# If you fail to wash your hands after using the bathroom, you may as well take a crap **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 16, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093 "2003-01-16T23:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/1 "2003-01-16T23:24:58Z")
I just witnessed perhaps the most incredible display of poor bathroom etiquette ever. Scenario is as follows: Public restroom, I at urinal answering nature’s call. In the stall next to me there is a man having an exceptionally loud crap. Well and good, it happens, however, _he is talking on the freaking cell phone while doing this!_ But wait! It gets better. He then stands up, fails to flush and then leaves without washing his hands. :eek: Not only was this rude to the person on the other end of the phone, but also rude to the next person that needs to use the stall and rude to anyone that needs to touch the doorknob after he does. I swear, I think our culture is doomed. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/2 "2003-01-16T23:27:29Z")
Also, my damn thread title was truncated. It should have read: **If you fail to wash your hands after using the bathroom, you may as well take a crap in my hand!** Curses! ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/3 "2003-01-16T23:35:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Not only was this rude to the person on the other end of the phone, but also rude to the next person that needs to use the stall and rude to anyone that needs to touch the doorknob after he does. I don’t follow, are there sinks in the stall? cuz otherwise how would you get out of the stall to wash your hands without touching the door? ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/4 "2003-01-16T23:37:36Z")
I was thinking more of the door that you need to touch to leave the room. I expect the stall door to be “dirty”, the door leading out of the room however… ---
**Author:** ![scablet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@scablet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scablet)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/5 "2003-01-16T23:38:28Z")
well it’s obviously his responsibility to go back and spray lysol on the stall handle. since taking a crap involves smearing your own faeces all over your hands and then wiping it off. seriously though, not washing your hands after a poop is fairly vile. cell-phoning while taking a poop is similarly vile, but does not surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/6 "2003-01-16T23:42:20Z")
I’ve heard someone say “If you don’t wipe, you don’t have to wash.” Yep, that’s disgusting too. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/7 "2003-01-17T00:48:35Z")
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/8 "2003-01-17T00:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve heard someone say “If you don’t wipe, you don’t have to wash.” Maybe they use a bidet. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/9 "2003-01-17T01:13:19Z")
Would you like me to show you why using a bidet would still make it necessary to wash your hands? ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/10 "2003-01-17T01:32:27Z")
My husband in an IM to me today: “Sheesh. I just saw this guy use the bathroom, not wash his hands, and rejoin a group going to a group luncheon. Note to self: never shake hands with anyone. Ever.” ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/11 "2003-01-17T02:26:35Z")
Maybe this is the same guy who took a righteous shit all over my computer lab floor. I’m pretty damned sure whoever did that did not wash their hands, as there are neither toilets nor sinks in the **computer lab**. Anyway, I won’t start that rant again. I said my piece [already](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=151051&highlight=burnt+umber). ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/12 "2003-01-17T03:07:37Z")
How does a bidet work, anyway? Don’t you get water all over yourself? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/13 "2003-01-17T03:12:21Z")
Where’s the reading-comprehension? The guy was rude the next person who used that stall because of his **failure to flush**. He was rude to anyone who needed to use the doorknob after him because he doubtless left traces of his freaking faecal coliform bacteria on the doorknob, which people need to touch immediately after sanitizing their _own_ hands, if they want to count themselves amongst civilized people. My personal feeling is that bathrooms shouldn’t _have_ doorknobs – they should be able to be pushed open with a foot, from the inside. People it just takes one filthy bastard to ruin your whole day. (Or week.) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/14 "2003-01-17T03:17:14Z")
That’s supposed to read “_Because_ it just takes one filthy bastard &c”. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/15 "2003-01-17T03:18:13Z")
Poppy’s a little sloppy. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/16 "2003-01-17T03:22:40Z")
Perhaps he had a bottle of liquid hand santizer with him. It’s still nasty not to wash, but it’s a bit better if he had some kind of liquid germ killer. Not flushing is disgusting, but perhaps he did it so the person he was talking to wouldn’t know what he was doing. Sheesh! I’ve always been irritated with the oh-so-important people who so desperately need to make a call that they neglect their driving. I’ve fantasized about killing people who talk on the phone in a theater. I’ve been appalled at the folks who talk on a phone in a resturant . . . but this guy couldn’t get off the phone for five minutes to use the toilet??? ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/17 "2003-01-17T04:04:00Z")
Hey, I’m still trying to figure out what the conversation was like between this model of etiquette and the guy on the other end of the line. “So Joe, about that annual report…\…No, I’m OK, just takin’ a crap…” ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/18 "2003-01-17T04:35:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Would you like me to show you why using a bidet would still make it necessary to wash your hands? You don’t need to show _me_. You just need to show someone who follows the philosophy that Monty mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/19 "2003-01-17T05:38:57Z")
My high-roller uncle’s suite at the Mirage in Vegas has a phone right next to the toilet. I still can’t get over that image. Oh, I might use the phone, but never while…you know. ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2003, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093/20 "2003-01-17T07:00:16Z")
This is why I only touch the doorknob with a paper towel over my hand. Also I’ve found you can open most doors with your arm pit or your elbow turning the handle combined with pushing them with your feet, so you never have to use your hands. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-fail-to-wash-your-hands-after-using-the-bathroom-you-may-as-well-take-a-crap/149093.md?page=2)