Need a Bathroom?

In our busy world of travel and errands, there’s a universal question that we all must eventually face, especially if we’re the parent of little ones: Where’s the bathroom? Pulling over for a little “hike” in the woods is fine for many of us, but what if there are no woods nearby or your stop requires a little more, ahem, pampering?

Well, if your smartphone accompanies you on your jaunts, there’s an app for that! Airpnp uses your geographic location to give you a list of places to potty, from freebies at coffee shops and stores to private homes that rent out their bathrooms. Private homes that rent out their bathrooms?!

graphic, Airpnp

Yes, that’s right, people actually rent out their bathrooms. Listings on the site include photos, hours of service, and fees, and many boast family-friendly atmospheres or luxurious soaps. The founders, natives of New Orleans, created the app when they realized they could help frustrated revelers find a bathroom during the city’s annual Mardi Gras festivities. Co-founder and “PEO” Max Gaudin says, “You can use Airpnp on your phone via the browser, on your computer, or download our iOS app.” Their playful tagline reads “Urine good hands.” For those of us who sometimes have to really, really GO, this app could turn out to be ….? What would you end the sentence with? Dashing?

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    This is really cool! I have never heard about renting out your home bathroom but I bet in places with big events, it could be a huge success. Looks like from the map that if you are in ND, SD, Montana or Idaho, your best bet it it find a path off the road or hope for a gas station!

  2. Ah the memories of bathrooms needed and not found ! My most memorable stop was while on Safari in Kenya. We were in the middle of nowhere on the African savannah, ( that would be a 4 hour drive from anywhere “civilized” ). Our native Kikuyu driver would let us stop by the side of the 2 track dirt path if we needed ” to go”. I was the only woman in our party. He said just to yell ” bush bush” if we needed to pull over. Not a lot of privacy, just miles of dried pampas grass. I spotted a few boulders and yelled ” bush bush” and jumped out. He warned me ” i’ts lion country miss” and I just laughed and hightailed it into the tall grass. then…..I stepped on a SLEEEPING LION ! God’s truth! and then to make it worse the whole pride of lions woke up and peered sleepily at me, blinking in the sun ! I did a cartoon like high stepping motion backwards to the Land Rover, white as a sheet. From then on I was ordered to “go” behind the vehicle right on the road. It is silent out there the savannah only a bit of breeze. I asked the ” boys” in my party not to look backward and make some noise as it sounded like Niagra Falls if you get my drift. They took it upon themselves to sing water songs like ” singing in the Rain” , ” splish splash” and “raindrops keep falling on my head” . They thought this was hysterical and frankly their laughing “drowned” out all other noise anyway. Yep ,won’t ever forget that ” call of nature” !!

    • MaryJane says:

      Lisa the Lioness … not! Wow, cool story.

    • Karlyne says:

      Lisa, what a story! I cannot even imagine it!

    • Megan says:

      Unforgettable, that is for sure! What an adventure! 🙂

      • thanks Megan,
        Yep, I’m working on my book and this story in a longer form will be in for sure.
        I’m sorta used to lions as my close friend Herb worked at the Central Park NY zoo and was in charge of the ” big cats”. I got to go in with him and be up close and personal with the “cats” . They purr too , but like motorboats ! Sheba the teenaged tigress was so adorable but got too playful one day and put her paws on Herb’s shoulders and knocked him clean down to the floor. He said that would be my last visit in with Sheba. And on it goes with the big and little cats in my life.

    • Sandi says:

      Lisa, I couldn’t help it! I had to laugh. Your description caused me to see it plainly in my mind’s eye and I burst out laughing when you said, ” I did a cartoon like high stepping motion backwards to the land rover.” What an experience!!

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