Komedia Lobby, Gardner Street

In case you thought I was only going to review restaurant toilets, you were DEAD WRONG. Today I’m looking at the toilets in the lobby area of Komedia, which I used as a result of attending a comedy show in their smaller comedy room. The shows I’ve attended previously have always been in the main room, and it sure was a relief to not have to use THAT restroom. Kind of narsty.

So here’s what I found:

The general situation is that there are four? (can't remember. Shoot me.) single-person toilets in the hallways just off the lobby and snack bar. One is labeled URINALS (that would be YERRR-in-als for those who haven’t figured out I’m American yet), one is an accessible toilet with baby changing facilities, and the rest are unisex.

Are they easy to find? (5/5)

There aren’t any signs leading you to these toilets from far away, as far as I could tell, but if you are going into the comedy club, you have to walk by them to get there, and if you’re at the snack bar, they are just right there. So there isn’t much need for signage besides what’s on the doors, which is very clear.

Does everything work (lights, toilets, sinks, hand dryer, etc.) and is everything in good repair? (10/10)

Everything in the stall I used worked fine. No gripes here.

Are there enough supplies (toilet paper, paper towels, soap)? (10/10)

There was enough toilet paper, soap, and even a dispenser on the wall for women’s hygiene bags. I’ve seen a number of these things in restrooms here and there, but I think this may be the first time I’ve seen on with any bags in it. Incroyable.

Is it clean and dry? (8/10)

      It wasn’t the cleanest bathroom I’ve been in—the floors could have used a sweep and mop and I think there was some dust and stuff, but overall it was pretty presentable and mostly dry, as well.

Does it smell okay? (8/8)

Shockingly, there was no smell. It’s always sort of a surprise when you go into a self-contained mini-bathroom like this and it’s not a complete olfactory nightmare.

Are there family and accessible facilities? (10/10)

Yes, one of the options has wheelchair accessible and baby changing facilities. No deduction.

Are there enough toilets for the user population? (4/8)

      I imagine that if you’re using the toilet during a show and probably even before a show, but inevitably there is going to be some waiting when everyone files out of the room, having had a few boozes in the last couple hours but holding it so as not to miss part of the show. Thus, I had to wait for a few minutes, and when I got out, there were people still waiting.

Is there somewhere to put jacket, bags, etc.? (0/8)

Egregious oversight! No hook or anything to put a jacket or bag. Man, that irks me so.

Are there trash cans? Are they full? (8/8)

I assume each stall had its own small trash can and, with the exception of the urinal room, its own container for pads and tampons.

How’s the décor? (5/8)

      The internal and external décor of these bathrooms was fine, I guess. I’m not a huge fan of a bright red wall, though, especially with black doors. Are we in a BDSM dungeon or what?  Nothing wrong with a grey wall on the inside, though. Flooring was not memorable. Maybe it was black tile or something. I'm sort of kicking myself for not taking pictures of the lower half of the room. Jeez.

Is there a mirror? (4/4)

      There was a medium sized mirror in there, perfectly adequate given the space.

Is the stall spacious? (2/3)

      Given that there’s no need to get a buggy or wheelchair into the space, it seems acceptable, but not roomy. You’d think they’d use some of the space to, I don’t know, install a coat hook, though.

Are there vending machines? (0/2)

No vending machines for emergency products, or any other products.

Are the water and dryer temperatures okay? (0/2)

      Strangely, the hot water was left on when I got in there, which of course isn’t the fault of the establishment, but of some shithead customer. However, I am docking the full pointage for having NO GODDAMN MIXER TAP. Honestly, people. Industry has revolutionized.

Is there a separate area for makeup, waiting, or other activities? (0/3)

      If you’re doing anything but toileting (as opposed to toilette-ing) or washing hands, you are probably wasting other people’s time who are waiting. And of course they are waiting in a hallway where a bunch of people are trying to pass through, to boot. So you know, shit or get off the pot.

How’s the soap? (no bonus)

They did have bottled soap, but it was boring.

Are there freebies? (no bonus)

I suspect any kind of freebie in an establishment where people are drinking and laughing would get either taken in bulk by a small minority of people, or just destroyed somehow. No freebies.

Is there advertising? (-2)

There is advertising for Komedia’s comedy shows, which is to be expected and which frankly adds to the otherwise boring wall space. I am taking away a point for the sign telling people not to smoke or vape in there. I’m sure there’s a reason for it, but we’re overworded these days. Maybe a no smoking icon would be better.

Is there an attendant? (no deduction)

That would be super awks in a single-user toilet space.

Okay, so the total score is:

72/100

That’s a decent score for a bathroom that I had to wait for and that didn’t allow me to take off my coat. I think what saved it was being fully functional and reasonably well maintained, as any public restroom should be. Not too shabby.

Next loo up for review: Moshimo Japanese restaurant.

Don’t forget to put the seat down!