Fake Fly in Urinal
Status: Strange, but apparently true.
A pair of images showing a urinal with a fake fly etched into the porcelain is doing the rounds. (I'd guess it's been circulating for at least two years.) The images are accompanied by this caption:In Amsterdam, the tile under Schiphol's urinals would pass inspection in an operating room. But nobody notices. What everybody does notice is that each urinal has a fly in it. Look harder, and the fly turns into the black outline of a fly, etched into the porcelain. It improves the aim. If a man sees a fly, he aims at it. Fly-in-urinal research found that etchings reduce spillage by 80%. It gives a guy something to think about. That's the perfect example of process control.
Apparently this is true. Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam does sport fly urinals. (Though I'd be interested in getting first-hand verification of this.) The Straight Dope reports that New York's Kennedy airport is considering using the same fake-fly technology.
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Listed in chronological order. Newest comments at the end.
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Not flies - bees. It's a pun:
The Latin for bee is apis.
Posted by Gordon Charlton on Sat Sep 24, 2005 at 12:10 AM
The Latin for bee is apis.
What's up with all the man hatin'? So some of us like to practice our penmanship, or create little flowers and circles when we tinkle. So what? I will sometimes clean the toilet of debris when I pee. Big deal. I do think the guy that invented the fly is a real whiz...
Posted by booch on Sat Sep 24, 2005 at 07:53 PM
I read of a similar device used in chamberpots and turn-of-the-last-century urinals. The only difference was they had a tiny bee rather than a fly painted on them. Such bees were known as 'aiming bees.' They were occasionally referred to as 'apis' (pronounced in the French manner). You may draw your own conclusions.
Posted by Xtine in Sunny Subtropical Sarcastic Detroit, MI on Sat Sep 24, 2005 at 09:34 PM
Munich airport has these as well.
Posted by Colin on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 03:35 AM
I've seen the flies at Schiphol too, and some urinals in the US have Hanoi Jane urinal targets:
http://www.americanhonor.net/vietna1.gif
Posted by Eivind on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 04:56 AM
http://www.americanhonor.net/vietna1.gif
In Spain there are aiming SPIDERS in many public urinals and toilets. No flys or bees.
I got scared almost every time I saw one.
And until now I didn't know exactly why that sticker was there.
Posted by Fred on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 08:40 PM
I got scared almost every time I saw one.
And until now I didn't know exactly why that sticker was there.
At work we just got some "waterless urinals" in a new bathroom, and they all have little bees in them. Would work just as well with pictures of managers. 
Posted by David on Sun Oct 30, 2005 at 11:42 PM
I used to use urinals like this a lot a few years ago - I was well trained: 96% accuracy. Problem is, now every time I see a fly I have an overwhelming urge to piss on it! Oh the embarrasment! I'll never be invited to a picnic again!
Posted by Anton in Australia on Sat Nov 12, 2005 at 08:57 PM
Waterless Co., Vista CA--the manufactures of the No-Flush waterless urinal also manufactures urinals with a fly etched in the vitreous china urinals’ “Sweet Spot” to improve users' aim and reduce 'splash back'. Model #2102-FLY
Jack Koenig
Sales Manager
Waterless Co
Vista, CA 92081
Posted by Jack Koenig in Vista, CA 92081 on Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 07:04 AM
Jack Koenig
Sales Manager
Waterless Co
Vista, CA 92081
Who manufacture these fake urinal flies. where can I get hold of the company. I was in Schipol Airport June 2005 and took some photographs of these "flies" The men tried to close their fly's as quickly as possible, since they thought I was some sort of pervert. They were very relieved when i told them it was for a research project.
Posted by Deks Dekenah in Cape Town South Africa on Fri Mar 03, 2006 at 10:47 PM
You can buy the stickers at this site:
http://www.urinalfly.com
Posted by Doug in USA on Tue Jun 13, 2006 at 12:49 PM
http://www.urinalfly.com
I just found a website....www.urinalfly.com....where you can order fly stickers to place in urinals to reduce spillage and keep a cleaner bathroom. Great idea!
Posted by ken in colorado, u.s.a. on Mon Jul 17, 2006 at 07:47 AM
This is true - I see them about twice a year..
Posted by The Flying Dutchman on Fri Jun 15, 2007 at 10:57 AM
Those little bees are all over here at the University of Colorado at Boulder. They are installing new Sloan waterfree urinals everywhere and they all feature a little bee 
Posted by Tim in Boulder, CO on Sun Oct 14, 2007 at 04:03 PM
Pee on the Bee with Sloan Water Free... very clever, yeah they just installed a bunch at Broward Community College (north campus)
Posted by RK in South Florida on Tue Feb 26, 2008 at 07:41 PM
just return from tunisia holidaywhere i spend the last 2 days looking around searching all the toilet for this fly i saw in the urinals with fly in toilet so that i can photogragph and show it to my wife.trouble is i forgot which toilet i been and saw this fly ,so i looked in the web and found one.
Posted by bj in portugal on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 10:06 AM
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