At Seattle Barcamp held at the Adobe office, I discovered StepNPull, a clever device that solves a common problem. After you wash your hands in the bathroom, should you touch the door handle when you leave?
Instead of using your hands, you put your foot on the petal, pull forward, and open the door. Worked great. Only wrinkle is while you are figuring it out the first time, if someone opens the door in that moment they’ll hit you in the face.
The low frills version of this is smart placement of the trash.
Haven’t they heard of swing doors in America? Can’t remember the last time I was in a public bathroom over here that had a handle on the way out. No one focal point to gather germs, and just push to open with whatever object or body part you feel is most appropriate.
Swinging doors do solve this problem. but they create another. Unless you have two swinging doors, you create the possibility someone can try to leave at the same time someone is entering, creating a collision.
In Bangalore, there is a well-known coffee and snacks place that has used a foot-pedal operated tap for a long time: http://quatrainman.blogspot.in/2010/01/foot-tapping.html (we eat with our hands, of course
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