There's a hierarchy

The fuck? No...?

The US is clownish and backwards in a lot of ways but this is not one of them.

Then what are those for compared to just a sink?

By googling it, it seems these will filter out some forever chemicals that are a problem pretty much everywhere. It will also cool the water, which might be beneficial if your tap water is a bit on the warmer side (which mine is and it's infuriating, I want to drink near-freezing water)

Note: I'm not American and don't have one of these, just googling.

Rolls right off the tl8ngue

Yeah definitely, no pictures on the entire Internet of that though

Apparently uncommon

lol the dad‘s two reactions

There are some fountains like this in Airports and where the tapwater is pretty bad, but usually a public water fountain is an old fountain from the medieval times with some ornaments and stuff

This is the one from my home city

For conveniently drinking out of them and filling water bottles in public buildings like schools and hospitals. They're really common in NA, what part of the world are you in?

But the old medieval ones outside, that potable water? That's awesome.

This is gonna blow your mind but even a lot of bottled water just comes out of plain-ass municipal water systems.

No, these machines are directly connected to the tap. Many will cool the water down but I don't think many of them do filtering.

Not all, but a lot of them. If you encounter a fountain that looks like you can drink from it and it DOESN'T have a sign telling you it's non-drinkable, you can safely drink from it

What makes you think that you can't drink US tap water? I've been drinking it my whole life. The area that I live in has very good tap water. The water department even sends me detailed reports periodically.

No so much lucky - I’m just a kid that grew up with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. Good thing about an anxiety disorder is that you identify risks before everyone else. It’s like a shitty super power.

I live in the cousin-fuckingly deep south, but prefer not to get more specific than that.

They are public drinking fountains. These aren't meant to be put in homes or private spaces.

America is absolutely filled with these things. They are everywhere. Public drinking access, no cups required, at an overwhelming number of public institutions. One of the extremely rare W's of American public use infrastructure.

On the few occasions I've been to Europe, I've honestly been quite frustrated at the lack of them. I can't just roll up to a place and have a quick drink, I'm apparently just expected to carry it with me on my person when I leave my place of stay. Even if there are public faucet taps available, I guess I'm expected to be carrying a drinking vessel already, or stick my face under the faucet and slurp awkwardly from the falling stream?

I'm just baffled public drinking fountains don't seem to be common elsewhere, to the point that there are several people in this thread questioning what they even are. I would consider them basic infrastructure for any civilized society.

They were disposable salt and pepper shakers. I know you think it saves money but you can bet some bean counter at corporate did the math to prove that wrong.

They still do exist. You can buy them at just about any store in the US.

That much for a motor which shreds soft food?!!