New SatLav system launched.

[planedriver]

Toilet-finding phones offer relief for Londoners

 

Friday Nov 30 05:48 AEDT

 

First came SatNav for lost drivers. Now there's "SatLav", a toilet-finding service to help people caught short in central London.

 

On Thursday, Westminster City Council launched a new mobile phone text message service that will guide Londoners and tourists to their nearest public lavatory.

 

Anyone who sends the word "Toilet" to 80097 will receive a reply giving details of their nearest public convenience.

 

Student Gail Knight, 26, came up with the idea for an innovation competition run by the council.

 

*

 

"When I'm out with friends we're always ducking into McDonalds or department stores to use their loos but we feel a bit bad about it," she said. "I thought a text service would be really useful for people on the move."

 

The service is available across the Westminster area, that includes many of the capital's most popular sights, such as Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace.

 

Unlike in-car devices that rely on satellites to pinpoint someone's location, the SatLav uses mobile phone technology.

 

All that comes at a price, however. People will be charged 25 pence ($0.58) per text.

 

Our new Federal Government has no plans in place for a similar service in Australia at this stage, and they expect the average citizen will carry on quite undeturd about it.

 

 

[Yenn]

It is probably necessary in the UK. I searched for a toilet in Canterbury and went round in circles following signs to no avail. At Usk in Wales the signs point in the opposite direction from just beside the toilet block.

 

Knowing British technology the SatLav will probably be the same as the signs.

 

 

[Ben Longden]

It'd be a great boon here... there are a lot of people who have to plan their trips - interstate, or accross town on where the loos are.

 

Ben

 

 

[PKnight]

Just to let you know that my daughter was responsible for this invention! That's six years of UK higher education for you. Just think I could have spent that money on my Jabiru. No sense of priority us Brits,

 

Yours in light relief.

 

Peter Knight

 

 

[Guest Baphomet]

Not trying to 'dump' on you Pete, but I bet it gives you the 'sh**s' what did she call it by the way, the "Ablution Solution"

 

Now just watch what this starts ;)

 

 

[Ben Longden]

On The Trot perhaps?

 

Ben

 

 

[Mathew Ker]

25p for a pee :;)2:

 

 

[planedriver]

Hey Matt,

 

25p is a lot better than having to buy more undies and change them in some shop doorway, only to hear a man with a funny hat say "Hello Hello Hello, now whats going on here then"? ;)

 

 

[icebob]

Toilet finder

 

Hi Guys,

 

there is a Commonweth Govenment wb site that shows all the public toilets throughout Australia, i will hunt it up and put the link here.

 

Oh did you know there are 279 public toilets from Sydney to Ballina on the Pacific Highway? My wife has visited them all on just one return trip, ha, ha.

 

Bob.

 

 

[icebob]

find a loo?

 

Hi Guy,

 

here is the web site?

 

http://www.toiletmap.gov.au/;)

 

 

[planedriver]

Thats some trip icebob, at even 5mins a visit, that would have put another 23hrs 25mins on your travelling time, but presumeably your a were un-deturd about about it.

 

 

[icebob]

Hi,

 

yes a two day trip ended up as nine days and visits to five doctors on the way, poor old(using that advisedly too) picked up a gut bug that was hard to shake. AND like all good wifes she waited till we got home to share it wth me too??????