Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets • Hacker News Board

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#81

Post by oh_sigh » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:26 PM UTC

kyro wrote: post #17

I've joked around with this idea before, except I called it Püber. In all seriousness, this is an issue I deal with frequently in NYC. I'm out and about in Manhattan all day, get struck by the need to pee, and then run around trying to find any place with a restroom. Paying a buck or two would be a negligible cost if it meant immediate relief. If they expanded and got enough supply, I'd definitely use their service.

Protip: Find the neighborhood police station. It's free to use, and always very clean.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#82

Post by quomopete » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:33 PM UTC

This is why I am just utterly confused about what people are willing to do to "solve a problem" or "jump on a trend".

From a planning perspective, do users have to set this up with some time in advance. If I were to rent out my toilet, I wouldn't really want to be sitting around like a bathroom attendant waiting for strangers to enlist my accommodations. If this were during a big event in my area, I'd rather a) be at the event, b) be as far away from the event as possible. Not stuck inside managing my commode.

If I were on the other end of the transaction, I wouldn't know when nature would be calling. Making it hard to figure out in advance where I need to "rent" a toilet.

After that, how truly rewarding is a couple bucks a pop to allow strangers into your house to relieve themselves? The barrier to entry is not that high and the risk/inconvenience is not trivial. Does it really pad your income that much? To me it just wouldn't be worth the hassle and it's not like they're going to clean up if they make a mess.

Maybe I am just an "old fogey" but some ideas just aren't that good.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#83

Post by meritt » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:35 PM UTC

I think Penny Arcade covered the problem with this 9 years ago: http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/215520847_FFz8n-L-2.jpg

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#84

Post by tzury » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:38 PM UTC

Curb Your Enthusiasm -- iToilet by Gorge Costansa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITluapajP4w

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#85

Post by normloman » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:51 PM UTC

spinlock wrote: post #58

[deleted] wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

I really don't see this being used in rural areas with septic systems. It seems like this problem only really exists in cities where everyone is on the sewer line. That being said, people get pissed when neighbors airbnb their apartments because of strangers in the building. Multiply that by 20 with randoms using the can and I think you could have some really pissed off neighbors.

Rural areas often host large music festivals and state fairs, which tend to have crummy porta-johns. The rural town where I grew up was packed every summer with campers, antique collectors, and bike riders, and I'm sure some of them would pay to use a nice toilet for a change. And septic systems aren't limited to just rural areas. Many suburbs and towns have them too.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#86

Post by dragonwriter » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 6:53 PM UTC

djur wrote: post #65

nobodysfool wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd just lock the front door when they come in to use the restroom, inspect the toilet after they are done, and unlock it only after it's clean. Simple as that.

That would, in all likelihood, be illegal. In a lot of jurisdictions it'd be kidnapping.

I think the more likely charge, technically, is false imprisonment.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#87

Post by jfmercer » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 7:02 PM UTC

Finally, the startup I've been waiting for.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#88

Post by Hrundi » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 7:35 PM UTC

TeMPOraL wrote: post #53

vqc wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think from Starbucks's perspective (and any other store's perspective), they hate having to expend resources on people who don't actually buy anything from them. There were rumors several years ago that Starbucks wanted to close off bathrooms to the public because they were becoming the de facto public bathroom in NY.

This would be a very short-sighted thinking. ROI of making your toilets public feels like it would be much bigger than of any money spent on advertising. Here you have potential customers actually present in your store. Also, for example I remember exactly where every McDonald's and KFC in my town's centre is only because I sometimes need them as an emergency toilet and/or free Wi-Fi provider. Guess what places come…

A starbucks in Madrid has a scanner that validates your purchase ticket in order to access the bathroom.

Lucky for me, the door was half open already.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#89

Post by aestra » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 7:42 PM UTC

vrikis wrote: post #26

kyro wrote: post #17

I've joked around with this idea before, except I called it Püber. In all seriousness, this is an issue I deal with frequently in NYC. I'm out and about in Manhattan all day, get struck by the need to pee, and then run around trying to find any place with a restroom. Paying a buck or two would be a negligible cost if it meant immediate relief. If they expanded and got enough supply, I'd definitely use their service.

I went to visit NYC in 2012 and was so surprised by the lack of clean toilets around... I would've paid $5 for a good, CLEAN toilet. Usually I just go to Starbucks (works well in Europe), but I found them pretty horrible in NYC.. I'd use a service like this.

I go to New York City all the time (but I don't live there) and I've never had an issue with finding a clean bathroom, ever. Boston is a different story though I've only been there a handful of times.

Walk into Starbucks or McDonalds, always worked for me. Never had a cleanness problem. I usually only pee when I am in an establishment as a customer though.

Re: Airpnp: Like Airbnb, but for toilets

#90

Post by corin_ » Tue, Mar 04, 2014, 7:56 PM UTC

mrweasel wrote: post #16

turnip1979 wrote: post #12

Charging to use the restroom urgently gets close to violating the rules of civil society in my books. Yes, I know city governments do it in many big cities. Yes, I know it is the norm in many parts of Europe. But still ... I've had a few businesses (even chains) in NYC insist that I purchase something before using their restroom. As someone who has a comfortable living, I don't hesitate. At the same time, I make a me…

Charging for restrooms is also a bit stupid in some cases. I've run into quite a few restrooms here in Denmark where you need to pay by inserting a coin, typically only 2DKK. That's all well an good, the money goes to keep the restrooms clean and you avoid a lot of misuse. The stupid part is that a rather large number of people don't carry cash anymore. The local bus and train terminals are 2DKK to use the restrooms,…

Yeah, this drives me crazy. At King's Cross in London (which I'm at at least once a week) it's 30p - if I have cash it's most likely notes not change, so even though they have machines to give change I don't really want to spend the rest of the day with £9.70 or £19.70 in cash.

Would be even worse abroad (though can't think of a time I've run into it), as apart from places where cards aren't enough (of the places I go to frequently, just Dublin and Amsterdam really), I don't take any cash, even notes.