# Characters throwing up into public toilet bowls **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841 "2011-10-07T00:03:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/1 "2011-10-07T00:03:51Z")
Nothing takes me out of a movie more quickly than an actor touching the toilet bowl rim, or kneeling on the (probably) wet floor, or otherwise getting too intimate with their surroundings in a public bathroom. I have thrown up in public bathrooms, and let me tell you, no matter how sick, I never, _ever_, touch the toilet, nor get my pants anywhere near the floor (barf). I bend at the waist, barf my brains out and break all the capillaries in my face, then reach up with my foot and flush. So, am I only the one that instantly gets pulled out of a movie by that? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/2 "2011-10-07T00:07:46Z")
If I’m sick enough to be vomiting in a public bathroom, I’m probably not too worried about the gross out factor of kneeling on the floor/touching a toilet. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/3 "2011-10-07T00:08:32Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > If I’m sick enough to be vomiting in a public bathroom, I’m probably not too worried about the gross out factor of kneeling on the floor/touching a toilet. _shudder_ ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/4 "2011-10-07T00:10:24Z")
That is…really weird to me. If I’m losing my lunch, the last thing I care about is germs - I just don’t want to make a mess. It wouldn’t occur to me to use a different position than I would at home. But then, I don’t use an assgasket either. I generally don’t give a fig about germs. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/5 "2011-10-07T00:10:56Z")
Well, I’ve never actually done it. But if you’re that sick, isn’t it pretty normal to just be concerned about making sure you manage to vomit into a toilet? Public bathrooms aren’t pleasant but it’s not really the end of the world if you touch a toilet/the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/6 "2011-10-07T00:14:32Z")
When spewing, I rarely have the time for preparation and have difficulty maintaining balance. So yeah, I grabbing on. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/7 "2011-10-07T00:16:08Z")
Oh man. I don’t care much about germs (spent a year inspecting septic systems), but it is ingrained in me not to touch the bowl nor the floor (and especially not get public restroom floor water on my pants). I mean, it is hardwired at this point to kick the seat up with a foot, then (normally) piss, if no urinal, or puke (only done that once, but it was all so automatic). Eww, kneel on a public bathroom floor??? I just don’t think so, no matter how sick. Touch some piss covered seat with my _HAND_?! Barf! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/8 "2011-10-07T00:17:29Z")
I’m with you, sparky. I puked at home a few weeks ago, and I was totally no where near touching the bowl as I was doing it. Just because I’m sick and heaving doesn’t mean I’m completely out of control. At a public toilet? Heck no! Ain’t touching the bowl or floor. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/9 "2011-10-07T00:17:51Z")
Hands are washable. So are pants. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/10 "2011-10-07T00:23:04Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > Hands are washable. So are pants. It’s the getting home part with those dirty pants that is nasty. Barf! ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/11 "2011-10-07T00:24:23Z")
Yeah, I’m probably not going to be hugging any thrones but the good thing about public toilets is that if you can’t quite get your chuck to up, you can lean close and take a big whiff, thus sending you violently over the barf barrier. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/12 "2011-10-07T00:27:18Z")
You can’t drive the bus without grabbing the wheel! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/13 "2011-10-07T00:34:56Z")
Having in the course of the decades thrown up in various public toilets on three continents, most recently in the restroom toilet of an intercity bus while said bus was moving down the highway, I can cheerfully attest that kneeling on the restroom floor while puking is **way** far down on my list of things to worry about. Yes, I try to make sure that my surroundings and then myself are as clean as possible when I leave the restroom, but I don’t have particular hangups about my clothing or body touching some portion of the floor or fixtures (unless said portion is obviously wet or filthy). The OP’s stated alternative style of “remote puking” inspires an unbidden mental image of the puker getting specks of vomit-splatter on the toilet seat and/or rim and then not bothering to clean it up, which grosses me out **WAY** more than any imagined contamination from a not-obviously-dirty toilet or floor. So to answer the OP’s question, no, it doesn’t seem unnatural or unrealistic to me when characters onscreen kneel to throw up in a public restroom toilet (not that I’m watching a lot of that sort of movies anyway), as long as the setting looks reasonably clean. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/14 "2011-10-07T00:40:13Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Having in the course of the decades thrown up in various public toilets on three continents, most recently in the restroom toilet of an intercity bus while said bus was moving down the highway, I can cheerfully attest that kneeling on the restroom floor while puking is **way** far down on my list of things to worry about. > > Yes, I try to make sure that my surroundings and then myself are as clean as possible when I leave the restroom, but I don’t have particular hangups about my clothing or body touching some portion of the floor or fixtures (unless said portion is obviously wet or filthy). > > The OP’s stated alternative style of “remote puking” inspires an unbidden mental image of the puker getting specks of vomit-splatter on the toilet seat and/or rim and then not bothering to clean it up, which grosses me out **WAY** more than any imagined contamination from a not-obviously-dirty toilet or floor. > > So to answer the OP’s question, no, it doesn’t seem unnatural or unrealistic to me when characters onscreen kneel to throw up in a public restroom toilet (not that I’m watching a lot of that sort of movies anyway), as long as the setting looks reasonably clean. I can assure you, good sir, that my face was positioned such that all the vomit landed safely in the bowl. I even wiped the rim with a huge ball of tissue. Then I kicked the seat down with my foot, depressed the flush lever (again, with my foot), washed my hands and left. Only to get home and puke more. ---
**Author:** ![breezman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@breezman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breezman)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/15 "2011-10-07T00:59:34Z")
I’ve puked many many times into public toilets, but I’ve never grabbed the bowl. I just lean over, take aim, and let it go. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/16 "2011-10-07T01:01:24Z")
I have thrown up into a public toilet. Hands on the bowl, face less than a foot from the water. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/17 "2011-10-07T01:16:38Z")
> [@sparky!](#): > > I can assure you, good sir, that my face was positioned such that all the vomit landed safely in the bowl. I even wiped the rim with a huge ball of tissue. You have eased my mind inexpressibly. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/18 "2011-10-07T01:17:35Z")
Isn’t it possible to vomit while crouching, or at least supporting your weight with your hands so as not to let your pants touch the floor? Then it’s a simple matter of washing your hands afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![sparky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@sparky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sparky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/19 "2011-10-07T01:25:09Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Isn’t it possible to vomit while crouching, or at least supporting your weight with your hands so as not to let your pants touch the floor? Then it’s a simple matter of washing your hands afterwards. Dude, really?! You bend at the waist (after lifting the seat with a foot), then barf your brains out. No need to uselessly kneel on the floor, soaking up piss, shit and probably jizz. Especially no need to kneel on the floor and hug the bowl, smearing fecal matter all over your hands and shirt. Just the thought makes me sick. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841/20 "2011-10-07T01:36:13Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > No need to uselessly kneel on the floor, soaking up piss, shit and probably jizz. Especially no need to kneel on the floor and hug the bowl, smearing fecal matter all over your hands and shirt. I bet you’re a hoverer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/characters-throwing-up-into-public-toilet-bowls/598841.md?page=2)