# Urinals in Schiphol

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-in-schiphol/58032>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 15, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-in-schiphol/58032 "2001-03-15T01:36:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![heembo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f6c823/32.png) [@heembo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heembo)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-in-schiphol/58032/1 "2001-03-15T01:36:14Z")

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Sometime ago I was in Schiphol International Airport. While relieving myself in the lavoratory, I noticed something that has intrigued me ever since. Painted on the inside of the urinals was a small bumble bee. I was only in the airport for a short period of time, so I didn’t have a chance to look into this.

Does anyone know why the urinals in Schiphol are adorned with Hymenoptera?

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**Author:** ![Thirsty\_Mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Thirsty\_Mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thirsty_Mind)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-in-schiphol/58032/2 "2001-03-15T02:03:13Z")

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I knew the question just by the subject line. I just returned from Cairo via Amsterdam last week. It was the first trip out of the country for me and I feel so worldly to be able to comment on this. I noticed the urinal artwork too. To me it look more like a fly. My guess is that it is for “target” practice and to give the stream a nice angle to the bottom of the bowl. This would reduce the chance of the dreaded “urinal splashback”.

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**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\
**Post date:** [March 15, 2001, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinals-in-schiphol/58032/3 "2001-03-15T02:03:53Z")

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Not a bumblebee, but a fly. Here ya go;

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