Tandem Urinal: A Fantastic Idea — Until You're Drunk

Impact

ATTENTION ALL MEN. This is convenience at its finest. Imagine not having to walk an extra five feet to wash your hands after completing your business. Already utilized in numerous European countries and developed by Kaspars Jursons, the "TANDEM" (also known as the stand concept) is a eco-friendly urinal that intends to "open up new experiences in your daily habits." The sink is suitability placed directly above the urinal, ready for immediate use. The clever part is that once you turn on the faucet, the water used to wash your hands drains down to rise the urinal simultaneously. Brilliant!

In addition to the practicality of this design, the TANDEM can encourage men to wash their hands more frequently after they use the restroom. Several studies suggest that the hands of the person sitting next to you may not be as clean as you think. A study at Michigan State University found that 10% of individuals do not wash their hands. Another study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said only 32% of men use soap when washing their hands, compared to 64% of women. If the TANDEM can help increase the probability that men will wash their hands AND use soap at the same time, well then, gosh I am all for it!

Costing $590 per unit, the Tandem seems to be the answers to our prayers for a ingenious, environmentally sound, and aesthetically pleasing urinal ... except for one little thing.

Imagine this scenario. You are enjoying a night out on the town (or in a fraternity basement, whatever floats your boat). After you and your friends have had a couple of brewskies or watered-down cranberry vodkas (we know Ryan Gosling doesn't approve), one of you decides it would be amusing to reverse the intended roles of the Tandem. Now instead of it being the "Sink-Urinal," it has miraculously transformed into the "Urinal-Sink." Get my drift?

I love the potential functionality of this idea, but I am also fearful that the scenario above will be a prevailing hindrance that "TANDEM users" will have to deal with frequently.