GERMANY: An inventor from Hamburg has developed a toy that allows toilets to 'talk' and has so far sold over a million since they were patented

Record ID: 344362

  • Title: GERMANY: An inventor from Hamburg has developed a toy that allows toilets to 'talk' and has so far sold over a million since they were patented
  • Date: 21st May 2004
  • Summary: (L!1) HAMBURG, GERMANY (MAY 21, 2004) (REUTERS) CU/ZOOM OUT: WC GHOST, IN HAND OF IT'S INVENTOR, SAYING (IN GERMAN) "We welcome you aboard Never Come Back Airlines. We especially ask men to sit down, fasten their seat belts and extinguish their cigarettes. Thank you for your attention. We wish you a pleasant flight." CU: BOX CONTAINING WC GHOST MV: (SOUNDBITE) (German) ALEX BENKHARDT, INVENTOR SAYING: "I like to deal with taboo topics and here we have one that is one hundred percent taboo. About ninety per cent of men don't sit down when they urinate and I wanted to prove that you can actually tackle this problem with a funny gadget." CU: BOX 'READING HELLO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? THE LITTLE WC GHOST AND YOUR TOILET STARTS SPEAKING' SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) ALEX BENKHARDT, INVENTOR SAYING: "I have developed a taste for it because toilets are something interesting. I developed new toilet seat covers which are pretty up to date. Here we have a toilet seat cover with original Ferraris which should be interesting for men so they close it again afterwards, as a reward. We also have toilet seat covers for children with a built-in aquarium which contains ducks that move around so that children have fun closing the cover again." MAN LIFTING UP TOILET COVER, WC GHOST STARTING TO TALK (2 SHOTS) MV: (SOUNDBITE) (German) SANDRA WEIDKAMMT, HAPPY CUSTOMER SAYING: "There was always trouble because men often urinated standing up, especially my boyfriend. I got really angry -- until I heard of the WC ghost. I thought I would buy it and it really was a great idea: ever since I've had one -- he actually sits down. Meanwhile, I have developed a collectors passion for them since there are several versions available, such as this one" (demonstrates inaudible WC ghost) CU: WC GHOST BOX (2 SHOTS) CU: OF WEIDKAMMT'S HAND HOLDING WC GHOST CU: OF TOILET, MAN CLOSING COVER
  • Embargoed: 5th June 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: HAMBURG, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Quirky,Science / Technology,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA3SVNVNXSRR5P0H0DNYIAQP0BK
  • Story Text: A German inventor who has developed a talking toilet has sold more than 1.6 million devices since winning a patent 18 months ago.
    "About ninety per cent of men don't sit down when they urinate and I wanted to prove that you can actually tackle this problem with a funny gadget", inventor Alex Benkhardt, 46, told Reuters Television in Hamburg on Friday (May 21).
    "I like to deal with taboo topics and here we have one that is one hundred percent taboo", Benkhardt said.
    A woman's voice urges toilet users, in a firm but polite address similar to instructions coming from a flight attendant to lower the seat whenever it is lifted.
    "We welcome you aboard Never Come Back Airlines. We especially ask men to sit down, fasten their seat belts and extinguish their cigarettes. Thank you for your attention.
    We wish you a pleasant flight", the device, called WC Ghost, tells users.
    One happy customer, Sandra Weidkammt, said "there was always trouble because men often urinated standing up, especially my boyfriend. I got really angry -- until I heard of the WC ghost."
    "I thought I would buy it and it really was a great idea: ever since I've had one he actually sits down." WC Ghost is sold at 6 euros ($7.23) and according to a company that helps inventors obtain patents, Benkhardt is in negotiations to market his product with companies in Britain, Canada and Italy.
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