I got in a conversation about urinal design today, and got to talking (and then googling) about urinal flies.
First, in case you don’t know:
- Public restroom urinal users typically have bad aim.
- Some restroom urinals have little fly stickers/etching in them, which is apparently extremely effective at improving aim.
More information about them can be found in this 2009 NPR story, There’s a fly in my urinal, which contains this gem where the originator of the fly-in-the-urinal idea explains why a fly:
”..guys want to directly aim at an animal they can immobilize. The ability to use one’s natural gifts and achieve victory over the foe while standing is the key, he explained. Guys, he felt, can always beat flies. That’s why flies are so satisfying.”
Amazing.