# Blind People **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160 "2002-03-20T05:02:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ice1000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ice1000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ice1000)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/1 "2002-03-20T05:02:35Z")
How do blind people know when to stop wiping? ---
**Author:** ![abel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@abel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/2 "2002-03-20T05:08:56Z")
Okay, I’m going to make a couple of assumptions here, so bear with me. First off, I ASSUME you’re talking about wiping in the bathroom, as opposed to wiping windows, or wiping dishes dry, or whatever else you might mean. Secondly, I’ll assume, that you don’t take a mirror and examine your rectal area every time you finish taking a dump. Does that answer your question? There are senses other than sight that are more commonly used in situations like this particular one. Did you really need to come on here to figure that out? ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/3 "2002-03-20T05:18:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by abel \* > \*\*Secondly, I’ll assume, that you don’t take a mirror and examine your rectal area every time you finish taking a dump. \*\* I think he was refering to the fact that most people look at the tissue to see how “clean” it is (apparently you use some other method). I’ve wondered about this as well (surprised?). My guess is that they can tell if the rectal area is clean by the amount of friction they sense as they wipe. Wiping friction = sensation of heat = clean ass ---
**Author:** ![ice1000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ice1000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ice1000)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/4 "2002-03-20T05:19:20Z")
Yes you are correct on your assumptions, mirror included. I wasn’t trying to be facetious here. I was just wondering. I don’t really think that using any other senses would be that sanitary. ---
**Author:** ![abel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@abel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abel)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/5 "2002-03-20T05:48:50Z")
Oh, I see… I apologize for the tone of my previous post. I wasn’t sure if you were completely serious. They were right about what happens when you assume, weren’t they? Makes an ASS out of U and ME. Oh, and welcome to the boards! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ice1000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a3d4f5/32.png) [@ice1000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ice1000)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/6 "2002-03-20T06:13:24Z")
No problem. Thanks for the ‘rough’ welcome. And back to your original reply…wiping windows??? I don’t think they use them much… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jsleek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@jsleek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsleek)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/7 "2002-03-20T13:08:29Z")
I was blind for a few weeks. Knowing when to stop isn’t one of the big problems. Finding the #$&@ rest room is a biggie. Finding the paper is a bother. Just getting out of bed should rate a medal. Basically, I didn’t like it. If you want to do the blind a favor, someday, turn down the radio. It was one of the worst frustrations to work so hard to walk a few steps, listening to echos from walls and curbs for location. Then, every time, some idiot roars by with no muffler and blasting racket that totally wipes your orientation. You finally give up and stay in bed. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2002, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/8 "2002-03-20T18:24:23Z")
In India, the vast majority of people do not use tissue paper. They use instead water and their hands to clean up. It is very clear, without having to look at their hands, that they are done when they are done. So with the blind that use water instead of tissue. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/9 "2002-03-21T23:55:18Z")
Oh, you are also assuming that they can’t see nothing, right? Few of them are really like that—most can see something. Not to mention the sense of smell & touch are useful… ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/10 "2002-03-22T14:58:31Z")
Um, I could make lots of seeing eye dog jokes, but I’m afraid of being offensive. Use your imaginations! 😃 Lorie ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/11 "2002-03-22T17:43:15Z")
In our sign language classes we ask people to be deaf for a day or part of one then write about it. You could do this with your eyes, put on something so you can’t see then see how you handle things like this. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/12 "2002-03-22T18:35:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cynic \* > \*\* > > I think he was refering to the fact that most people look at the tissue to see how “clean” it is (apparently you use some other method).\*\* They do? Ick! That would never even have occurred to me. I don’t think I’ve ever “checked the tissue” in my life. I tell by feel. I have spent time under blindfold to simulate blindness, and this is one issue that did not concern me. btw, **handy** , while it is true that there are plenty of people who are _legally_ blind (vision uncorrectable to better than 20/200) who have some vision, there are also plenty of blind people who have no vision whatsoever. I have one blind friend who cannot tell if a light is on or off. ---
**Author:** ![cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-people/99160/13 "2002-03-22T19:12:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SpoilerVirgin \* > \*\* > > They do? Ick! That would never even have occurred to me. I don’t think I’ve ever “checked the tissue” in my life. I tell by feel. > \*\* According to the [Bathroom Habits Survey](http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~davidson/bathroom/survey/results.shtml), 76% of those polled inspect the tissue after each wipe. I’m not sure about the accuracy of that particular survey, as only 53% say they pee in the shower.