Desperately need to find a loo in a foreign city? There's an app for that
A new app called Rockaloo will let desperate New York tourists book a private moment in a nearby restaurant's bathroom - for a fee
Most of us know the anguish of being out and about in a foreign city when nature makes an inconveniently urgent call.
What to do? Keep your eyes peeled for a Starbucks? Pay $5 for a restaurant coffee just to get into the loo?
Now, for tourists in New York at least, the problem has a solution: an app that lets users reserve a moment in a private business's bathroom when the need strikes.
Called Rockaloo, the app offers users what it calls the "the most unexpected VIP e-ticket in town".
Using GPS technology, it shows users where the nearest participating business is - mostly restaurants, bars or coffee shops.
They then log in, make a reservation to use the bathroom and simply show up within the next hour. Without having to be an actual paying patron, they can simply flash their booking code and will be shown to their "suite".
Launched last month, Rockaloo has partnered with more than 130 different locations across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens and says many more are on the way.Booking prices range from 99c to $8.99, depending on the location.
New York is well known for its dearth of public facilities.
According to Travel + Leisure magazine, the city only has 15 operational public toilets for its 8.5 million citizens and 60 million annual tourists.
The founders of Rockaloo say their goal is to improve access to bathroom facilities in New York City, though there is clearly a monetary benefit too.
Participating businesses get a split of the revenue and a portion of the proceeds go to charity...
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