Party on the Poop Deck

Photograph by Catherine Viox

While these bathrooms may seem normal at first glance, everything changes upon hitting the giant red button that says, “Press for Assistance.” Suddenly, it goes dark, disco lights come on, and party music starts to play. Northside Yacht Club installed what they call the “Emergency Assistance” buttons in July 2022 as a fun little Easter egg for customers to find. “We tried to make them look as official as possible so there is a little risk involved in pushing it,” says NSYC co-owner Stuart MacKenzie.

“It blasts 10 randomized 20-second-long clips. That’s how long you’re supposed to wash your hands and/or party.” The current bathroom playlist includes songs by Creed, Bhad Babie, 21 Savage, and more, but the NSYC team changes things up seasonally or whenever they get bored with the selection. Once the 20 seconds are up, your hands should be clean and the party wraps up. “The song and disco lights abruptly stop,” says MacKenzie. “Everything returns to normal—like nothing ever happened.”