My Top 10 Tinkles – A Series
The Press Lounge at Ink 48 Hotel
Until I was 33, I avoided public bathrooms. My phobia bordered on the pathological. While my eyeballs floated in my head, I would drive past interstate exits, leave restaurants with my legs crossed, walk blocks and blocks to a familiar throne in an unfamiliar place, and refuse to use a perfectly good piece of dirt in the wild. Known toilets were always better than strange ones.
Yesterday, MTM and I made a pilgrimage to put another notch in our libation belt. While in New York, we visited the #6 rooftop bar in the world according to Yahoo Travel: The Press Lounge at Ink 48 Hotel. It’s our third rooftop bar of the highlighted ten. Coincidentally, we also visited at #1 and #7 before we knew about the list. To read all about those places, click here.
A public toilet is a necessary by-product of finding a decent bar. I left the swirling breezes of Manhattan, the majestic view up the Hudson River and the masculine strutting of Midtown to find the designated place to tinkle. Our server directed me to a dimly lit stair that rose into a murky tunnel, where I found the doors marked WC. After groping for a light for a couple of minutes, I sighed and did what I came to do in the semi-darkness. The architects clearly didn’t think decent lighting was required, since it would highlight the unfortunate finishes they selected.
I came back into the sunshine fired up. Why do these places ALWAYS have horrible bathrooms??? MTM had to know the answer, because he is architecturally inclined. Instead, he gaped at me, speechless, while our server lurked near our table, her look calculating whether it was time to cut me off. I mean, there was that one bar where the bathroom was amazing. I wanted to take my drink in there and stay, sit on the toilet and stare at the view. And then, there was that hotel one, you remember? The big surprise?
I didn’t stop until I had listed my top ten tinkles in public or semi-public places. Restaurants. Bars. Hotel rooms. A couple of highly unconventional potties made the cut, merely because they came along at the right moment. My series in upcoming days will highlight each tinkle from Number 10 to Number 1. I hope you will find a new spot for that necessary moment, Dear Reader.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for my endorsement of the facilities in this list. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by any promised remuneration or bartered value.
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
- No. 10 Tinkle: The Palm Court at the Drake Hotel « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 9 Tinkle: The Necessary at North Dome « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 8 Tinkle: Gran Hotel La Florida Barcelona « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 7 Tinkle: Knock Knock – Who’s There? Orange… « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- The Blue Room « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 6 Tinkle: The Hole in the Floor « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 5 Tinkle: Chamber 370 at Hotel Gault Montreal « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 4 Tinkle: The Toilet of a Delta Plane « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- How to Tame a Tragic Toilet « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 2 Tinkle: Hotel on Rivington New York City « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- Can You Hit The Spot? Guess the Number 1 Tinkle. « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- No. 1 Tinkle: Signature Lounge at John Hancock Center Chicago « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- And The Winner of the Urinary Extravaganza Is….. « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
- Going the Distance « The Accidental Cootchie Mama
Bartered value? No nights away in fancy spots?
No nights away in fancy spots for free or because I included something in this list, Fiona. I suppose I do pay for my share of nights away from home, though. Home is great, but I go stir crazy if I stay there too long.
This is gonna be fun.
And tinkly.
OY! I guess the Throne has finally gone to the Queen’s Head.
http://embed.5min.com/517053240/&sid=813/
Ha!
Just made a cup of tea Andra. Recited “Tinkle” to myself as the tea brewed! What a great word.
It was always the ladylike thing to say when I was growing up, Jim.
As might be guessed, I love going to different restrooms. Just something about peeing in places I have never been makes me happy. Guess I am just marking my territory. (And nothing beats using the great outdoors – talk about real freedom!)
And, because there is always “an app for that”, you should check out the Toilet Finder app…. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/restroom-bathroom-toilet-finder/id311896604?mt=8
Now if you will excuse me, I need to flush.
had no idea there was a APP to find a toilet… OMG…..
Leave it to you to know about the Toilet Finder app (as I install it on my phone………)
Down on the farm it’s the top 10 flowerbeds as part of the “Deer Deterrent” project Rebecca has devised. OK in the summer but not so much fun in the dead of winter. BTW she does not participate in this endeavor.
Deer Deterrent Project. Chuck, that is hilarious. Does it work?
