IC You Pee

Jimmy John's (South Gilbert)

2011-03-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

I have spent the last week or so trying to figure out what bathroom
this is. I finally remembered, but should the score suffer due to the
seeming unremarkable nature of this easily forgottn bathroom? I feel
like I've written on this topic before, I can't remember.

3/5

Cheba Hut

2011-03-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

Cheba Hut is a counter-culture themed sandwich shop. By that, I mean,
weed. For a place that is supposed to cater to people who are looking
for a sandwich to fill the void in their stoned stomach, a trip to the
bathroom seems buzzkillingly complicated.
Finding the bathroom was not overly complicated, but finding my way back almost set my sober mind into a pot-induced state of paranoia. More signage is probably required, or the kind employees of Cheba Hut might start finding the remains of rastas littering the long hallway one must complete, like a maze, to make room for more of the Kool-Aid from the delicious looking fountain.

3/5

George's

2011-01-22T19:05:00.001-08:00

I probably go to George's once a week, but this is probably the second
time I've been in the bathroom. The bar always feel so personal to me,
is the bathroom the same way. At first, I thought no. Then I saw this
inscribed on the wall beyond the toilet:

"Workshop: where the aggressively inarticulate get their (like)
teaching certificates."

4/5

Olive Garden

2011-01-01T17:33:00.001-08:00

If there is one thing that can really make me feel at home in a public restroom, it's pictures from the old country. By old country, of course, I'm referring to aisle E7 of the nearest Target Superstore.
Vistas of the beloved peninsula with the sounds of Dean Martin and a man coughing up the phleghm of a thousand smoke-filled nights spent in a plaza drinking wine and harrassing the local women assured me that I was receiving an authentic Italian experience, even in the bathroom.
The sink had the high level of quality and care that I have come to expect from a casual dining restaurant, with more bells and whistles than one would see in a rustic village home. Still, it is true that when you pee here, you pee with family.

3/5

Adler Journalism Building

2010-12-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Nearing the end of my academic career, I find myself growing
nolstalgic for the bathrooms I frequented as an undergrad. The places
I spent much of my time, killing time between classes on campus, in a
point in my Iowa City career when I differentiated between campus and
off-campus. When I visited this bathroom before sneaking into a long
film class, preparing for a short nap during the first half hour,
hoping only not to snore and to gain back a bit of the energy I had
lost staying up too late the previous night, knowing I would need the
rest to do the same that night. Those were times I miss, but I have
grown past them. I am a different person now. It's not quite the same
to go back. You feel old. You can't go home again, not really, but
perhaps you can pee there.

3/5

Biology Building East

2010-11-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

Free newspapers in the bathroom? City of literature indeed! Don't have the need or time for one right now, thanks. No, no, just passing through, if you get my meaning. Thanks again! 2/5

Mesa Pizza

2010-11-17T17:48:00.001-08:00

Toppings are the word when you go to Mesa. You can use toppings to satiate any non-pizza cravings. Want a gyro? Have gyro pizza! Want a taco? Have taco pizza! Want a pizza pizza? Fine, you ingrate, eat up. Going into the bathroom, I was puzzled to see that the toppings carried over into this most private of places. What is that on top of that toilet? What is it, I wonder. I will not eat it, but I shall order a plain toilet with no toppings, in the future, thanks. 2/5

Painting Building First Floor

2010-11-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

Hidden bathroom of the painting studio, you are covered in rust that comes from when creativity meets academia, plastic cups for drinking bleach/urine cocktails, art magazines to insulate my coat to brave the cold walk home after a night's work wasted. Hidden bathroom, I wish you had stayed hidden. 2/5

Speakeasy

2010-11-02T19:56:00.001-07:00

I'm leaving the bathroom at Speakeasy, the nom de guerre of a house I'm sure is on its way to becoming legend, and I am rather charmingly greeted by this contemplative cowboy. He enters and sits down, pondering and thinking in such seriousness that I would give him as many pennies as I could muster for a single solitary thought. The bathroom was mostly unremarkable, yet unforgettable, as it is the place I will alway remember for my rendezvous with this lone ranger. 4/5

Main Library 2nd Floor North

2010-10-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

You are a secret bathroom, this is for sure. I've seen others go in, but you are not well known. More interesting is the room next door to you. The one with the signs that say "attention, we can hear you next door". We can hear everything you are saying next door. If you think you are speaking in private, you are not. If you think you are a secret bathroom, perhaps you are. I still prefer the 5th floor.

