Things I'd Like to Invent

Actually, there's just one brilliant brain child of an invention I want to blog about today:  the bathroom stall air-freshness indicator.


Think about it:  You walked into a public restroom where multiple stalls are open.  You choose one at random, only to be hit with a horrific smell--the remnants of the previous user's business. Blech!  (Come on, you've all been there.  Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Now you are faced with a conundrum.  Do you walk out of the stall and select another?  What if the person responsible for the smell is that woman standing at the sink washing her hands?  Will she be offended if you switch stalls?  Do you care if she is?  What if the next stall you choose smells just as bad?  How can you really know which stall will have the best air quality?  You can't.

Conversely, when do you have a duty to warn another?  That is, you've just vacated a stall, leaving a lingering malodor.  Some poor, unsuspecting bathroom patron ducks into that same stall, where you know her nose is immediately and mercilessly assaulted.  Do you say something to her first, a polite, "You might want to choose another stall"?  Or do you distance yourself from the offensive smell by keeping quiet?  My guess is that, like me, you all avoid potential awkwardness by saying nothing.

Enter the air-freshness indicator.  It's a set of three lights (red, yellow, and green) that is mounted on the outside of the stall.  It's activated by the opening of the stall door, which triggers a count-down timer.  The light progresses from red to green the longer the door has been open, thereby giving a clue as to the relative freshness (or pungence) of the air within.  You might still have to use a stinky stall from time to time--for instance, in a sports arena or airport--but in the majority of instances of public restroom use, the indicator would save your olfactory sense from the surprise stench of the recently-vacated stall.

Raise your hand if you think this is a great idea.  I knew you would all agree!  Now all I need is a knowledge of electronics to invent it.