h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm a woman's father, in fact two women's father and I smell OK, I hope no, not damaged at all really, I took it as a compliment, thank you.

there are public toilets in the Yeoidodong park in Seul which are better then toilets I've had to use in posh hotels. They were so great I went in them every day, twice, walking to and from my office, on a trip recently. Whether I needed to or not.

What made them so good, Sho?

Related PH - when a council closes all the public toilets to save money...

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first they were free. Clean, bright and airy. And it was very obvious that a human person went in and checked them very regularly (apart from the sign-in sheet). Flowers, the paper towels were all full, all toilet roll holders full with spares (i checked, every time)

But the cleanliness is a thing, isn't it? I have, on occasion, had the misfortune to use toilets in MacDonalds. They could be the cleanest loos in the world but they just seem sticky and grubby because they are too warm, and have textured slate-like tiles. I jsut can't ever think of them as anything other than grubby.

These loos had beige tiles, and plastic, wood-effect doors. But they gleemed. I can't put my finger on it, but it was like using the loo at a friend's house rather than a public toilet.

And yes, I know. I put way too much thought into it.

The most wonderful toilets I have ever seen are in the Jockey Club rooms in Newmarket. The ladies' rooms are carpeted and equipped with all kinds of cosmetics and ample mirrors and space to put your make-up bag. The toilets are clean and tidy, and functioning, and all is kitted out with pink chintz valences. Absolute luxury. They really suit the American expression of "rest room".

For obvious reaons, I didn't see in the gents, but I bet they are kitted out in seasoned leather and there are trays of cigars to help yourself from, combs, clothes brushes, and shoe shining equipment.

Oh dear - that's not really a Petty Hate is it - a sort of divergence from the theme.

People (publishers and bookshops) who put non-'book friendly' labels on books. At best (!?!) the label leaves a sticky mess. At worst it disintegrates as you remove it. (A sticky mess can be removed with Sticky Stuff Remover. A disintegrated label has to be picked off and then cleaned up with Sticky Stuff Remover.)

I get that a lot in charity shops - especially labels that you can't get off without ripping the picture beneath. That and people who write the price on the inside cover, or who for some reason feel the need to hole-punch out the old price. I'm in a second hand shop. I know the book I'm buying isn't going to be 3'6d, or whatever the price was when published, so don't vandalise the !

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PH: People who nick daffodils from public spaces.

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I'm not allergic to anything much, but daffodils make me sneeze I don't nick them though I buy them in the market, they come from Wiltshire according to the flower seller. Did you know they are poisonous? well the are, not like deadly nightshade but toxic enough to make you quite sick. And yes I have partaken of Daffodils as a drunken dare after a rugby match many years ago, can't remember if I was sick or not but I'm ashamed to say it wouldn't have been that unusual if I had been after a rugby match!

Today's PH: People who list modern cars as classic. Sorry, to you it may be "old", but 2006 isn't classic.

Even some older cars will never rate as classic. I remember some years ago a man tried to start a campaign to get the Austin Princess rated as a classic car. No. Just... no.

When I asked my youngest daughter if she knew what the E-type Jag was that we passed today on the road, she expressed surprise that Britain had ever had a motoring industry. I said 'oh yes', and was about to say we made some very good cars, when it struck me that we really haven't made any for a very long time. The Austin Princess that CD mentions is typical of the sort of useless rubbish we tried to sell people when modern reliable imports were making it onto the scene, but that doesn't mean the previous generation of British cars were any good, either. I refuse to accept that a Morris Minor is 'cute', however much my girlfriend says it. It will always be a cheap and nasty piece of tin to my eyes.

I can state for certain that a 1955 Land Rover is a classic, and a 2006 Range Rover isn't.

I'd hate to see this classic thread turn into H2G2's version of Top Gear, that's the Pet Hate bit dealt with anyways! But you got me thinking quotes, a great achievement I must say, but I well remember the late 50's and early 60's Japanese import cars were notorious rotbuckets, I'm talking about Toyota and Honda here! The old Austin A40's and Morris Minors were solid as a Chieftain tank compared with them, there won't be many of those 'vintage' Japanese models left, how the marvellous Japanese companies turned things around in only 3 or 4 years really, while the British motoring industry was sleepwalking for 30 years has been well researched I suppose but fascinating!

Pedestrians who, when there is little traffic around, press the 'cross' button on pedestrian controlled crossings when they really don't need to. And worse, then cross against a red man, only to leave the crossing to turn red against drivers who have to sit and wait for the lights to change back whilst there is nobody on the crossing.

Grrrrr.

(Mrs PP does this (she's a driver)).

PP.

People who misplace canned goods on the shelves when returning them, placing cut green beans with with slivered green beans, pickled beets with merely sliced and steamed beets.

Even more so, and this one is downright criminal, and can potentially produce health hazards, canned goods manufacturers who short on contents, making up the weight difference in water.

Following on from PP

Traffic signals that make you wait for ages to cross after you have pushed the button.

All the traffic that caused you to push the button has gone by and you have already crossed well before the system sees fit to change the lights.

Even worse, them temporary traffic lights that stop you moving, even when you can see there is no traffic at the other side!

Smudger.

Regarding pedestrian crossings, PUFFIN crossings are supposed to get over some of those problems. They sense the traffic flow and change quicker when there's a large gap. Similarly, they sense if the person who pressed the button has crossed and cancel the request. This is fine for many roads but it doesn't work for main roads. On main roads, like the one through our village, the crossing lights are weighted in favour of the traffic. I don't cross till the traffic stops and I often find myself waiting quite a while for the lights to change, even when there are large gaps in the traffic.