OMG! I Need 2 Pee!

By BRIAN HAMACHER

Updated 6:50 AM EST, Wed, Mar 18, 2009

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The next time nature calls, you'll have options on how to answer.

A new version of the AT&T iPhone application, Have2p, will help you find the closest restroom to you, tell you whether it's customers-only, and provide you with a review of the facilities.

The free application automatically deciphers your location and taps into a yellowpages database to give recommendations on where to relieve thyself. The 2.0 version of the application also includes upgrades such as, an urgency detector that senses when you (and the phone) are shaking and starts a fresh search for nearby restrooms. It also includes restroom ratings for when you actually have a choice and a map layout if you prefer.

But some users of the free application aren't impressed with the selection of restrooms, as the first review on the Have2P site points out.

"So far all I have been able to find with this (in several locations) are restaurants listed as for patrons only," says commenter Dr. Barry. "I don't need an iPhone app to tell me that most of the restaurants in the vicinity will have restrooms available for patrons. There is no way to limit or sort the results according to public access facilities (if they even ever show up - I can't tell), nor is there a way to extend the distance of the search if one is not happy with the results (eg patrons only) - it lists a set number of items."

Another iPhone application does much the same thing, except, better.

Sitorsquat is based on a site by the same name that sprung up in 2007 as a goofy idea to map user friendly commodes. The site, and corresponding app, mobilizes a wiki like group of posters who add locations to a Googlemap, complete with reviews and pictures. Sitorsquat embraces social networking aspects of the web which leads to better reviews, commenters say.

One criticism of Have2P is that it simply mines a database of businesses, some of which no longer exist. But at least one has options on where to go, one or two.

So whether you're out bar-hopping and your buzz has you turned around or you simply find yourself in an unfamiliar spot, Have2p and Sitorsquat should help you find your way before your bladder bursts.