3/5

North Hall

2010-09-14T15:46:00.001-07:00

The Janitor is IN, but I'm on break and I gotta go. The floor is wet,
I hope not from something gross and awful. This a bathroom, and
even the best case scenario is a little disgusting, but I have shoes on
and I gotta go. I sneak past him, which is easier due to recently
weight loss and I feel bad about interrupting his work, but I gotta
go. The door on the stall doesn't close and he's listening, but I
gotta go. I feel like I can't take a picture, I would wait for him to
leave, but break is almost over. I gotta go.

3/5

Waterfront Hyvee

2010-08-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

Waterfront Hyvee, you've been going through so many changes lately.
You've been growing. Developing a greater appreciation for wine and
spirits. Sure, you're not looking your best right now. You look and
probably feel a little bit awkward. But this is something we all go
through. We all understand. It's sometimes hard to go through
something like this, because you don't know some things and people
might not know how to tell you. I just wanna come out and say it. You
have a bathroom problem. I mean, it's fine, nothing too bad, but at
your age, hygiene can become more of an issue, and I'm not trying to
embarass you, but I just want you to be the best you can be, as you go
through this time in your life, with growing pains, blossoming like a
flower to be fertilized. 2/5, but I know you will work on it. I'm
here if you ever want to talk. About anything.

TCB

2010-08-18T11:52:00.001-07:00

I remembered this place so differently, so wrongly. I had held up this
bathroom as a bastion of public space, one of the nicest, cleanest
bathrooms in Iowa City. I remembered warmth and comfort. I remembered
wood. Stained, dark wood grains, perhaps oak. I remembered it so
fondly, but with years between visits, it is either my recall or the
bathroom itself that has faded. Once my favorite bathroom, my
inspiration for much of this writing, my heart breaks over what I
found here. How could I have distorted this in my mind so horribly?
Does the bathroom I pine for exist anywhere now, or had it always been
a hallucination, the result of a drunken trip in a bar I did not
frequent? Now it is nothing but barely adequate and instantly
forgettable to most. As for myself, this 3/5 bathroom will always be
one of the great tradgedies of my life.

Sycamore Marcus Theater

2010-07-25T11:22:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know I'm getting better. Kind of. I have a
compulsion, you see, or perhaps more of an obsession, a fear perhaps,
that I will sit down to watch a long film, and I'll have to pee the
whole time. I can't go during the picture, you see, I'm no heathen. So
I visit this room once upon arrival at the theater, and once during
the commercials before the trailer, and perhaps I will get a drink of
water, and by this I mean pee again, after the trailers but before the
movie. I can't help it. I am a nervous guy, cinematcally. But I just
wanted to let you know, I'm getting better. Oh, and 3/5.

Buffalo Wild Wings

2010-07-09T22:51:00.000-07:00

On this blog, I purport to review more than just the bathroom, I'm in
it for the experience. I was at Buffalo Wild Wings, drinking more iced
tea than perhaps was smart, not necessarily needing to pee. A friend
of mine walks up and tells me that there is a couple having sex in the
men's room?
"A couple guys?
"No, a COUPLE"
Suddenly, I felt the need to investigate. My bladder demanded it. Upon
entering, there were noises. As I tried to tighten my belt with one
hand, my other in a sling, I heard her tell him, "pull your pants up,
I wanna go."
She left as I washed my hands. I rushed out after her to point her out
to my girlfriend. The folks in the bar saw a girl rush out, and a guy
in a sling pointing and laughing, thinking that he made up the male
half of the couple. Average bathroom, memorable experience, slightly
above average score: 4/5

RagStock

2010-06-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

The "work" bathroom has always been a very important place for me.Just as smokers have always been able to lay claim to extra breaks in order to smoke, I have always made sure I give myself extra breaks throughout the workday to use the restroom, even if I don't have to go. This "resting" can often just mean sitting there, doing nothing but enjoying not talking to anyone and not being on your feet. At jobs in the past, I have pretty much turned restrooms into unofficial offices. Not so at RagStock. The bathroom is nice enough, I actually appreciate the character of the room quite a bit. Perhaps I enjoy the work more, and don't find the need to take refuge. Perhaps I feel self conscious that it's not hidden away in a corner somewhere, like employee bathrooms often are. I guess I will have to contemplate this next time I work. Maybe in the bathroom, which I will be rating a 3/5. More likely I'll be tagging shirts on the sales floor. I like it out
there.

