A year and a half after Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) was arrested for disorderly conduct for his…ahem…encounter in a public restroom stall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, the bathroom is no longer the tourist attraction it once was. And local tourism people are not happy.

Just a year ago, the fabled restroom stall was a popular sightseeing destination for airport travelers with a twisted curiosity and a little extra time to kill before their flights. Hordes of men wanted to see for themselves the infamous crapper from where the Idaho Senator unwittingly hit on the undercover cop.  In fact, so much traffic funneled into the site that a minor cottage industry sprung up in the previously empty wing of Concourse C. Officially dubbed the “Senator Larry Craig Executive Washroom,” the tawdry toilet drew over 5000 inquisitive visitors on a typical day. And that’s not counting those who came to actually use it. Don’t ask us how we know the difference.

New restaurants, coffee shops and even a souvenir stand opened up, all within 100 feet of the notorious washroom. People from all 50 states and over 30 countries have signed the official guestbook at the kiosk in front of the toe-tappin’ Senator’s favorite meeting spot. The publicity was a shot in the arm to the airport retail business.

“Before the story broke, we didn’t even have a Burger King in this part of the concourse. But now look at it,” said Knut Mikkelson, manager of The Wide Stance Gifts and Souvenirs. “We opened this shop two weeks after news of the bust made headlines, and for a while, we had people lining up halfway back to security waiting to buy stuff. Travelers would stop in to get posters or maybe a Larry Craig bobblehead doll, then head over to Starbuck’s for a latte. This area has hoppin.’ But now the traffic is down to a trickle and we need to get people interested in that shitter again.”

Officials at the Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association are concerned that interest in the washroom is fading. A spokesman for the tourism group had tried to arrange for Sen. Craig to make a guest visit or two, but the repeated inquiries remained unanswered by the Senator’s staff.

“It would’ve been nice to have Senator Craig here at the airport to do a meet and greet, maybe sign some autographs,” said the unnamed Association spokesman. “Would’ve been a boon for business here. But apparently he no longer shares our enthusiasm for this lovely little washroom. I’m sure he’s moved on to some new favorite stalls elsewhere.”