Airport water fountains

April 19, 2018 • 12:45 pm

I needed a drink of water in the Houston (Hobby) airport, and one good thing about America compared to, say, Europe, is that water fountains are nearly always handy in public facilities. Seeking my drink, I found this:

Now usually there are two levels: low to the ground for kids and higher up for adults. If the kid is intermediate sized, they can stoop, as I often do when the Big People’s Fountain is occupied. But here we have five different levels (or maybe four; I didn’t measure the end ones). That means that, unless there are huge crowds vying for water, so that many fountains are needed, this installation costs 2.5 times as much as the standard one.

Is there some purpose for this, or is it an artistic array designed to be attractive? I’ve never seen it before, and while it affords libations for those of diverse heights, including the Altitudinally Challenged, there is such a thing as bending down.

48 thoughts on “Airport water fountains”

  2. Could it be for people in wheel chairs, which could be at various heights & hard to adjust for?

    1. I believe the farthest to the right frame is for disabled persons with vehicular aid – note the slight extension from the next fountain.

      All in all, I find it a pleasing installation.

      1. They are all right-handed. So much for inclusion! The height arrangement left to right is ABCDB. They are all equally spaced & same distance from the wall as per photo below. I think these installations are found in each departure hub of the airport because I found another pic of a smaller ABC only arrangement at same airport.
        https://flic.kr/p/GFhbrx

          1. It’s symbolic of Enron stock pricing – the sixth fountain is upside down & beneath the floor

        2. They are not right-handed. Either hand can press on the bar in the center. They are, however, right-mouthed.

        3. They aren’t right handed because you push the front button to get the water out.

    2. That is my assumption. It’s hard to bend across without having to bend up or down too.

      And personally, my back is always killing me when I get off a plane and bending over is agony. You should see me trying to keep my back straight while I wash my hands! It’s why I use Purell so much, even at home.

      And though most people aren’t permanently afflicted, back pain is pretty common and I’d imagine airplane seats exacerbate things for anyone who suffers from it.

    3. That is my assumption. It’s hard to bend across without having to bend up or down too.

      And personally, my back is always killing me when I get off a plane and bending over is agony. You should see me trying to keep my back straight while I wash my hands! It’s why I use Purell so much, even at home.

      And though most people aren’t permanently afflicted, back pain is pretty common and I’d imagine airplane seats exacerbate things for anyone who suffers from it.

  3. Having been through the Houston airport more than I’d like, this is in keeping with the rest of the airport and Texas in general. It’s vast with little comparative population so they have space to waste, and they do.

    1. Paul, you do know that Houston has more than one airport, therefore, your statement about THE Houston airport is nonsensical ? You would think that someone that has traveled to our crappy State so often would have known that

      Perhaps next time, Paul you should change planes in New Orleans, or New Mexico, or Oklahoma, or…

      1. You’re right, I should have known better. I’ve been to Houston’s Intercontinental before is was Bush and Hobby as well as Dallas, but never Love Field which I was told was the way to go if you’re headed to Dallas.

        Still, everything is bigger in Texas.

        1. Love Field is a nice airport. I used to use it all the time traveling to Dallas.

  4. It’s a metaphoric art installation, representing the progress of man. The 4th one is the Obama era.

    1. That would make the yellow Caution cone the Trump era.

      Fell over before they could even install a tiny fountain.

    2. If the fourth fountain represents the Obama era, the next fountain must represent the Legislative – Judicial era and the one representing (Spanky) tRUMPs era is at least eighty floors down…sad.

    3. The 4th one is the Obama era.

      That can’t be right: the fifth one isn’t on the floor but I have heard its water leaves you with a bitter taste in your mouth.

  5. I think they are telling you that you are in the big city now sonny. We can give you water at any level you like.

  10. It is beautiful. As a service to people of different height (Podh’s) and people of restricted growth (Porg’s), it appears a bit of a slight overkill, but as a work of art it works for me.

  12. There is such a thing as bending over, I agree. I wish they would make high ones for the bad-backed, four feet up or so. Levels, lots of levels.

  13. Looking for the goldilocks zone…

    They could make one adjustable… nevermind, I keep thinking of giraffes and the trouble they have to go to, to take a drink.

  14. Arty and accommodating.
    On a side note, I have been seeing that for multiple drinking fountains, only one is kept operational and the others are now often disabled. This to just stop having to maintain extra ones? What is up with that?

    1. That could be unintended consequences. If just one and it quits, people complain. If multiple and one goes out, they move to the next, and so on.

  21. the second one from the left and the end one look like they are the same height. If the one on the right continued the trend, I would finally not have to bend over at a drinking fountain.

  22. Water fountains? Oh, so that’s what they are.

    cr
    (Thought they were urinals…)

  23. I do not see why it would cost more – less metal for pipes! An architect designed this – what I call ‘an architect’s whim’!

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