I was thinking while on the bog

[OwlHoot]

Why are Armitage Shanks still in business?

They've been making lavatory bowls and urinals for God knows how long, probably well over a century and maybe two. Practically every loo bowl you see has "Armitage Shanks" emblazoned across it.

But how often does a toilet bowl break? Or get lost or stolen? It's not like dropping a mug, or smashing a plate. Loo bowls are practically indestructible, and of course stuck firmly in place.

That means, aside from a few damaged in fires and earthquakes, there must by now be enough toilet bowls for every man, woman, and child on the planet, and thus no need for any more.

So you'd think Armitage Shanks would have run out of customers by now, and closed down. But not a bit - They're still going strong. I guess I'll never get my head round economics

[EternalOptimist]

Why are Armitage Shanks still in business?

They've been making lavatory bowls and urinals for God knows how long, probably well over a century and maybe two. Practically every loo bowl you see has "Armitage Shanks" emblazoned across it.

But how often does a toilet bowl break? Or get lost or stolen? It's not like dropping a mug, or smashing a plate. Loo bowls are practically indestructible, and of course stuck firmly in place.

That means, aside from a few damaged in fires and earthquakes, there must by now be enough toilet bowls for every man, woman, and child on the planet, and thus no need for any more.

So you'd think Armitage Shanks would have run out of customers by now, and closed down. But not a bit - They're still going strong. I guess I'll never get my head round economics

Good Point.
I recently discovered that these bowls are not made by armitage shanks but by a Midlands company called Wedgewood that used to make fine China.

'Armitage Shanks' is actually a joke by the production crew , if read backwards it reads 'Skanky sausage'

[minestrone]

Armatage Shanks went down the crapper about 15 years ago, their main factory was about 3 miles from my house and when you went past on the train they had thousands upon thousands of thrones out in a yard.

I think the name was taken over though.

[MrMark]

Why are Armitage Shanks still in business?

They've been making lavatory bowls and urinals for God knows how long, probably well over a century and maybe two. Practically every loo bowl you see has "Armitage Shanks" emblazoned across it.

But how often does a toilet bowl break? Or get lost or stolen? It's not like dropping a mug, or smashing a plate. Loo bowls are practically indestructible, and of course stuck firmly in place.

That means, aside from a few damaged in fires and earthquakes, there must by now be enough toilet bowls for every man, woman, and child on the planet, and thus no need for any more.

So you'd think Armitage Shanks would have run out of customers by now, and closed down. But not a bit - They're still going strong. I guess I'll never get my head round economics

This was my "Road to Damascus" moment, when I realised the great British working class wasn't entirely full of noble souls. In more than one factory or warehouse I've seen demolition jobs carried out on the khazis (this was a few years back when the workers were generally local born). Okay, a lot of the times it was merely the seat that went missing (why? WHY?) but on occasion far more damage was done. Never understood it myself.

[RichardCranium]

but on occasion far more damage was done. Never understood it myself.

Your average workplace vandal wants to express their displeasure at management but feels unable to express themselves in anyway other than physically. The bogs provide a convenient combination of privacy and something that smashes.

Similar acts include:

- opening a stopcock where the pipe is not connected to anything, thereby causing flooding;
- kicking the soil pipe until it disconnects slightly from the back of the pan;
- loosening the pipework connectors between urinal and drains;
- blocking the urinal with tissues;
- putting glue or cement or plaster in the pan or the sinks.

I cannot recall any others. No doubt you can think of your own.

It's just ways for the poor, oppressed worker to express their unhappiness with their lot.

Putting superglue on the toilet seat or cling film over the bowl is a different kind of act entirely.

[HairyArsedBloke]

In just the last couple of months I’ve come across three incidents of idiots blocking up the sink in the gents with paper and then turning the taps on. It’s a good job that most places have those taps that timeout, but sometimes there is flooding. Less frequent is the blocking up of the urinals, but that still happens too.

What sort of twit does that? I blame the northerners; most of them don’t know how to use inside toilets.

[Menelaus]

Armatage Shanks went down the crapper about 15 years ago, their main factory was about 3 miles from my house and when you went past on the train they had thousands upon thousands of thrones out in a yard.

I think the name was taken over though.

Just past Barrhead train station?

Useless trivia: Gregor Fisher worked there.

[minestrone]

Just past Barrhead train station?

Useless trivia: Gregor Fisher worked there.

I think it was Cardonald/Hillington area, went past it on the Paisley line which I suppose is not a kick in the arse off Barrhead. Maybe it was just a storage depot. Went to an engagment party during the 80s in Cardonald and the place had hundreds of ceramic Armitage Shanks ashtrays, one was Avocado green and it matched my parents current colour of cludgie so I had to steal it. I'm sure it's still in the parents house.

[RichardCranium]

What sort of twit does that?

Bored, disgruntled employees who feel they could be doing more with their lives than the pointless drudgery of which their existence consists under the perpetual pestering of rubbish management for the enrichment of ungrateful owners or unknown shareholders, made all the worse by having to work in the presence of smug, overpaid contractors.

It's because work is crap but one is not allowed to say so; this causes internal conflict which comes out as sickness, mental illness, domestic violence, self-harm, drug abuse, alcoholism and vandalism.

When such unhappy people are in an environment where they are listened to and can make a difference, their behaviour will be entirely different.

Sadly, we are in a society that, by use of surveillance cameras, means that unhappy people become criminals: rather than fixing the real problem we are causing a far worse one.

The answer to petty crime is not entrapment and stronger punishment; it is to remove the motivation.

So, what sort of twit that does such things? The unhappy, under-occupied, under-stimulated sort. Just normal people in tedious environments; caged animals that self-harm by damaging the environment around them just to pass the time of day. Just to prove to themselves that they can actually do something, that they exist, that they can influence the world around them; sadly all they are permitted to do is break the rules.

So they do. Sometimes it's that or kill yourself or harm someone you love.

So when you see mindless damage, don't think "Why do they do this?", think "Why do they feel this is the only form of expression available to them?"

What else is there for them to do?

The Victorians built free lidos; we now charge for them. They built parks and gardens; we no longer maintain them. They subsidised the arts and music; we merely pay £50m for the odd picture "to stay in the country". They provided museums and galleries; we charge for them. They encouraged youth groups; we call their leaders kiddy-fiddlers. They encouraged social discourse; we are headed toward two-party politics. Global travel was remarkably cheap and borders were open; now we have border controls. Sports and games were encouraged; now roads are built without thought to pedestrians. The mines and factories provided social clubs, musical instruments, time off to enter band competitions, debating societies; now there is - what? Bugger all to do except break things in the only room that doesn't have a camera pointing at you all day long.

[MPwannadecentincome]

Why are Armitage Shanks still in business?

They've been making lavatory bowls and urinals for God knows how long, probably well over a century and maybe two. Practically every loo bowl you see has "Armitage Shanks" emblazoned across it.

But how often does a toilet bowl break? Or get lost or stolen? It's not like dropping a mug, or smashing a plate. Loo bowls are practically indestructible, and of course stuck firmly in place.

That means, aside from a few damaged in fires and earthquakes, there must by now be enough toilet bowls for every man, woman, and child on the planet, and thus no need for any more.

So you'd think Armitage Shanks would have run out of customers by now, and closed down. But not a bit - They're still going strong. I guess I'll never get my head round economics

Dunno - but reminds me of the joke - "Who is Armitage and what is Shanking"?