The Bathroom Diaries (www.thebathroomdiaries.com) is really more amusing than useful, because I don’t know if it will really be reliable when nature calls and you don’t have a phone or computer with you in whatever part of the world to reference the site. It lists and rates nearly 9,000 bathrooms throughout the US and 3,000 international ones. It is also user-generated, so people can post information about various bathrooms. For example, I suggested the Waldorf Astoria hotel as the best public bathroom in all of Manhattan. Each toilet is in a private room with a sink, so you can enjoy a little luxury while using the facilities.
Probably the best use of this web site is to help you plan ahead, especially if you have small children. In foreign countries, finding a restroom can be a challenge, so whether or not the restroom is “good” or “bad” doesn’t really matter at that point. Just having one around is enough. This site can point you to any number of facilities in the area to keep in mind.
There is also the “Golden Plunger” award for the best bathroom. This one pictured is in the shoji Tabuchi Theatre in Branson, Mo.
