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Futuristic toilet designed to tell a story about 'the forward thinking of San Francisco' broke down just three days after inaugural flush
theblaze.com ^ | November 30, 2022 | JOSEPH MACKINNON

Posted on 11/30/2022 12:15:34 PM PST by lowbridge

San Francisco city officials unveiled a new self-cleaning toilet last week. Designed to reflect San Francisco values, the toilet stopped working within days of its inaugural flush.

This latest dysfunction in the Democrat-run city casts doubt not only on the whether the designers followed through on their aim of coming up with something as "indestructible as possible," but also on the utility of the city building 24 toilets just like it.

Touted by the San Francisco Chronicle as the "future of public toilets," a so-called self-cleaning "Amenipod" was recently installed at the edge of Embarcadero Plaza and opened to the public on Nov. 23.

The Department of Public Works said in a press release that the "next-generation restrooms are environmentally sustainable, brighter and easier to keep clean."

They may be easier to keep clean on account of people being unable to use them.

According to the SFist, the restroom apparently got stuck out of place during its self-cleaning cycle.

On Friday afternoon, on its third day of public use, the futuristic-looking restroom broke down.

A supervisor allegedly said that after "some lady went in there," the mechanized restroom had not reset to its sitting position.

While Public Works claimed that the "toilet was offline for about two hours during business hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) over the weekend," the SFist noted that it wasn't working Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon.

The restroom was designed by the Detroit-based firm SmithGroup JRR, which won the contract in 2018.

Bill Katz, design principal at SmithGroup, explained that the restroom was made so that it "figuratively and literally reflected the neighborhoods that it's in."

"We also wanted it to tell a larger story ... about design culture and the forward thinking of San Francisco," added Katz.

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: amenipod; billkatz; california; detroit; embarcaderoplaza; isthisthebee; josephmackinnon; michigan; sanfrancisco; smithgroupjrr
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"Bill Katz, design principal at SmithGroup, explained that the restroom was made so that it "figuratively and literally reflected the neighborhoods that it's in."

"We also wanted it to tell a larger story ... about design culture and the forward thinking of San Francisco," added Katz."

A toilet.

1 posted on 11/30/2022 12:15:34 PM PST by lowbridge
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To: lowbridge

We have tne same company operating it a certain intersection close to us in L.A. Guess what? I see city workers cleaning it and FIXING it almost everyday because violent homeless bums destroy it.


2 posted on 11/30/2022 12:17:24 PM PST by max americana (Fired leftards at work since 2008 at every election just to see them cry. I hate them all.)
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To: lowbridge

“....the restroom was made so that it “figuratively and literally reflected the neighborhoods that it’s in.”

If he means shithole.......they nailed it


3 posted on 11/30/2022 12:17:48 PM PST by V_TWIN (America...so great even the people that hate it refuse to leave)
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To: lowbridge
A supervisor allegedly said that after "some lady went in there," the mechanized restroom had not reset to its sitting position.

Sounds like someone's assuming gender. (I love this game).

4 posted on 11/30/2022 12:18:45 PM PST by mykroar (what is extraordinarily important is this—who will count the votes, and how. - J0eStalin)
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To: lowbridge

5 posted on 11/30/2022 12:19:12 PM PST by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: lowbridge
OK, which of you guys broke the toilet?


6 posted on 11/30/2022 12:20:07 PM PST by lowbridge ("Let’s check with Senator Schumer before we run it" - NY Times)
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To: lowbridge
"after "some lady went in there," the mechanized restroom had not reset to its sitting position."

I hate when some lady breaks the toilet.

7 posted on 11/30/2022 12:20:29 PM PST by DannyTN
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To: max americana

Street wisdom is to quickly rush to the bathroom and flush all the illegal narcotics down the toilet when the cops show up.
Probably the tenth perp was one too many.


8 posted on 11/30/2022 12:23:17 PM PST by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: lowbridge
Touted by the San Francisco Chronicle as the "future of public toilets,"

And that's just when it's going to work. In the future.

9 posted on 11/30/2022 12:25:38 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: lowbridge

“the toilet was offline”

That’s something you never expected to hear.


10 posted on 11/30/2022 12:27:33 PM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: lowbridge

11 posted on 11/30/2022 12:28:01 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: lowbridge
Touted by the San Francisco Chronicle as the "future of public toilets"

Then we'll take the past.

Unless it involves "two holers" with a supply of old magazines as toilet paper. Probably an idea for saving the earth's water supply, though. Better not let the think tank guys hear this.

12 posted on 11/30/2022 12:29:06 PM PST by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: V_TWIN

They’re going to put a lid on the evidence of who’s at fault.


13 posted on 11/30/2022 12:30:14 PM PST by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: lowbridge
Seattle’s $5 million automated public toilets sold for $12,000
Originally published August 16, 2008 at 12:00 am

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattles-5-million-automated-public-toilets-sold-for-12000/

14 posted on 11/30/2022 12:30:42 PM PST by seowulf (Civilization begins with order, grows with liberty, and dies with chaos...Will Durant)
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To: lowbridge
California is NOT 'embracing' the future of toilets.
California IS the future of toilets.

Feces on the sidewalks - I mean yuck...

15 posted on 11/30/2022 12:32:21 PM PST by GaltAdonis
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To: lowbridge

Sounds like San Francisco is s#it out of luck.

Just like their residents.


16 posted on 11/30/2022 12:33:52 PM PST by airborne (Thank you Rush for helping me find FreeRepublic! R)
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To: lowbridge

I’ll settle for a pre-woke, good, old-fashion Kilgore .
The kind that can handle a full-sized, American male dump without having to flush twice.


17 posted on 11/30/2022 12:34:26 PM PST by lgjhn23 (Pray for America....)
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To: lowbridge

Just because it’s for the homeless doesn’t mean you should be cheap when buying the 3 sea shells.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdnuOa7tDco


18 posted on 11/30/2022 12:35:00 PM PST by Zack Attack
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To: Red Badger; SunkenCiv; Liz; Kaslin; BenLurkin

Couple of millions of dollars for this one too? The last public toilet put in SFO (at a park) cost over 1.3 million - for a one-holer.)


19 posted on 11/30/2022 12:44:07 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (Method, motive, and opportunity: No morals, shear madness and hatred by those who cheat.)
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To: DannyTN

20 posted on 11/30/2022 12:46:19 PM PST by gundog ( It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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