# Enough with the toilet seat... sheesh ! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350 "2001-11-09T03:49:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/1 "2001-11-09T03:49:27Z")
I am a female. I use a toilet. A western-style sit-down toilet usually. If the seat is down, I sit and do my thing. If the seat is up, I (wait for it) \*\* put the bloody thing down,\*\* sit, and do my thing. I hear regularly how people can’t stand to have the toilet seat left up, including in several threads on this board. [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=97918) is a friggin cite for all those who need cites to be comfortable with things. These people have a serious problem… do you not see that there is so much more to life you completely pathetic, absolutely retarded, toilet seat obssessed, camel-felching wannabes ??? Gggggggggggggrrrrrrrrrrr, let there be no more talk of the toilet seat. [sub] Seriously though, is it not easy to just put it down yourself?[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/2 "2001-11-09T03:54:08Z")
Have you never gotten groggily up to pee in the middle of the night only to be shocked awake when you plunge ass-first into the toilet water? ---
**Author:** ![Spanky\_The\_Dolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Spanky\_The\_Dolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spanky_The_Dolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/3 "2001-11-09T03:59:45Z")
That’s why you check to see if it’s up or not. _Baka_. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2001, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/4 "2001-11-09T04:04:04Z")
Well, if you’re even remotely interested in this sort of thing [sub]which from the tone of your OP, I assume you’re not, but anyhow[/sub] leaving the toilet seat up when not in use is incredibly bad feng shui. Very negative chi. Al. ---
**Author:** ![filthy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@filthy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filthy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/5 "2001-11-09T04:08:53Z")
Well Goo, I tries. I’m ancient enough to be pretty old fashioned. But hey, sometimes I forget. I forgot a few times with my ex. Then made the mistake of laughing. Thus, she’s my ex. Ah well. Move along folks. Nothing to see here. Says I, ya gots to look before ya sits. This is especally important on camping trips up in the woods, no matter if it’s on the log or over it. luck, f ---
**Author:** ![MrWhy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MrWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrWhy)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/6 "2001-11-09T04:10:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrnalene \* > \*\*Have you never gotten groggily up to pee in the middle of the night only to be shocked awake when you plunge ass-first into the toilet water? \*\* Maybe I missed something, but it seems that, in order to make your point, you are relying on claiming that women are too stupid to check to see if the seat is up or down. I’m a guy, and even _I_ think that is a bit silly. ---
**Author:** ![Spanky\_The\_Dolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Spanky\_The\_Dolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spanky_The_Dolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/7 "2001-11-09T04:12:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrnalene \* > \*\*Have you never gotten groggily up to pee in the middle of the night only to be shocked awake when you plunge ass-first into the toilet water? \*\* Wait, so am I the only one that turns the light on? ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/8 "2001-11-09T07:05:58Z")
O.K. I was actually hoping to find out what the problem was, because it’s never bothered me, while venting a little. Anyone out there have a reason…? Anyone…? The only taker I have so far is: > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrnalene \* > \*\*Have you never gotten groggily up to pee in the middle of the night only to be shocked awake when you plunge ass-first into the toilet water? \*\* I can understand the groggy-in-the-middle-of-the-night thing, but if all that’s stopping an ass-plunging into toilet water is a seat ??? Methinks you may need a new toilet, a surgical procedure performed on your butt, or perhaps I am completely misunderstanding you… I ask you, **Myrnalene** do any of your body parts actually plunge into the toilet water ??? or are you just exaggerating just the tiniest wee bit ? For others, the gauntlet has been thrown down. Please fight my ignorance and let me know what the issue here is. In the name of Cecil, I must know what is so evil about the toilet seat being left up ! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/9 "2001-11-09T07:09:58Z")
After reading that again, I realise that may seem insulting to **Myrnalene.** Please do not be offended, I was not at all meaning to imply that you had a large or strangely shaped backside. I just honestly couldn’t see how a bum could touch the water, even without a seat. I’m not much into personally insulting people, so please understand it was meant in a confused, light-hearted manner, not a vindictive, cruel one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/10 "2001-11-09T07:23:09Z")
I don’t really care if the toilet seat is up or down. I know that I must put it down before I use it. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I turn on the light. I have to. The cats could be drinking from the toilet again. When me and my friends(all guys)have a rule though when we’re drinking. Guy uses bathroom, leave seat down. I use bathroom, leave seat up. The only reason is when I drink, I pee an insane amount and quite frequently. I don’t have time to fiddle with a seat, and they don’t either. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/11 "2001-11-09T07:26:18Z")
I have had my ass dunked in the icy water of which **Myrnalene** speaks, but it only happened once. After that I always check, and it’s just something I do without thinking (or I did). I do believe that if you really expect a man to touch the nasty toilet seat to put it up and down, then you can touch the nasty thing to put it back up. That whole goose/gander thing. In my house we always put the seat and lid back down…the words “fecal aerosol” echoing in our heads. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/12 "2001-11-09T07:29:32Z")
