Personally, I tend to give public restrooms as wide a birth as is humanly possible. Maybe it’s the cloying, heavy smell; possibly its the hair-raising feeling of anxiety that someone could burst into my cubicle at any moment, finding me very much in my most vulnerable state. Not that I have ever tried, but one would imagine that any attempt at a sprint with one’s trousers firmly around their ankles would be akin to an ill-advised three-legged race; ungainly and misjudged.
Now, sometimes, without getting too crass, you simply have no choice but to delve into the frightening world of the public lavatory, however, if you do find yourself in that unenviable position with any regularity, it is time to sit up and pay attention, because there is something sinister you need to be aware of, and it isn’t just the odour.
Reports abound that a bizarre and horrendous new invention known as “spy hooks” have been attached to public toilets. The hooks are fitted with tiny cameras – the implications of which are sinister and actually pretty disgusting to say the least.
According to police reports, the hooks were first discovered in restrooms in Florida – they had been attacked to women’s toilets – and a Florida Keys Police Sheriff said at the time “Anyone who has a public restroom on their property needs to check them closely.
If you find anything suspicious you think might contain a hidden camera, don’t touch it. Call us right away and we will respond.
Keep in mind, though, that these are very small cameras that can be mounted in many locations and hidden in many seemingly every-day items.”
A statement on Facebook gave further details on the device:
“All of the devices found so far look like simple white coat hooks with the camera mounted behind it and utilizing a very small hole in the top portion of the coat hook for the lens of the camera. They use motion cameras inside to take video.”
It does beg the question: why on earth would anyone want to watch that footage? Detectives in Florida are said to be looking in to the device, however it appears that they are still available to buy online.
Personally, I’m going to widen my perimeter around public restrooms even further, but if you do insist on using them, it seems sound advice to check every available place for coat hooks – if they look anything like these images, then get out of there (preferably without tripping over your trousers) and call the police. Why take the risk?
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