Over the past few months, I have been rather busy working on a new website and mobile phone service – and it is now finally ready.
To put it succinctly, it is a map – that works on mobile phones – and displays all of the known public toilets in Greater London.
In fact, with the headline news that Manchester council recently voted to cut its public toilets to just ONE in the city – it is interesting to see that London has over 800 public toilets within the M25.
Yes – over 800 London loos to use.
Welcome to Toilet Map!
Why have I built it?
Several reasons – one was that it is a damn good thing to do, and I personally needed such a map as I am often caught short when out and about.
There is a pretty website to look at, and there is a simple version that works on most mobile phones sold over the past five years.
However, there are also more advanced versions for the iPhone and Android – and I expect to earn a crumb (or more) from the sales of those apps – which will in turn give me the business model to support maintaining the map and expanding its coverage.
If I spot a mistake?
Bound to be mistakes and omissions in the map – I am only human after all, and some of the data I used might be out of date (actually, I know some of it is from personal experience), but you can submit corrections via the website – and soon, via the mobile phones as well.
Hopefully you’ll like it.
Thanks
What a brilliant idea, and so simple!
Oh, dear Ian, you are a god amongst men!
*bookmarks*
*considers buying smartphone for the single purpose of being able to use this when out-and-about*
@Deptford Dame… Thanks, and while it might look like a swan serenely gliding along a lake , there was some frantic paddling going up underneath the water to get it to that point!
@Beth… you should find the simple version works on most phones, although the smartphone version is better as it can zoom in your physical location when you open the map.
Straight out of Seinfeld. Well done! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVBRQ7t46g
All joking aside (and I’m sure there are some tempted given the subject matter…) I have to say that as someone who suffers from ulcerative colitis, this kind of thing is a godsend. I’m sure that’s the case for many folks suffering from similar conditions where sometimes you find yourself, quite literally, sh7t out of luck.
Great stuff and good luck with it going forward.
You have become a God – as you have answered the prayer of a huge number of Londoners. Well done :) Jennette
Absolutely brilliant!
You’re taking the piss, right? ;-)
I use this every time I plan a long run. Can’t thank you enough!
Very good, You would think big company’s like McDonalds would make something similar to show where there places are.
A jolly good idea, and I’ve already downloaded it for my iPod (because I’m nice like that); but looking at it here on my laptop, I can only see public loos in shops in my area, and I know at least three “public” public conveniences that are open during shopping hours that you have missed. And one in a shop, now I come to think of it! And a pop-up urinal (do those count?)
Hi Ian – The One Show are just doing an item on public toilets disappearing… you should try and get a link from their website…
Shu
I’ll try to catch it on iPlayer – if it’s the same BBC journalist who tweeted the other day he was doing a piece on toilets, then I have already tried to speak to him.
Will investigate.
Thanks
App’s £1.19 … but shouldn’t it be a penny ?
Great work. Any chance you could plot McDonalds, and local pubs too? Generally access to toilets is OK with such establishments.
They are listed – but ONLY if the venue has formally approved that.
I am specifically avoiding putting in venues you can “sneak into” as it causes problems with reliability of the data.
What a relief!
Great idea. How about extending it to public toilets near motorway. In fact, even laybys (when you travel with 4 young children, knowledge of where to stop FAST is good too!)