I always look at the seat before I sit down, no matter what. And I don’t pee in the dark. That said, in our house we put both the seat AND the lid down. I don’t like the animals drinking out of the bowl, and frankly I’d just as soon not have the toilet yawning up at me anyway. ---
**Author:** ![warmgun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecccb3/32.png) [@warmgun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/warmgun)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/13 "2001-11-09T08:05:20Z")
I see the vein of this is not too serious but I, like **Goo** would like to see this taken on. The enlightened women on this board aside, as a male I hear this gripe a lot. Now I try to be southern gentleman my momma raised but I do forget sometimes. And It doesn’t get ‘up’ by itself. So, really ladies, If I have to check and touch it… ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/14 "2001-11-09T08:13:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrnalene \* > \*\*Have you never gotten groggily up to pee in the middle of the night only to be shocked awake when you plunge ass-first into the toilet water? \*\* Have you ever gotten up to pee in the middle of the night to see the toilet seat down, think for a milisecond, say “screw that”, and pee all over the toilet seat? Well, I havn’t. But it’d be fun if I did, right? If you don’t check, neither should I. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/15 "2001-11-09T10:57:20Z")
Our toilet water is afraid of the dark, so we need to leave the seat up. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/16 "2001-11-09T11:13:47Z")
In my house seat and lid are always down, unless the toity is in use. What if a snake or crocodile was trying to climb out? The lid may be the only thing keeping the wild things down where they belong! ---
**Author:** ![meyer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@meyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meyer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/17 "2001-11-09T11:36:18Z")
The toilet seat in our apartement doesn’t stay up. If you put it up, it stays for about a second, then falls back down. Since everyone who lives here is female, it doesn’t bother us, but it is a stitch when we have male company. We refer to it as “The Maneater”. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/18 "2001-11-09T11:45:03Z")
The best reason I’ve ever heard for keeping the seat down: If you leave it up, it looks really lousy. I mean, do you need this gaping maw looking at you when you go brush your teeth? Fer chrissake, don’t just put the seat down, put the damn **lid** down! I’m a guy and live by myself, that lid is down about 90% of the time, no matter how badly I have to pee, I can take the extra 1/10 of a second to lift it. The falling in the bowl thing? Come on, that’s just silly. What if the lid was down, would you just plop down on it and start peeing? **meyer** Do you have one of those furry lid covers on your bowl? They always mess with us guys. Just as well though, we’ll pee with the seat down, and if our aim is off, **we** don’t have to sit in it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/19 "2001-11-09T12:10:23Z")
Well, now it seems that some people question the brilliance of my pithy remark to the OP. The naysayers fall along two lines: “ **Myrnalene** , why wouldn’t you check to see if the toilet seat was up before you made your descent? Are you stupid? Are you saying all women are stupid?” No, silly. I’m just not as with it when roused out of a dead sleep in order to perform a bodily function as I am at high noon on a workday, how 'bout you? As for illumination, in my case there is a nightlight in my bathroom which lulls me into a false sense of security. I can see enough to not walk into the wall, so I am loathe to turn on the big bright light because of the OW! OW! factor. And if the man of the house is the type who typically leaves the seat down, and has only suffered a momentary lapse, it probably won’t even cross your mind to check. “ **Myrnalene** , what the fuck is wrong with your ass that it actually goes down in the water?” Well, I do admit that this kind of thing was more frequent in the days when my ass was somewhat smaller, but it is not outside the realm of human possibility. **zenzelli78** has said that it happened to her. Testify, sister! Anyway, I’m not passing this off as something that happens to me on a semi-nightly or even a yearly basis. I’m just sayin’ it can happen. I speak for the voiceless. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Goo \* > \*\*After reading that again, I realise that may seem insulting to **Myrnalene.** Please do not be offended, I was not at all meaning to imply that you had a large or strangely shaped backside…I’m not much into personally insulting people, so please understand it was meant in a confused, light-hearted manner, not a vindictive, cruel one. 🙂 \*\* Don’t worry, **Goo** dear, I would’na come to the Pit if I didn’t want to play. I won’t take my ball and go home. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/20 "2001-11-09T12:46:35Z")
In my house, the lid and seat are always down, unless the toilet’s actually in use. (FYI, I’m a big guy, and even I’VE taken the ass first plunge into cold toilet water. So, it’s not hiney-size that determintes whether the posterior gets dunked, it’s your ability to observe where you’re bottom is going! But I digress…) The reason it’s always down is that we have two very big, very thirsty Old English Sheepdogs. Frankly, I’d rather that they DON’T drink from the toilet. Frankly, though, this topic belongs with the toilet-paper-dispensing-from-top-or-bottom argument. That is… who cares? Is it that big of a deal? Things like this are so trite that, for me, they’re not even worth worrying about. Of course, this is all IMHO. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350.md?page=2)