I would reject all of the toilets as sensitive areas. Of course, that’s my opinion and we each have our own, which is how this is supposed to work for grey areas.
Even the outside, thats on the main shopping street in town?
Yes, i support your right to use your best judgment. What i don’t support is someone making a blanket statement telling others that something is categorically ineligible. And trying to make people feel bad over it. (You would never do that.)
I know someone who has a medical condition that means they might need to get to a bathroom very quickly. They have mentally mapped out the location of all bathrooms in parks or other public places they frequent. But when they go to new places, they can become anxious about finding the bathroom. They’ve been advocating for having bathrooms as wayspots to help them navigate quickly for years. This perspective helped soften my outlook on at least murals, but not just plain bathrooms.
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You mean someone taking a picture of a mural.
On a wall.
On the outside of a structure.
As long as there aren’t windows that look into the bathrooms (which would be really weird) I honestly don’t see what you’re on about here… Now if the murals, or pictures, or art piece was INSIDE the bathroom then sure, you would probably be best to leave that one alone, but outside? I’m fine with it.
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To be fair, the US doesn’t typically have public bathrooms on main shopping streets.
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This is why I haven’t weighed in on this topic. I have no frame of reference.
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I’ve definitely been thinking of bathrooms in parks. We have one public park that has logos posted on a maintenance shed representing all the youth sports teams that play in that park. I could see some city painting a mural on a bathroom in a park of the same kind of thing. Just a few years ago, I’d have never thought I’d ever submit electrical boxes as wayspots and then cities started painting them.
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If they decided to add a mural to the wall of this restroom building in the background here, I would have no issue with submitting or accepting it.
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It’s why I had to do a web search for public loo block. We’d just call them public restrooms or public bathrooms here in the US. Seeing examples helped.
Also, it’s been awhile since I’ve been to a large outdoor shopping area, but even those here in the US have restrooms that are part of the building(s), not a standalone structure. Many stores may have restrooms for patrons to use as well, especially largers stores.
Great debate…
Many of the loo blocks that have murals/painted get them because the local government/private operators (campsights etc) get them painted. So not graffiti. Often to “beautify” an area or to deal with the graffiti. More often found in smaller towns, rest stops (if driving) parks/reserves.
The murals/paintings are on the outside of the building.
Many times (as seen be the examples here) the artwork is first class.
I would not question the artwork if the POI had not been on loo building.
I think I am leaning towards accepting. Everyone is seen on a phone. When waiting for family or friends and they in loo. I will get the phone out.
Still remains an interesting one. Lets meet at the loo and take that gym down… Hmmmmmm still sounds suss 
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Americans also call them “loo”. Mostly older American, probably, but I was certainly familiar with that usage before I visited UK.
Lol, but it wouldn’t be. It’s not the loo that’s the portal. It’s the mural that just happens to be on a loo.
So it’d be, “Let’s meet at the mermaid mural down by the beach.”
The confusion wasn’t with just the word loo, but public loo block. This is the exact term I searched for online.
Mural outside: not creepy.
If a mural is inside, with multiple stalls in the room: that’s creepy.
Mural is inside a restroom that’s a “one-seater” (meaning only one person goes in the room at a time, and locks the door)… I’d say not creepy. Small restaurants often have one-at-a-time restrooms (often two: a men’s and a women’s). I don’t see that as all that different from art behind a badge-swipe area in an office building.
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Hello everyone.
Let me also express my opinion. My conclusion is that I think there is something strange about this.
I’ve seen wonderful photos of toilets in your countries and regions. They are promoted by public organizations.
They are considered art.
And it’s a wonderful idea in terms of ensuring public safety.
But even with that understanding, I still feel something is off.
This is because I consider toilets to be “delicate places.”
No matter how excellent the art of the exterior walls may be, I cannot deny that they are “part of a delicate place.” In other words, saying that a toilet is a “delicate place” is a higher criterion than the “high artistic quality of the exterior walls,” and I believe that it is “unsuitable” to be used as a “game item.”
I guess my opinion is probably due to the difference in your country and upbringing. Please don’t misunderstand, this is just my personal speculation. I understand the way Wayspot is. However, I am very concerned about how our actions are viewed by the general public.
You can also take a photo in front of the mural. It’s a personal choice.
But in my country, we have a saying:
“Never fiddle with your hat under the peach tree”（NIKA NI KANNMURI WO TADASAZU）
Because it makes you look like a peach thief. It means, “Even if you don’t mean to, refrain from suspicious behavior.” That’s the kind of education I received growing up in my home country.
I think that wandering around sensitive places with a camera phone is something you should refrain from doing, at least in my country, even if the mural is artistic, and even if it is on the outside of a building.
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Here’s another thing that concerns me.
What’s happening is that people are coming forward claiming that Niantic has “officially recognized” that the “toilet” is suitable as a Wayspot.
There are already people who are loudly claiming things like the following:
Example 1: “A dilapidated and corroded bulletin board”
(Niantic has officially recognized bulletin boards. No matter how damaged they are, they are legal as bulletin boards)
Example 2: “Manhole covers for draining sewage, of which there are tens of thousands in the city”(Niantic has officially recognized manholes as suitable for Wayspots. Even if they are mass-produced manholes that are common on city roads, there is no problem.)
Example 3: “Bridge”(Anything that is certified as a bridge under the Road Traffic Act is officially recognized as eligible to be a Wayspot. Historical background and shape are irrelevant. As long as it has a name, it’s legal.)
And many more.
I won’t go into the above issues here, but I can’t deny the possibility that they will loudly proclaim that the toilets are also “officially approved by Niantic.”
It’s difficult to put into words, but I think “original” should be ranked lower than “appropriate.”
Thank you for your comments. I do agree that some people want general yes/no answers for entire categories of places, rather than looking at each POI on its own merit. For example, a mural CAN be a great place to explore, but that doesn’t mean that all murals are or that all murals should automatically be accepted as way spots. Some murals are not that interesting (this is where community perspectives come in to play), and the place where the mural is located should also be considered….is it safe, is it accessible, is open to some public group, etc. Same goes for nearly every other type of nomination.
It gets messy because we all have different perspectives so people tend to want more cut and dry answers, but in my opinion, I don’t think that is what Niantic intended. I think they want community members to judge each POI on its own merits and decide if it meets any of the eligibility criteria.
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Yes, and it’s OK for there not to be a single global standard. If the Japanese don’t want any wayspots near public bathrooms because it violates their cultural norms, they can vote to reject them while Western countries accept them.
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I beg you, please do not group other people’s thoughts under national or ethnic categories. Each individual thinks differently.
To be sure, restrooms are delicate places, but if there are artistic decorations there, it is not abnormal to point a camera at them. Since the intention is to draw attention to the decoration, it should be placed in a location that does not interfere with the original purpose of using the restroom. Of course, if it is an inappropriate place to point a camera, then each case should be considered on its own.
The important thing is that cases that have not been discussed before are now on the agenda. Although there are differences between countries and cultures, it is important that we all discuss these issues together.
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