Have you ever been driven crazy by the obnoxious tapping of a fellow bathroom go-er in a public restroom? Chances are, he was trying to make a move on you. For those not in the know, tapping your feet is a discreet signal to those around that you're into gay sex. It's also what got 41 men arrested in an international airport bathroom over a four month period.
Undercover cops spent some time lurking in the stalls of a Minneapolis airport to nab the offenders.
"An undercover officer would take a seat in a stall. Soon another man would sit in the stall next door and start tapping his foot, perhaps moving it closer to the officer's. The officer would move his foot up and down slowly. The suspect might then extend his hand under the divider between the stalls, sometimes repeatedly."
"That would be enough to get the man busted," the Buffalo News reported, "For alleged lewd conduct in public restrooms."
The newspaper reported that "Foot-tapping was a signal used by people looking for sex. The reports said the department had received complaints from the public and made numerous arrests."
The 41 busted offenders "included airport and airline employees, an account executive with Revlon, an IT consultant for Ernst & Young, a 3M executive and a Lands End employee."
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Bathroom Sex Signals
- Opportunity for creating discreet communication tools for individuals interested in non-verbal sexual signals in public restrooms.
- Increased Undercover Surveillance
- Opportunity for developing advanced surveillance techniques and technology to catch individuals engaging in illegal activities in public restrooms.
- Public Restroom Safety
- Opportunity for implementing security measures and protocols to ensure the safety and privacy of individuals using public restrooms.
Sectors Adopting This
- Privacy Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunities in developing technologies to enhance privacy and prevent unwanted interactions in public restrooms.
- Surveillance Systems
- Opportunities for developing advanced surveillance systems and software specifically designed for monitoring illegal activities in public restrooms.
- Safety and Security Services
- Opportunity for offering safety and security services and solutions to public establishments to prevent incidents of lewd conduct in their restrooms.