Saloon

2010-05-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

Saloon, this I am sure of. Looks a lot like Pints. Or at least I think
that was Pints. You see, I had been drinking. At that time I mean. I
suppose I had been drinking at Saloon, but not so much that I have a
hard time remembering where and when I peed that day and this time, I
had no trouble identifying my bathroom pictures. Sometimes it can be
hard. I wonder if the people at Pints know their bathroom is a bit
generic. It would be unfair to rate this bathroom much lower than
their's. It doesn't have that white bit to look at. This is either a
good thing or a bad thing. I'll give it a 3/5 while I decide.

Slippery Pete's

2010-05-28T10:37:00.001-07:00

I have often thought that the bathroom at ETC was one of the absolute
worst bathrooms I have ever seen. Completely covered in stainless
steel, it almost begged for you to pee just anywhere, knowing that
they were just gonna hose the whole place down later. Well, as ETC
became Slippery Pete's, I had hoped that the trans-Atlantic influence
would mean a change in the lavatory as well. I was wrong and the
bathroom remained slippery. No walls, no toilet paper, just a giant
room in which one could pee, with little difference between the urinal
and the floor. I'll look out into the bar through the tacky one-way
mirror with sadness as I use this 1/5 room.

Pints

2010-05-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is Pints, I think. I'm not quite sure. I did have a few drinks,
you know. And I know I went at Pints. This must be the picture. It
must be, I think. I remember this bathroom, seeing that white bit on
the wall, wondering what it might be. I was a bit distracted, I did
have a few drinks you know. I do remember this being a comfortably
dark, clean, roomy, and pleasant bathroom. I didn't stay in this 3/5
bathroom very long, I was having a few drinks, you know.

Quinton's

2010-05-18T13:00:00.000-07:00

Far away, in a dark, damp place you will find this less than lovely
lavatory. Though technically this room is big enough for quite a few
people, I'm not sure that's a good thing. Whether it is more harrowing
to go into this cave alone or to enter and finds others waiting, I am
not sure. I am sure that I don't want to find out. I have been to
Quinton's many times since starting this blog, but tonight was the
first time since that I ventured back to this hole. I wish it were to
be the last. This 2/5 makes holding it indefinitely sound like a safe
option.

The Hideaway

2010-05-14T19:28:00.001-07:00

Can a leopard change its spots? I went to "The Hideaway", formerly the The Hawkeye Hideaway. What does it mean for the bathroom when a bar decides to class up a bit and drop its Big Ten theme? Not a whole lot. The prices get higher and the decor a little nicer, but the bathroom is still the bathroom of a dive sports bar. Not awful, but this 3/5 is not what I thought it would be.

Iowa River Power Company

2010-05-14T19:13:00.001-07:00

Perhaps it was by chance or perhaps it was by providence that I found
myself in this stall Friday night at the Iowa River Power Company
restaurant. The scribbling on the wall, obviously the work of a
labored hand, told me to pray and it seemed likely that the last
occupant had been attempting to communicate with his deity as he
fought with what he had left in the bowl for me to find. I had just
finished my meal, so my appetite was not put off by this foul
revelation, but I wondered if this encounter might be prophetic. Was I
to be plagued as well this night? I still wait for answers, but I
think it's safe to say that the pilgrimmage to this 1/5 bathroom was
less than divine.

Seashore Hall

2010-04-27T09:33:00.001-07:00

"Josh", I heard, as I passed through the walkway between Van Allen and majestic Seashore Hall, a place I know for hosting the art school offices and the location of many psych experiments I have subjected myself to over the years. Garrett called me over and tipped me to this old bathroom on the fourth floor, seemingly the only survivor of renovations over the years. This style of urinal offers little privacy, this is true, but the shape seems more sanitary. Less splash, less chance of missing. I'm almost compelled to sit down and go like a lady. It is as if a urinal and a toilet mated, and their love child awaits, ready to relieve me of a great burden. The rest of the bathroom was unremarkable, but I feel my life is enriched knowing this comforting friend waits for me, high up on a tower, above Iowa City, watching us all.

