# Automatic flushers SUCK!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558 "2003-12-02T19:58:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/1 "2003-12-02T19:58:17Z")
They have just installed automatic flushers here at work. I hate them! Sometimes I like to go in and sit for a while, you know? If you move a freakin’ _inch_, these mothers flush! And my ass gets all wet! That is all. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/2 "2003-12-02T20:11:16Z")
Tell it sister. Worse is when they _DON’T_ flush, and all your bodily fluids are sitting there for the next patron to enjoy. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/3 "2003-12-02T20:17:06Z")
Preach. I’ve danced a little jig to try to get that thing to flush. It’s also not too embarassing to have somebody walk in the bathroom while you’re swinging the door open and shut in a futile effort to trigger it. [slight hijack] I had a buddy that worked at Disney. When he visited he _never_ flushed the toilet because all the toilets at Disney (living quarters, everywhere) were auto-flush. Said he just got out of the habit. [/sh] ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/4 "2003-12-02T20:17:21Z")
Hmmm… It would appear they’re dammed if you pooh, dammed if you moan’t. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/5 "2003-12-02T20:24:17Z")
We have them here and I hate them too. Our bathrooms here are always too dark (I do NOT need mood lighting in a public rest room, thankyewverymuch) and wiggle the wrong way, splash city. But there is a way to flush them if they didn’t go off on their own. Near the front “sensor” will be a dark rubbery spot about the size of a pencil eraser. Press that spot and the flusher activates. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/6 "2003-12-02T20:29:15Z")
Anyone else read the thread title as “Automatic fl **a** shers SUCK!!!”? ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/7 "2003-12-02T20:38:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*Hmmm… > > It would appear they’re dammed if you pooh, dammed if you moan’t. \*\* I was scrolling fairly quickly though this thread, and this post didn’t really register until I had scolled past it. When it did register, I said to myself, “that’s gotta be a **lieu** post!” So I scrolled back up, and sure enough… ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/8 "2003-12-02T20:39:11Z")
Autoflushers blow - they go off when I’m sitting there and blow water on my ass. Suction toilets suck - [They suck intestives out.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_260.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/9 "2003-12-02T21:39:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by porcupine \* > \*\*Suction toilets suck - [They suck intestives out.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_260.html) \*\* Okay, where’s that barfy smiley when you need it? _ **EWW!!!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/10 "2003-12-02T21:44:24Z")
It’s really fun to go home and forget that it doesn’t have the automatic flush. At work, we also have automatic sinks that start when you pass your hand under the faucet. Nothing like Mr. Kat coming home and catching me waving my hand under the tap and cursing out the sink for not starting! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/11 "2003-12-03T02:03:33Z")
I forgot to mention [toilet plume](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990416.html), which also seems appropriate for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/12 "2003-12-03T02:14:59Z")
Ah! Here’s another one. Automatic _lights_ in toilets. Now, I don’t know about you, but whilst I’m sitting on the throne as it were, I’m not exactly hyperactive. I sit there, and do my business. Now, some of those light sensors at my place of employment are so damn insensitive, you practially need to dance the fucking hokey-pokey to get them to re-engage after they do their _one-minute-without-movement-means-shut-off_ routine. I dunno about you, but when I’m mid-turd, the last thing I wanna do is jump around waving my arms. And shitting in the dark is just plain weird. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/13 "2003-12-03T02:56:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by alice\_in\_wonderland \* > \*\*Tell it sister. > > Worse is when they _DON’T_ flush, and all your bodily fluids are sitting there for the next patron to enjoy. > > Ugh. \*\* There’s a button on top left you can press to initiate the flush cycle. Took me 5 years to figure that one out! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/14 "2003-12-03T03:59:35Z")
I know someone who accidentally dropped their keys in a toilet as they were sitting up. Then the automatic flusher flushed before they could retrieve their keys. That’s a pain in the ass. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/15 "2003-12-03T08:10:51Z")
I’ve gotten used to the auto-flushing toilets, but now the restrooms at work have auto-dispensing paper-towel dispensers (wave your hand, paper towel comes out). Geez louise, how much lazier can society get??? ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/16 "2003-12-03T12:47:17Z")
So **Coldfire** , now you know the answer to: how do blind people know when they’re done wiping? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/17 "2003-12-03T13:23:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\*I’ve gotten used to the auto-flushing toilets, but now the restrooms at work have auto-dispensing paper-towel dispensers (wave your hand, paper towel comes out). > > Geez louise, how much lazier can society get??? \*\* It’s not about lazy. It’s about not wanting to touch _anything_ that’s exposed in the bathroom after washing your hands. I hate the paper towel dispensers where you have to push the lever cuz I know that there was probably some super-creep who pissed on his hands, didn’t wash, and then just worked the lever to get a towel to wipe the piss off his fingers. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/automatic-flushers-suck/216558/18 "2003-12-03T22:59:51Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s not about lazy. It’s about not wanting to touch anything that’s exposed in the bathroom after washing your hands. Indeed. And there’s nothing worse than finding a wet door handle when you’re leaving the crapper. You always wonder just what that liquid might be. Bleah.