Poo review: Instagram page rates best and worst public toilets in St. John's
Everyone knows the feeling — having to do your thing in a public place, but having no idea whether a spotless paradise or a fresh hell awaits you in the bathroom stall.
But for toilet-goers in St. John's, there's a brand new Instagram page aimed at stripping that ominous mystery away.
It's called @toiletsofstjohns and it features reviews of public washrooms around the city, with each toilet scored with one to five poop emojis.
A CBC producer wanted to lift the seat on the page and see who was behind it all, but the owners wished to remain anonymous.
"Sometimes duty calls when you're out and about so I thought it would be a great way to share my experiences and inform the people of St. John's about which public toilets are safe, clean and comfortable," said the page's chief toilet reviewer.
The owners agreed to answer a few questions over Instagram direct messaging. While a sit-down interview would have been preferred, this method was a close No. 2.
In six reviews so far, the page has granted two perfect scores of five poop emojis — to the Fifth Ticket and Blue on Water — and has run into a few places where a protective toilet paper nest was recommended.
"Some toilets have been too awful to use, actually," the reviewer said. "I mean, most public washrooms are almost guaranteed a TP nest, but others are actually kept really clean ... I really respect restaurant, bar, or business owners that take pride in keeping their bathrooms clean."
The page has a male and a female toilet reviewer.
"Whatever gender you identify as, we want to cover all humans," they said. "So all bathrooms are being considered. Not all bathrooms are individual or gender neutral so we want to have everyone's back, or should I say, butt."
The page currently has a modest 40 followers. What the future holds for @toiletsofstjohns is still a mystery.
Much like what lurks behind each public bathroom stall door.