El Bandito's

2010-04-27T09:32:00.001-07:00

How do you say harrowing en español? Well, whatever it is, that is how I would describe this bathroom. I was told I would have to go through the construction, the desecrated corpse of Paul Revere, to find the bathroom, but when I stuck my head through the door to make my way, I saw no obvious path to the bathroom. I peeked around with a paranoid eye when a man who looked very close to what I would imagine a bandito to look like peered around the corner, saying nothing, and offering nothing but a suspicious eye. He disappeared as quickly as he arrived, and I investigated the hallway he had seemingly manifested. I walked slowly, for what felt like miles, wondering how many twists and turns it would take to find the men's room. The jewel at the end of the journey was this. Filthy, frightening, yet functional, the bathroom offered a work sink and a sink for washing hands, I presume. Buckets of "cleaning" supplies. I was almost too afraid to even use the room once I had found it. It was certainly an adventure, but not the good kind. It was more the 1/5 kind.

Pagliai's Pizza

2010-04-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Pagliai's is less than a block from my house, and I always feel quite comfortable going there. So comfortable, in fact, that I left my iPhone at home to charge while I went to dinner there Sunday night. It was not long after I had arrived, however, that I realized I had to use the bathroom and that I had never used the bathroom there before, so a picture would be required. Without my camera, I had no way to make the image! Or so I thought, as my girlfriend offered me a scrap of paper on which to draw this image. I walked through the dim and comforting back part of the place, into the hallway with the restrooms, and into a spacious, clean, and pleasant men's room. This bathroom is a lot like I wish my bathroom at home was. Relaxed lighting, roomy yet cozy, this was the sort of place I could see myself spending a lot of time in. Just like Pagliai's. 5/5

Donnelly's

2010-04-10T23:30:00.001-07:00

This toilet is askew. It cheats out a bit. Does that say something
about the bar? Is that my place to decide? I really just review the
bathroom. The experience, was quite average. Eveything was normal,
except for this toilet. The toilet was a bit crooked. 3/5

Which Wich

2010-04-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

This is, if you can believe it, a women's bathroom. Can you tell? I
can't, not really. Stainless steel is stainless steel. They lost the
key to men's room, but it makes me question why they even have two
bathrooms in the first place. I don't get it. Anyways, this was a
fairly nice bathroom, perhaps even above average, and the look on my
girlfriend's face as she saw me coming out of the ladies room was
great, so this would have to rate as a 4/5 experience.

Walmart Supercenter

2010-04-05T11:51:00.001-07:00

Can one smooth move raise an average bathroom to an excellent
bathroom? Whoever left the vase of live flowers on the sink for me
must have thought so. I appreciate, I do. It's a nice gesture. Without
the flowers, this would be an obvious 3/5. With the flowers, I'm just
not sure. I'm not sure about anything anymore. These flowers confused
me. Classy, but frightening, Walmart. I give you a 3/5 still, but I
will definitely look at you differently in the future.

Hamburg Inn No. 2

2010-04-05T11:44:00.001-07:00

Watch your head! Go downstairs. Come on down, it's safe. Just watch
your head, ok? Low ceilings, the bathroom is right through there.
Feels really private down here though, right? Really away from
everything. Like you can do anything down here. Just be careful, low
clearence on this 3/5.

Oasis Falafel

2010-04-05T11:39:00.001-07:00

I've been in many small bathrooms before, but this bathroom was so
small that I had to leave to actually take this picture. My experience
was a good one, but mostly because I was laughing at how comically
small this bathroom was. I've been in porta-johns that are roomy
compared to this. Everything else was perfectly average. If there were
such a thing as a small 3, I would rate it that. Miniturized 3/5.

Yacht Club

2010-03-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to be around folks who sail for pleasure. Well, until
you go into the bathroom. Head through the blacklight maelstrom on a
bearing due North and you will find a port full of piss and posters.
Veteran hands know not to touch anything, if they can help it. The
smell of salt doesn't quite permeate the air, but I can fill the stink
getting in my beard. If you can hold fast, you might live to tell the
tale of your trip 'round this 2/5 bathroom.

