Weird #5: Blue Rooms

We Cycle Oregonians have a special relationship to "blue rooms", the porta potties we stand in long lines to enter. The Cycle Oregon daily newspaper has published odes to the blue rooms and has sponsored blue room haiku as well. But in Finland I found a whole different kind and reason for blue rooms. The men's bathroom in a couple of the libraries we've visited have been lit by a harsh, weired blue neon light. It is really hard on the eyes. Turns out, this is designed to prevent heroin junkies from shooting up in the bathrooms. Apparently the blue light makes it difficult to find their veins. Just as well I didn't know the reason behind the blue light until someone explained it to me.