# Different toilet training for rich and poor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878 "2009-07-22T17:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silvermist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@silvermist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silvermist)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/1 "2009-07-22T17:35:22Z")
I noticed when I was growing up that the bathroom doors at my poor friends’ homes were left open when the room was not in use, but at my wealthy friends’ homes, they were closed. Can anyone explain this difference in etiquette to me? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/2 "2009-07-22T17:39:48Z")
No idea, but it’s not consistent with my experience. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/3 "2009-07-22T17:42:20Z")
The wealthy’s shit does not stink, so their toilets do not need to air out. Actually, I haven’t noticed an income correlation. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/4 "2009-07-22T18:10:50Z")
We left the door open until we got a dog. Now the door gets closed or the dog drinks from the toilet. Maybe our income went up? ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/5 "2009-07-22T18:25:12Z")
I grew up in a fairly well-to-do home and we usually left the bathroom door open, mostly because when mom was entertaining, leaving it open made it easier for guests to find. It’s also clearer when someone is using the bathroom - door open = vacant; door closed = in use, or at least knock first. I think it’s more an issue of personal preference rather than an income thing. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/6 "2009-07-22T19:04:02Z")
Everyone in my family leaves it open when they leave, but the Polish and Lithuanian guys who were doing painting and carpentry in my home closed the door on the way out. Regional thing? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/7 "2009-07-22T19:06:46Z")
As always, when posting a thread about a massively sweeping generalization, it’s a good idea to ask, “Is this true?” _before_ asking “Why is this true?” ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/8 "2009-07-22T19:31:17Z")
> [@silvermist](#): > > I noticed when I was growing up that the bathroom doors at my poor friends’ homes were left open when the room was not in use, but at my wealthy friends’ homes, they were closed. If your friends were really wealthy they’d have a bathroom doorman. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/9 "2009-07-22T20:05:02Z")
Bathrooom door is always open if no one’s in there. Closing it seems like a) you’re hiding something or b) someone’s in there. I’ve seen this in rich or in poor. The one thing I will hazard a guess on is if the poor people’s houses are really small, so the bathroom is kind of “in your face”, they may shut it so you don’t always have to look at a toilet. But even that sounds a bit odd. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/10 "2009-07-22T20:05:40Z")
We put a training potty in the middle of the living room. I can’t tell if we should be flat broke, or billionaires. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/11 "2009-07-22T21:38:12Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > We put a training potty in the middle of the living room. I can’t tell if we should be flat broke, or billionaires. My earlist memory is that green plastic potty my parents put in out living room :o. My family followed the open=vacant, closed=occupied rule. Except for my father who’d often use it (#1, #2, shower, or bath) without bothering to close the door. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/12 "2009-07-23T00:03:04Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > As always, when posting a thread about a massively sweeping generalization, it’s a good idea to ask, “Is this true?” _before_ asking “Why is this true?” \*Always??? \*Aren’t you generalizing? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/13 "2009-07-23T00:47:40Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > \*Always??? \*Aren’t you generalizing? Well played, sir. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/14 "2009-07-23T03:01:37Z")
They don’t want casual visitors to be tempted to swipe the gold toilet seat. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/15 "2009-07-23T03:24:34Z")
Our main bathroom door is always left open when not in use. If it is closed, it is being used. The exception is if I have been the last person to use the room. Then it gets sprayed down and the fan left on and everyone uses the other one for an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/16 "2009-07-23T03:42:45Z")
I don’t think there’s a default in my house. If the door is locked, someone is in there. If it’s open or unlocked, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/17 "2009-07-23T03:47:11Z")
Hell, I might as well take the door of my bathroom. It is never closed. **babygirl** keeps hers shut no matter what because she has a ticking clock in there and it is annoying as hell to hear it tick in the bedroom. SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/different-toilet-training-for-rich-and-poor/503878/18 "2009-07-23T03:54:45Z")
I’m reminded of a remark made by Redd Foxx on one of those old comedy record albums that used to be so popular. Something about rich girls having a canopy over their beds and poor girls having a can o’ pee under theirs.