The Grad Painting Building

2010-03-06T20:01:00.001-08:00

Who is that sign for? Are the ladies peeing on the floor and the seat?
Is this a common problem in ladies' rooms? I had been lead to believe
this was an issue that men had. Perhaps the sign is for any men
considering urinating on the toilet of the opposition. I'm just not
sure. Wouldn't the whole point of each gender having their own toilet
make this sign unnecessary? This bathroom has what i call Le nature du mystere. Is that right? 3/5

Las Portales

2010-03-06T19:54:00.000-08:00

My feet slide out from under me as I look at the fake brickwork on top
of the fake brickwork. That's two levels of fake brickwork. Why? And
why is the floor slippery? This bathroom has what I like to call la
natura de mysterio. Is that right? 3/5

Derek and Ashley's Apartment

2010-02-27T00:25:00.001-08:00

Messy? If most bathrooms were half as "messy" as this, this blog would
be a glowing gusher of love for the places to go in Iowa City. I was
awash in yellow cuteness as soon as I entered. Candles were present
and lit, offering pleasent visual and olfactory stimulation. The
design was consistent and delightful and I don't think I've seen a
bathroom as clean anywhere. The humility of the owners in the face of
an obvious 5/5 experience floors me.

Shorts Burgers and Shine

2010-02-27T00:13:00.001-08:00

The old-fashioned styling is definitely appreciated, but the colors in
this room made it particularly hard to photograph, especially with the
limited control I have, using my phone. I locked the door as I made
several attempts to get a good shot, and someone tried to enter. I
tried to decide if I would be more or less embarrased to only be
taking pictures. Still not sure. My bathroom experiences are becoming
quite different than that of a non-blogging user. Should I ignore that
aspect of my time in there and stick to the basics? Probably. If so,
this bathroom is quite nice, stylish, and has all the charm of a retro
bathroom with all of the modern conveniences one might expect. Other
than my photographic problems, this was 4/5 experience.

Wildwood

2010-02-27T00:08:00.001-08:00

Slow rides for the girls, fast for the dudes. The man controlling the
bull lets the girls gyrate on the mechanized animal for much longer
than their 8 seconds, but no one seems to mind. I wonder if he knows a
specific set of moves to make a girl's belly knotted plaid shirt pop
open. Yee haw, everyone would say! A ride on the beast cost more than
a beer or a burger and didn't last nearly as long on either count. The
bathroom, however was only slightly above the norm for an Iowa City
bar, but not by much. Wildwood won't be bucking off the average score
of 3/5 anytime soon.

Seamens Center

2010-02-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

Responsibility. When a bathroom offers you a faucet with the handles
you turn, they are trusting you to turn the water off when you leave.
Are you deserving of that trust? Are you? An otherwise average (maybe
even below) bathroom, I give this bathroom a 3/5 for allowing me to
show the strength of my moral fiber.

Coral Ridge Marcus Theater

2010-02-21T22:32:00.001-08:00

Movie theater bathrooms are unique in that men universally are trying
to get in, pee, and get out as quickly as possible, even quicker than
usual. With how indiscriminate one could be when going in such a rush, it is an absolute wonder to me that rooms I would expect to be dripping are usually quite clean! If only there were a superfast way for men to pee, faster than anything, like a vacuum tube that meets
you at the theater door. I never go during the movie. I usually go
once before and once during the trailers, I get nervous that I'll feel
like I have to go the whole movie. Is that crazy? Well, for 10 bucks a
ticket, I kind of expect more than a 3/5 experience, but until they
come up with something like the PeeBot, it will keep that B-rating.

Zio Johno's / Pancheros

2010-02-15T11:24:00.000-08:00

What happened? I was eating lunch at Zio Johno's and I went into the bathroom. I exited quickly after an average experience to find myself in Pancheros! Had I stepped through a portal to a parallel dimension? Was I unstuck in time and space? No, the two restaurants share this bathroom, and I had wandered through the wrong door. Too bad, a 4th dimensional trip would've raised the rating on this above a 2/5.

