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Talking Dutch toilets flush with comments
Monday, August 30, 2004 Posted: 1:39 PM EDT (1739 GMT)

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -- The citizens of Amsterdam may now take counsel of talking toilets that expound on the perils of smoking or the futility of war and berate them on hygiene and cleanliness.

The first such toilets, fitted with sensors to detect exactly what visitors do and to pass comment if appropriate, were installed in a central Amsterdam cafe Thursday. Creator Leonard van Munster, who sees the project as an artistic venture, will build more if the demand arises.

"You might consider sitting down next time," the toilet told a male Reuters reporter politely in a female robot voice. The next user was told that "The last visitor did not take heed of basic rules of hygiene."

Depending on circumstances, the toilet might remind you to wash your hands or ask you to lift the seat.

"It could suddenly start coughing and warn you about the dangers of cigarettes, or name all the cool movie stars who smoke. It just depends what mood it's in," van Munster said referring to people who sneak off to secretly have a puff.

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[ August 30, 2004, 07:04 PM: Message edited by: Bob_Scopatz ]
 

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Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
 
Can you imagine having one of those things in your house? You get up in the middle of the night to answer the call of nature and the toilet starts talking. I think I'd have a heart attack.
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
I'd be afraid to hear mine say, "Lay off the cheesecake, tubbo."
 

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Posted by IvyGirl (Member # 6252) on :
 
Dagonee-
If the toilet said that to me, it would be annihilated. Preferably with a rather large sledgehammer or something of the sort.

Ivygirl
 

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Posted by Derrell (Member # 6062) on :
 

 

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Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
 
Hey, I have my grandmother to tell me I'm fat, I don't need no stinkin' toilet telling me!
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
Wow, my grandmother does that, too.

Me (upon seeing Grandma for first time in 6 years): Hi, it's great to see you again.

Grandma: Wow, you've gained a lot of weight.

Dagonee
 

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Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
 
Yeah - you think this is bad. Wait until the scales decide to start making comments.

-Trevor
 

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Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
 
Dag, an unacceptable exchange between my daughter and her this summer(I was not there):

My Daughter comes in, in her bathing suit, eating a potato chip.

Grandmother: Don't eat those, they're bad for you. That's why your're so fat."

Me(later): Grandmother, you told A she was fat!

Grandmother: Well, isn't she?

Well, no she friggin isn't! She is ten, and in that weird stage before puberty. She is tall and very strong. It was really my grandmother's way of saying, "Elizabeth dear, you are fat, and I would love you better if you were thin."

Ah, sorry. But it is a toilet thread, so I got to spew.

Again, Albert brooks comes to mind.

Mother: I love you, dear.
Albert: I know you think you do.
 

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Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
 
That is so cool.

My grandma (German) skews it a bit:

"Hello Phillip. You've gotten taller. Hmmm. You have a fat butt but you need fattening up."

I gain at least seven kilos whenever I go to Germany . . .
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
Grandma: "you're fat."

Me: "No I'm not, I'm just holding my breath around you and that makes me kind of puff up."
 

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Posted by skillery (Member # 6209) on :
 
Talkie Pottie: "Remember to always chew your corn thoroughly."
 

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Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
 
Actually, I remember one article that suggested future toilets will come with sensors to monitor the quality of your waste in order to better evaluate your health.

-Trevor
 

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Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
 
I saw a movie when I was little about a kid attacked by a talking toilet. I wouldn't flush the toilet for months after that, and when I did, I'd flee the room before it could get me!
 

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Posted by MEC (Member # 2968) on :
 
Man, Seanbaby would love to see this article.
 

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Posted by AmkaProblemka (Member # 6495) on :
 
The next thing you know, toilets will be able to automatically test urine for different things. Then it can make other comments like "Have you ever considered drug rehab?" or "Congratulations! You're pregnant!"
 

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Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
 
Wow, would that be a fun target for the technologically gifted prankster or what?

Dagonee
 

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