Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Civilized city

There's no doubt that this is a civilized city. You may not think so when you're being trampled on Oxford Street or when the nearest underground station has been barricaded shut exactly at rush hour because it's too busy, and you're huddled outside in the cold like Communists queuing for toilet paper. But the locals still have a way with words, a way of saying things without quite saying them.

It was a sunny day and I was walking near Hyde Park when I saw this:


Indeed, it is gratifying to avail oneself of the convenience when the need arises. I was particularly taken with the idea of the "cleansing hot line". They're the ones you call when you conveniences are no longer so convenient. In New York, there are almost no public conveniences, and if they exist you can assume they will be pretty filthy. And then a few days latter I ran across this one:



Note that it was the winner of the "Loo of the Year" award. What a wonderful idea! An awards night for loo directors, designers, and actors. Do you think they dress up in gowns and tuxedos? Do they give tearful acceptance speeches where they thank their mothers? Do they get angry and beat up the ushers when someone cuts them off? Does Ladbrokes accept bets on who will win? Is there a red carpret, and does Joan Ri

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

(I just had to stop, otherwise I would have gone on and on...)

Anonymous said...

I bet the people who came up with the idea of awarding prizes to public toilets are Irish.
On my recent trip to Ireland, I couldn't help but notice the incredible amount of services/shops/goods which had won a prize in their category. No surprise that the Guinness award is Irish...
xxx
Mia

Anonymous said...

This is an excellent idea - an award (and a ceremony) for everything! I think we should do a little awards ceremony for being our fabulous selves: we can receive presents, make a gracious little speech, and have a lot to eat and drink. Sounds a lot like a wedding (and with the speeches, an American wedding - not the Mia-land custom, I know)... That's it -- must get married -- will start working on this immediately!

BB

Anonymous said...

can I organize your wedding ceremony? :)
xxx
Mia

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the "loo of the year" award looked like :)

Related Posts with Thumbnails