Mental Floss

‘Wee the People’: Philly Residents Offer Name Suggestions for the City’s New Public Bathrooms

Philly’s new freestanding public potties needed a name that would make locals flush with pride.

Not an actual Philadelphia restroom sign, but give it time.
Not an actual Philadelphia restroom sign, but give it time. | Cultura Exclusive/Rosanna U/Image Source via Getty Images

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is known for a few things, including cheesesteaks, haunting sports mascot Gritty, and its varied slang terms. That penchant for colorful language was recently highlighted when the city solicited suggestions on what to name its new public bathroom facilities.

In a Twitter poll, the city’s Department of Public Health offered residents three possible names to choose from: Phlush, Philly Loo, or the very mundane Philly Public Restroom. In true Philadelphian fashion, many responses totally ignored the given choices and instead opted to contribute their own. Among them:

  • Wee the People
  • Potty McPottyface
  • Whiz Wit
  • Porta Jawn
  • Gritty Sitty
  • The P Stop
  • Wooder Closet
  • Perma Potty
  • Here We Go
  • The Dallas Cowboys

Sadly, the Health Department would dismiss all of these write-in nominees and stick to the original choices. Of those, Phlush received 58 percent of the votes and seems to be the winner, though some Twitter respondents pointed out it could create confusion with the Phlash, a downtown bus route.

The freestanding, kiosk-like bathrooms are known as Portland Loos, made by Madden Fabrication. Open grates on the exterior make them graffiti-resistant, while the all-metal construction is simple to clean. The units help address a lack of public bathrooms in major cities. A total of six Loos are expected to go up in the city, with two scheduled to open this summer.

Sadly, one obvious name was already taken. Whizzy is the name of the Geno’s Cheesesteak mascot.

Home/WEIRD