breaking core human respect of the users.

What would be a better approach to the problem? What about an approach like
the one regarding smoking in hotels: make it forbidden, but accommodate it so
that it wouldn't be as much of a bother?

For hotels it means providing an ashtray. For toilet sex it could be an
interesting experiment!

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ehnto
For a city where violence against sex workers was an issue, they implemented
designated, lit but private parking bays where sex work is legal. They also
had non-vehicle booths for the same thing. I don't know how well it went, but
it is certainly in line with what you were thinking.

~~~
microtherion
Known in German speaking countries under the rather unappealing name of
"Verrichtungsbox":
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verrichtungsbox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verrichtungsbox)

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lkjhdcba
I've always wondered why so many toilets in the US seem to have see-through
holes: you can be seen below the knees, between the hinges and if you're tall
enough, above your neck. I've been told that this anti-privacy design was on
purpose and made to avoid people doing drugs or having sex in toilets. Is it
true?

~~~
curiousgal
The answer is the same for why US houses are built with wood and appear
"flimsy" compared to other countries'; cost.

~~~
petra
Do wood houses just appear flimsy ? Or do they last significantly shorten than
concrete ?

~~~
ajmurmann
As a German owning a house in the Pacific Northwest: it's true, American homes
are flimsier. At least in rainy climate the outside needs constant upkeep. You
need to paint and caulk every few years. I frequently hear from people
discovering dry rot in their homes. Stuff like this never happens to my
parents concrete home build in the 80s in comparable climate in Germany and
hasn't happened (yet) to the 300 year old timbered home we remodeled in the
early 00s mostly following traditional building methods. Even oak beams, clay
brigs and lime paint seem to hold up better than US homes.

~~~
bogglejr
It may not be entirely the case, but wooden homes are generally build in high
risk earthquake area. Other regions of the US use different building materials
( e.g. adobe in New Mexico, bricks in the south).

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m0xte
I can’t wait until they get sued when it goes wrong which it almost certainly
will.

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Gustomaximus
What happens when I go in with my 2 kids? As a larger that average man plus 2
kids am I going to be squirted? I really hope there is more to this than a
weight sensor.

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hedora
I’m guessing this would run afoul of anti-springtrap laws in the US.

If the custodian of the restroom starting spraying undesirables with water,
there’d be a lawsuit or maybe even assault charges.

I’m not a lawyer, but automating that should be even more illegal:

First, it implies premeditation. Also, it could endanger people in corner
cases. What if someone is forced out with their pants down, wheelchair users,
etc?

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mynegation
“Weight sensitive floors”

Unless these floors are also able to sense the distribution of this weight to
the specific spot, this will be triggered by a large enough person.

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jonplackett
Can’t wait for the false positives

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TomK32
So, are the Welsh having too many children or why does the government want to
stop them having sex?

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JoeAltmaier
...in toilets.

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inflatableDodo
Kinky.

edit - to make the point with less brevity, some people will have sex in them
_for_ the water jets.

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RickJWagner
If you're having sex in a toilet, you're doing something wrong.

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qzygr
Better have screens inside that, when the sensors are triggered, show pictures
of the Queen of England.

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TomK32
Maggie Thatcher, Maggie Thatcher, Maggie Thatcher.

