In The Big Inning...

Why do most bathrooms have little optical sensors now on the urinals, toilets, and sinks? I really can't figure it out. They have to be more expensive than the little handles. They require batteries, which need replacing and are expensive. At work, some of the urinals' sensors run out of batteries and they go "bleep bleep" for days until the batteries are replaced. The sensors never work properly, so the toilets may flush multiple times as you approach, wasting water. And then, after you're done, sometimes they don't flush. Now, maybe of them have buttons to allow you to flush them manually, but more people don't know where they are because they're usually quite tiny. Maybe they're more sanitary, because you don't have to touch the handle. (On a long, but interesting side note: I learned from an online chat transcript with Washington Post columnist Gene Weingarten that apparently, most women use their feet to flush public toilets. I never knew this. It's quite intriguing, especially because the only way for it to be discovered that most men use their hands and most women use their feet is for the topic to be mentioned between a man and a women, which can't be all that common.) At any rate, I'm willing to bet that because the sensors are so poor, a ton of water is wasted. Maybe it's worthwhile to not touch the handle (personally, I don't think it matters - most people are going to immediately go and wash their hands, regardless), but there's gotta be a better way.