Blown Away

Perhaps you've seen these new high-powered hand dryers they have in some bathrooms now. When I first put my hand beneath one, I was a little shocked to see my skin virtually parted by the force, creating wrinkles on either side of the area where the air contacted my hand. The blast of air was incredibly forceful.

How forceful you ask? Well, the specs at the company's website indicate the air at point of contact (4 inches below air outlet) is traveling at 14,000 linear feet per minute. That equates to 160 MPH! And how fast is that? The National Hurricane Center's classfication of hurricanes includes five categories -- the highest, Category 5, is for hurricanes that reach wind speeds of 155 MPH or more. These are very rare (Katrina, for example) and usually those wind speeds are reached for only a very short time and then winds subside to a lower level.

I guess I was wondering do we really need Catergoy 5 wind speeds to dry our hands in the bathroom? The company website boasts that hands are completely dry in 10 to 15 seconds. Have we become so busy in our everyday lives that it's necessary for us to build hurricane-producing air jets to dry our hands a few seconds quicker than your standard hand dryer? Surely life can't be that busy can it?

I can't help but think as I watch my five-year old that there has to be a better, more serene way. Her way works well... worked well when I was a kid, too. More often than not, her wet hands go to the side or the front of her pants. She's usually done in 7-9 seconds, often less. True, her hands may not be completely dry, but she'll sometimes give me a hug and finish the job on the back of my shirt. And hey, the whole process is enviromentally friendly, too!