TOPIC OF THE DAY

Electric Hand Dryers: Let's discuss.

Am I the only person who finds electric hand dryers - you know what I'm talking about, those plastic or metal boxes in public bathrooms (a.k.a. loos) - completely inefficient at getting the job done? Someone tell me that it's not just me who has this problem.

I either find that the dryer cuts out about five seconds too early, or that it only blows freezing cold air (sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly unlucky, I'll come across a dryer with both these attributes). In either case, I'm always left with slightly damp, slightly chilled hands and end up rubbing them on my jeans to get rid of the last of the moisture. I know I could just stick my hands under the dryer for another go-round, but then I feel guilty about wasting the energy to run an entire drying cycle, when I only need those final but critical five seconds.

These dryers annoy me enough that I would happily bypass them in favour of the much less environmentally friendly paper towel. I may follow Ray around the house shutting off lights to save electricity, recycle religiously, and generally cycle instead of driving the car, but give me wasteful towels over ineffective dryers any day of the week.

Maybe it's just my technique. Maybe I don't rub my hands fast enough, or in the correct position to get optimal heated air flow. Maybe I wash my hands too thoroughly in the first place, so they are soaked when I stick them under the dryer, and the machines are calibrated for the rinse-and-go person. All I know is that they don't work properly, and I find this annoying.

Rant over.