Village Inn

2010-02-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing about the Village Inn is the interior design, which I believe is fairly new. The bright oranges, soothing teals, and earthy browns evoke a retro style, but with an eye towards the future. This pallete is also used in the bathroom. When you enter, you may
wonder where the urinal is, but it actually gets a stall-like
treatment, with full walls on either side! With this room offering
more style and privacy than most bathrooms in town, I'll use the free
wi-fi to give this bathroom a strong 4/5.

Joe's Place

2010-02-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking. The camera puts on ten pounds of filth.
Well, that may or may not be true, but the bathroom at Joe's Place is
probably one of the worst in town. Filled with incomprehensible
graffiti (what's the point?) and a smell to match, you don't even get
the place to yourself, as other patrons butt past you to use the
urinals. More evidence here of Iowa City's bathroom inequality, if Joe
needs to have an extended stay in the bathroom, this is obviously not
the place, if you know what I mean. Oh, and the location is bad. Say
it ain't so, Joe, you're getting a 1/5.

The Mill

2010-02-11T08:39:00.001-08:00

Red! Red is the color of the walls. Also the color of my face if I try
to use this room with another person. That is probably the most
pathetic privacy wall I have ever seen. I do like the color, but the
place is so unclean and the urinals hardly work, which is amazing
because all a urinal has to do to function is flush. They aren't
completely unusable, however, and I was able to go, so I will rate
this a barely adequate 2/5.

Jean Lloyd Jones' House

2010-02-07T14:07:00.001-08:00

A beautiful home and a beautiful bathroom. Being at Jean's house made me think about what I might want in a dream home and this bathroom was no exception. A smart and simple design, featuring Kohler fixtures, this bathroom was elegant without being ostentatious and had hints of the Japanese styling present in the rest of the house. I hope to have a 5/5 bathroom like this someday.

Taco Bell

2010-02-07T14:01:00.001-08:00

This was actually a really nice Taco Bell, so I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised that the bathroom was nice too, but still, I was
surprised! Clean, warm, and comfortable, this 4/5 will be the bathroom I compare all fastfood bathrooms to.

Menards

2010-02-07T13:55:00.001-08:00

I was walking into Studio Arts soon after it opened and a man pulled
up, rolled his window down, and asked me, "Does Menards not exist
anymore"? Well, it does and you can pee there. It's kind of nice to be
able to look at ads while you're there, but this was the only place I
saw the ads, and I didn't exactly want to hang around for light
reading. I was kind of occupied. Nothing else really stood out, but I
guess I was distracted. The price on hand drills gets a 5/5, but the bathroom gets a 3/5.

Thai Flavors

2010-02-07T13:47:00.001-08:00

I try not to compare bathrooms, necessarily, I don't use an ordinal
scale, but the bathroom at Taco Bell was a million times nicer than
this. It seems that bad bathrooms are kind of typical for Asian
restaurants, or is that just me? I'm glad to see that they do have
cleaning products, but they shouldn't be strewn about the room amongst trash. Anyways, I won't hold this against Thai Flavors too much, but my love for their curry still won't push my rating above a 2/5.

BS Gallery

2010-02-07T13:42:00.001-08:00

I'm a non-practicing Jew, so I don't often find myself surrounded by images of Jesus, but it was oddly comforting. An average bathroom made much more interesting by a chorus of Christ, it also smelled awesome due to burning incense and candles. I review bathroom experiences, not just bathrooms, and this was a 5/5 experience.

Colonial Lanes

2010-02-07T13:37:00.001-08:00

Some of the most interesting bathrooms I've been in were at bowling
alleys. Not always the cleanest, but usually pretty interesting. Well,
I can't complain that it looks and smelt like a locker room, because
it literally is a locker room. The urinals had no privacy and the
locks were gone on the stall doors, such that you could peek through.
I did. I left without going, but I could have, so I guess I have to rate it a 2/5.

Michelle Grand's Apartment

2010-01-30T22:41:00.001-08:00

Some might call it cramped, but I would call it cozy. Small but warm.
The paintings were a warm touch, and the only bit of cold in the room
was the blue marbled sink. This was a nice place to visit, for a
little while at least, and I give this a pleasent 4/5.

