The next time you’re in London, admiring Big Ben and desperately in need of a place to relieve your bladder, don’t duck into the nearest mall or McDonald’s to visit the restroom. Just whip out your cell phone instead.
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The Westminster City Council has just launched a toilet-finding service via mobile phone for locals and tourists who want to know where the nearest rest room is.
Nicknamed SatLav, the scheme allows you to text “Toilet” to 80097 and immediately receive the location of the nearest restroom. The service – the innovation of a 26 year old Londoner – came about as the result of a real need to find a decent toilet when you’re in the heart of London and don’t want to rush into restaurants and department stores.
SatLav works on mobile phone technology instead of satellite positioning as in the case of navigation systems. The scheme will cover most of the Westminster area, where some of London’s most popular attractions including Big Ben and Trafalgar Square are located.
Some might find the cost a pretty steep just to find the address of a nearby potty — just over 50 cents a message – but no doubt your bladder will thank you.