I originally wrote about this back in the summer of 2018 and, on a whim, I decided to revisit it to see how the product is doing, if the company was even still in business (spoilers – it’s flourishing!), etc.
My husband knows me like he knows the back of his own hand. He was out the other day and, knowing I would appreciate it, sent me a link to this:
Even the loo needs love! We’re testing a new feature in bathrooms on Concourse B w/ @Tooshlights + @Infax 🚽 Red and green lights notify travelers if a stall is in use or available. Have you tried ‘em out? Give us a 👍 in the replies if you think this update is a keeper! #ATLNext pic.twitter.com/8YuYCRdCCV
— Atlanta Airport (@ATLairport) August 4, 2018
My response: Well, THAT will be my Monday 6pm post
Joe: Toilets and bathrooms are Sharon’s posts
Me: Yes they are. Cuz deep down inside, I am, and forever shall be, a 12y/o boy
And it’s the truth.
Anyway, so yeah…Atlanta Airport (and LAX, and a bunch of other places that aren’t airports, such as concert venues) have a new thing in some of their men’s’ and ladies’ rooms called Tooshlights.
It’s so simple and yet, so helpful! Just like you see at some modernized parking garages, there are lights above each stall in the restroom that is green if it’s available and red if it’s not – there’s an electronic eye that’s in tune with the latch (so that way even if there’s no one in the stall but the door is completely closed, it’ll still be green until the latch is locked). They even have blue lights for the wheelchair-accessible stalls (that also turn red when they’re occupied).
From tooshlights.com:
- Guests can find an available stall quickly
- Lines move up to 50% faster
- Nobody needs to rattle a door or peek underneath
- Tooshlights heightens privacy, lowers anxiety and makes your restroom more efficient
Besides indicating whether a stall is available or not, tooshlights also give management indications of attendance numbers, which can help them determine when/how often the restroom needs attention in terms of cleaning it or even toilet paper replacement (if no one is going into a certain stall, there must be a reason, right?).
So yeah….Tooshlights. I’m looking forward to seeing them at an airport (or stadium, or concert venue or…) near me, one of these days.
UPDATES ABOUT TOOSHLITES
Like I said, the company is doing beautifully. They have expanded like crazy and besides the places above, can also be found (or will soon be found) at LGA, DFW and BDL as well as The Village at Westfield Topanga in Woodland Hills, CA, Dodger Stadium and Buc-ees (BUC-EE’s! BTW, I am not obsessed with Buc-ee’s). It also won an award from AAA as “One of the Best New Airport Amenities of 2019.” So yep, they’re doing well!
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
3 comments
Sounds like a good idea to me! Are they actually called Tooshlights? How about Loolights? Or Poolights? Or Weelights? Seems like I’m a 12 y/o boy too, Sharon!💩
No wonder why we get along so well! LOLOL!
These lights are a bit gaudy, but it does make the stall status readily visible. I might also wish for a more subdued version on the door itself where a LED would light up red/green where the physical occupied/vacant sign flips on some stalls. It would keep the lights from neighboring stalls flickering back and forth above you as adjoining stalls become occupied/vacant. This also makes me wonder why stalls (especially in the US) have so much space above and below them where somebody can peek over/crawl under.
I’ve seen some restrooms in Japan where they have a little monitor at the entrance that shows how many stalls are available or even a small map of where the occupied/vacant stalls are so you don’t even need to go inside to check if one is available or not.