# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![abuse\_angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d07c76/32.png) [@abuse\_angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abuse_angel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/41 "2001-11-10T20:28:07Z")
i still think leaving the lid up is the equivilant of leaving your cabinets and drawers open, but it seems to me that the main problem is with people who don’t want to be surprised about whether the seat is up or down. so, only one solution makes sense: pick one or the other and make everyone in your family conform to it. more women than men in your family? everyone leaves the seat down. more men? leave the seat up? cats, dogs or small children? leave the lid down. once you’ve done this and gotten used to it, it won’t _matter_ if the seat is up or down. whatever you’re used to is what you will expect when you get up in the middle of the night. thus, no problem! ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/42 "2001-11-10T22:45:23Z")
I live with a housefull of guys. They ALWAYS leave the seat up. So I definitely look before sitting down.It doesn’t really bother me, though, unless they miss and leave me looking at a rim full of dried up piss. To get back at them, though, I always put the seat and lid down. I actually have observed my housemate run into the washroom when he really had to go, and heard him curse, followed by the sound of the lid hitting the tank as he flung it up. Small paybacks, but fun 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Race\_Bannon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Race\_Bannon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Race_Bannon)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/43 "2001-11-11T02:06:26Z")
I’m the one male in my household (unless you count the dog, and he doesn’t have all his male-parts anymore). The rule is, lid down when not in use. Everybody has to check before going. No more arguments, and the bathroom looks neater for it. ---
**Author:** ![OxyMoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9a140/32.png) [@OxyMoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxyMoron)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/44 "2001-11-12T02:02:11Z")
Single male here: Lid, well, anywhere, but the seat stays down. When you have to clean your own toilet, you quickly realize that a seated position improves your aim immeasurably (especially if you’re suffering from the forked-pee problem, when you have two streams neither of which manages to hit the bowl). Especially since I’m usually wearing shorts at home (my apt’s overheated in winter and undercooled in summer), it’s not an inconvenience. But a taller, handic®ap toilet helps. ---
**Author:** ![SpectBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a87d85/32.png) [@SpectBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpectBrain)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/45 "2001-11-12T03:49:42Z")
one other thing about carpeted toilet lids…if you’re a guy, and you don’t realize the lid’s down, and you’re peeing in the dark, it can take quite a little while for you to realize that all is not in order as the carpeted lid absorbs the sound. ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/46 "2001-11-12T04:44:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Goo \* > \*\*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 ?\*\* **Goo** , you’re an Aussie, right? I don’t know whether you’ve ever been to the U.S., but the toilets there are waaaaay different to the toilets here in Oz. The water can come almost all of the way to the top of the bowl. It’s bloody bizarre. When you flush, the water drains away, and fills back up again with new water. You could easily get your butt wet if you were caught unaware. (In Australia, toilets have a little pool of water sitting in the very bottom of the bowl. The bowl fills up when you flush, and then all the water gets drained away. To get your arse wet, you would have to be folded in half, have your butt shoved into a pencil sharpener, and then forcibly inserted into the very bottom of the toilet bowl. Highly unlikely, even when groggy.) ---
**Author:** ![Essured](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Essured](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Essured)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/47 "2001-11-12T04:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monkey Chews \* > \*\*(In Australia, toilets have a little pool of water sitting in the very bottom of the bowl. The bowl fills up when you flush, and then all the water gets drained away. To get your arse wet, you would have to be folded in half, have your butt shoved into a pencil sharpener, and then forcibly inserted into the very bottom of the toilet bowl. Highly unlikely, even when groggy.) \*\* Thanks, **Monkey Chews,** that is probably the best description of what it would take to get your butt wet on an Aussie toilet, seat or no seat ! Now I can see how **Myrnalene** _et al_ got their tushies wet ! I withdraw all criticism on that point. If you guys ever see the average water level in an Aussie toilet, you will understand my incredulity. [slight hijack… but it’s my thread anyway 😛] What’s the story with all the water ? You want your deposits bathed properly before being whisked away ? Smells like a lot of water wastage to me. Or is your plumbing completely different too? [/slight hijack] I’m still shuddering about getting a wet arse… Eeww. The feeling would be so bad that I would ummm look before I sat ! Whoever said it previously had the right idea. Decide on how the seat should be in your house, then whoever disregards this should be dealt with… how about making them clean the bathroom ? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/48 "2001-11-12T05:21:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by babydrln \* > …when I’m 40 months pregnant… Umm? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![phartizan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba8739/32.png) [@phartizan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phartizan)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2001, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/49 "2001-11-12T23:33:33Z")
> [@](#): > > **the forked-pee problem** Wasn’t it Wittgenstein or Bertrand Russell who solved that? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_The\_Bold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@Dale\_The\_Bold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_The_Bold)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/50 "2001-11-13T01:00:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SpectBrain \* > \*\*one other thing about carpeted toilet lids…if you’re a guy, and you don’t realize the lid’s down, and you’re peeing in the dark, it can take quite a little while for you to realize that all is not in order as the carpeted lid absorbs the sound. \*\* If you’re a guy, you don’t have carpet on your toilet seat. You also don’t have sea shells on the back of the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/51 "2001-11-13T01:17:40Z")
In [this jaw-droppingly horrifying column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990416.html) Uncle Cecil describes what happens in your bathroom when you flush the toilet. Since reading this column I have \*\* never flushed without lowering the lid first!\*\* > [@](#): > > In fact, significant quantities of microbes floated around the bathroom for at least two hours after each flush. Ggeaaaagh! Keep that damn thing closed! Redboss ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/52 "2001-11-13T01:35:16Z")
I **hate** being the fifty-first post! Damn. R ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/53 "2001-11-13T04:49:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Myrr21 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by babydrln \* > > …when I’m 40 months pregnant… > > Umm? > 😕 \*\* Never been pregnant, huh? Believe me when I tell you that it can seem like an eternity and you know you cannot POSSIBLY get that large in just nine months! She’s talking about being HUGE with child and feeling like she’s been that way forever. (And if you think break-dancing is a fad that’s passed, I can assure you that babies _in utero_ still engage in it–directly upon your bladder) Just so you will understand the reference! 😉 P.S. I never understood why it was such a problem for a man to lower the seat. It wasn’t too heavy to lift UP, so why is it so much trouble to put DOWN?? I must say this though–my hubby rarely leaves the seat down. I’ve got a good one! ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/54 "2001-11-13T06:18:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mayflower \* > I must say this though–my hubby rarely leaves the seat down. I’ve got a good one! A good toilet seat is hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350/55 "2001-11-13T20:11:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Mayflower \* > > I must say this though–my hubby rarely leaves the seat down. I’ve got a good one! > > A good toilet seat is hard to find. \*\* Ya ha ha–I meant the husband! 😃 Yes, I get the joke. No, I’m not offended. Yes, I am laughing at the joke! 😉 PS–iampunha–you’re right about the seat, too! 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-toilet-seat-sheesh/92350.md?page=2)