Sam Eklow's Apartment

2010-01-30T22:37:00.000-08:00

My sister runs a tight ship. This was a clean bathroom, and because it
was my sister's, I almost felt at home. My one complaint is that the
sink and mirror were actually in a separate room. I suppose that isn't
actually really good or bad, but it seemed a little wrong that I
couldn't wash my hands before I touched the doorknob on my way out.
Maybe I'm just weird. That's probably it, so I'll give this room a 3/5
for being perfectly adequate.

Katie Hargrave's Apartment

2010-01-27T22:34:00.001-08:00

Clean, and surprisingly large. It seemed like it might be small when I
first entered, but the full tub and size of the room was quite
surprising. I didn't notice too terribly much to write about while I
was in there, so I will likely rate this about average, but nothing
really stood out. A standard 3/5.

Studio Arts - North End

2010-01-26T10:21:00.001-08:00

Floor mounted is a not a style I see often these days and it is
certainly not one I prefer, especially without privacy walls. It is
strange that there is such a lack of privacy in the urinal area, when
the stalls offer full, real walls and wooden doors, and you are so at
home that you almost want to move in. The dim lighting adds to this
effect, avoiding the normal over-sterile feeling of white flourescent
light, but perhaps too much so. I still prefer the other bathroom in
Studio arts to this one, but it is interesting enough to warrant a
3/5.

Continuing Education Facility

2010-01-25T18:20:00.001-08:00

How appropriate this bathroom is for the Continuing Education
Facility. Children, or perhaps short men, can use the lower of the
two, continuing their urinary education, eventually graduating to the
standard wall unit. Nice and secluded, but otherwise average, this was
a solid 3/5 experience.

Subway

2010-01-25T18:10:00.001-08:00

This bathroom is totally appropriate for a Subway. Just like the sandwich shop, this bathroom offers choices, all of which are slightly unclean and only kind of appetizing. You'd think with all that footlong money, they could at least keep this as nice as a McDonald's, but I guess that letting their customers "pee fresh" isn't on the menu. Sorry Jared, but I have to rate this a 2/5.

Senior Center - 1st Floor

2010-01-25T18:01:00.001-08:00

I never like bathrooms that feel like a locker room, but this bathroom
actually has lockers. So it kind of IS a locker room. Other than that,
it's pretty much identical to the bathroom upstairs. It is nice to see
a changing table in the mens' room, but does that make up for the
locker room feeling? Almost, but I'll still have to rate this a 2/5.

Prairie Lights

2010-01-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Really? I mean, what is this? I obviously don't want blame Prairie Lights for this, but who else would do this? It's not so weird or funny that someone would sneak in cardboard to do this, but why would any employee do this, condemning themselves to fishing soggy cardboard
out of the urinal later. Needless to say, I did not follow the
instructions, and left, rating this experience a quizzical 2/5.

Somewhere in the IMU

2010-01-24T22:59:00.001-08:00

The one thing I like about this bathroom is that it is so secluded
that it feels like my own personal room. I've never seen another soul
anywhere near this one. Actually, I'm not sure I even want to say
where it is. I'll say only this: it's in the IMU and the handicapped
sign on the door is reversed, which is another thing I like about it.
So that's two things. An otherwise average bathroom, these two things
warrant a 4/5.

Jenny Oh's Apartment

2010-01-24T13:11:00.001-08:00

The bathroom in a girls' apartment is usually fairly stereotypical,
and this is no exception. Hair styling tools out, candles, and a trash
can filled with maxipad wrappers. This room smelled fine and was not
amazingly large or small. The experience was on the good side of
average, and I will rate it a fairly forgettable 3/5.

Blue Moose Taphouse

2010-01-23T22:42:00.000-08:00

Slaughterhouse chic? Perhaps that was the goal, but the bathroom at
the Blue Moose Taphouse may be one of the worst I've ever used. The
urinals, if you can call them that, maintain the steel look of the
rest of the room, and offer literally no privacy. Two things that
aren't visible in this picture are the smell and the tacky beer
posters featuring half-naked shills, both of which were overwhelming.
With no redeeming qualities, other than the actual presence of toilet
paper (a rarity in bar bathrooms for men), I have to give this
bathroom a 1/5.