When next you travel afar, you may wish to coordinate the locations of your watering holes nearby one of these: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-greatest-public-bathrooms
Discussion of all of the “polite and ladylike” euphemisms could be another series entirely!
I will have to check out that T & L series, Karen. Thanks for sharing it.
I much prefer your top ten places than having to pick up tinkle residue and paraphernalia along the roadside when we do roadside clean up…yeah, it’s not pretty. I am also one of those people that will risk a UTI just because I abhor public restrooms…anywhere….
Ick. When I go outside (now that I have schooled myself to do so), I try to clean up after myself. Some big hikes require it now. Mt. Shasta in CA is an example.
If you sprinkle while you tinkle….
….be a sweetie and wipe the seatie….
With disposable baby wipes so that the seat at least seems clean
I almost ALWAYS wipe the seat. I do not even want to think about all of the germs that probably await us when we go into public restrooms. Yipes.
Ha.
Har. I once cross stitched that phrase.
However, they were all influenced directly by the level of relief offered at the time of availability and the urgency of your need to void.
They were totally influenced by my need, but nobody paid me or got paid to slip someone into a slot.
Your post this morning reminds me of how absolutely “disgusting” most public restrooms can be. I too am very selective about where I will uhmmmmm tinkle…. I am probably not as selective as you however I do prefer a nice clean facility in which to relieve myself in.
I always think about people coming in there after me and thinking I left it like that.
Trust me, the scenes I am speaking of that are forever etched into my mind is something that you would NEVER dream of leaving. OMG… But I understand what you mean.
I still remember the nicest bar/restaurant bathroom I was ever in. Highlight of the whole establishment, unfortunately.
Maybe that’s why the bathrooms are so gross, because they don’t want that part to be the highlight.
I knew we had so much in common… I can hold it like a camel baby!
A camel. I have called myself that many times, Jeni.
Never a dull moment with the Cootchie. And I must say, I am very particular about public restrooms as well. I’m also of the mind that urinals are one of the worst inventions ever. WAY too public.
I couldn’t use a stall without a door on it. No way.
I’m not too proud to say it: I’m a public restroom hover-er. Can’t bring myself to make skin-to-yuck contact with the communal dumpers. That being said, I am scared and oddly pumped to hear about your pee-pee adventures!
Tori, I hope the series does not disappoint.
Well Andra, when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go… but you’ve also got to hope that it’s nice. I’ve tinkled in some pretty horrific places.
Lots of them are horrific. I usually walk right back out of those and still fear infection.
Great idea
I await your recommendations!
I hope some of them will be worth the effort of trying, Kate.
Good God, this is a brilliant idea, Andra! I swear, I can’t wait to read these! I just happen to be someone who needs to pee–a LOT! LOL
Hugs,
Kathy
Kathy, I hope the list will be useful. Perhaps you and Sara will find a new place to go. Ha.
I think sometimes the places that get really high design with bathrooms really go astray. The most unnerving for me are the places (more than one in NYC, I think) that do the stall doors that are lit in such a way that they are transparent from inside but opaque from the outside when closed. I can’t get over the feeling that people must be able to see me!
I don’t like the ones that get all crazy with design like that, either. I certainly don’t want to be an exhibitionist tinkler.
Attention to little details is more my speed. Visiting the necessary need not be a totally unpleasant experience.
It was great meeting you yesterday. Thanks for coming out with us.
In most cases, I’d rather pee in the woods than a public bathroom (I’m an expert at squatting in the woods after years of partying in the woods & camping). That said, if ever out of element and must stop, I hit a public library if in the boonies, or a Starbucks if in ‘the city’….
Starbucks is a go-to location for a toilet, isn’t it? Do you feel like you have to buy something when you go in there? I always do……
Well, I’m actually going to offer some very sage advice. Andra, you must get over your phobia within the next twenty years. That should give you some time to work on it. About that time the idea of “holding it” and waiting isn’t always as optional as it sounds to you now! Debra
Ha! It isn’t always an option now, either, Debra.
I think it would be awesome if you were compensated with a year supply of toilet paper. Charmin extra strong is my favorite.
Ha. That would be an interesting sight being delivered to Cool Blow.
hahaha
Sitting here in sunny Spain, I finally have more than one bar wifi signal and I hope a connection long enough to read a whole post…and I am about to embark on a journey of tinkles!