Formosa

2010-01-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

I haven't paged through a Kohler catalog in a while, but I recognize
their touch in the lovely sinks at Formosa. The rest of the room
didn't quite meet the high expectations set by the wash station. The
rest of the room was fairly dirty and privacy was a joke: the front
door was propped open. There was also no permanent soap dispensor,
which seems odd considering the great design of the faucet. With a few
changes, this room could rank much higher, but for now it will have to
be a 3/5.

Public Space One

2010-01-23T22:30:00.000-08:00

It is not surprising that this underground gallery has an interesting
bathroom. One of the roomiest I've been in, the stalls are actually up
a small flight of stairs within the room, allowing one to look back
down, viewing the room in all its splendor. Well, splendor may be
overstating it. Character in a bathroom is important, but it is not
the only important thing. What good is the privacy wall, I must ask,
when there is six feet of open space on the other side? Still, it was
clean enough and the experience rates a solid 3/5.

The Sanctuary

2010-01-23T20:06:00.001-08:00

The illusion of high class (pronounce: snobby) that permeates The
Sanctuary is shattered as soon as one enters the bathroom. Quite small
for what is evidently a two-seater, my experience was pretty much
ruined when a man entered, used the toilet behind me, belched loudly,
and then left without washing his hands. The actual location doesn't
help its cause, and I'll be giving this one a 2/5.

The Union Bar - Upstairs

2010-01-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

I knew going in that it wouldn't be good. You might be surprised
however, when I say that it was actually better than I had expected.
There was no real noticeable smell in there, good or bad, and the
floor was wet, but in this weather, I'm going to give them the benefit
of the doubt and assume it was a result of the ice-covered shoes. The
lack of any toilet paper is the first documentation of a bathroom bias
against men in Iowa City. It served the purpose of being a place to
go, but just barely, so I will give this one a 2/5.

Studio Arts Building South End

2010-01-22T15:13:00.000-08:00

Darkness. I walk into the black void, unsure if I should, but I must.
I must go and just as if my deity decreed it, there was light! Motion
sensor light switch, neato. I find my personal favorite style of
urinal, and am pleased to find paper towels with which to dry my hands
after a nice wash. The checkerboard pattern is a nice touch and I give
the room a 4/5, turning the lights back off as I leave, so as to
conserve both energy and the surprise for the next visitor.

Iowa City Senior Center 2nd Floor

2010-01-22T15:01:00.001-08:00

What it lacks in style, this room makes up for in accesibility. With an automatic door and wheelchair-level door button, I rest easy with the knowledge that no one will be kept from going in here. Though I normally loathe bathrooms that only offer airdryers, the city has installed an XLerator hand dryer at the center, and there will be no
need to wipe your hands on your pants after about only 10 seconds
drying! Still, I was less than pumped to see the protruding-style
urinal and the room really has no character, so my rating will be a
3/5, but a dry one.

PATV

2010-01-21T16:57:00.001-08:00

What seemed at first to be a simple sterile white bathroom, such as
one might find in a small town optometrist's office, surprised me with
several small personal touches that made me feel more at home, my
favorite being the listing of the 7 Deadly Sins of shooting video.
Education during a bio-break is always welcome. The room was quite
clean and roomy. My one complaint is that there was waterless hand
sanitizer on the sink that looked deceptively like hand soap, which
was also available. While I am a great fan of hand sanitizer, I have
mistaken it for soap before, and if one attempts to use it as one
would use soap, with water, the results can be quite off-putting.
Still, the experience was a good one, and I would certainly go there
again. For many reasons, including the Monet painting above the
toilet, I give this room a 4/5.

Pappajohn Business Building - West 4th Floor

2010-01-21T15:33:00.001-08:00

I was at the Pappajohn building for an award ceremony, during which I
had a great deal of iced tea and lemonade. Afterwards, I went through
a lovely purple door to find this bathroom. The protruding style of
urinal is not my favorite and it looks like they installed the
smallest privacy divder they could. The tile walls made it feel like a
locker room, and a cramped one at that. It was clean enough, but
overall I would have to give a rating of 2/5.

324 E. Davenport Street Apartment 2

2010-01-21T14:03:00.001-08:00

If I am going to rate every bathroom I visit in Iowa City, it seems
only fair to start with my own bathroom. First of all, it's not very
clean, but I have only myself to blame for that. It's also kind of
small for my liking, but I really dig the decor, so my rating is a 3/5.