# Is this normal or disgusting? (Office men's room; gross) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 10, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935 "2011-06-10T02:29:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/1 "2011-06-10T02:29:32Z")
Stop reading if you don’t like to read about bodily functions. I can’t decide - Let’s say you’re in the men’s room at the office. You’re a man, at the urinal. A co-worker enters the men’s room and steps up to the urinal adjacent. While you’re both pissing he winds up (I’m talking full grunt, face squint) and then blasts a huge noisy fart. Yes, this has happened to me with two co-workers. I’m torn - neither would ever do this in the public office area. If they were in a stall I would probably just ignore it. But to do it at the urinal - I dunno, I can’t decide. Yeah, if you gotta break some wind, the bathroom is the acceptable place. But at a urinal? Where’s the decorum? Is this crass or acceptable? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/2 "2011-06-10T02:34:23Z")
WAG, he’s either trying to finish peeing faster or he has a nervous bladder so he’s pushing a bit harder then normal. Either way he ends up farting as well. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/3 "2011-06-10T02:37:27Z")
Letting go of some wind is often an involuntary result of pissing. I’m of the philosophy that that’s what the bathroom is for. It’s a free fire zone. You know that going in. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/4 "2011-06-10T02:39:20Z")
I’d actually crack up and probably say something like “Dude you better get to a stall before the rest of that comes chargin’ out!” ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/5 "2011-06-10T02:39:23Z")
Eh, it’s a bathroom. People fart. As long as he doesn’t shit on the floor, who cares? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/6 "2011-06-10T02:40:51Z")
I’d say both normal and gross. Just one of life’s little ‘Things you put up with when you have to be around other people’ things. I’m a girl, though, and would use a stall for that kind of thing. I think. Though perhaps the headiness of being able to relieve myself that quickly might make using the stall seem like a godsawful waste of precious seconds or something. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/7 "2011-06-10T02:42:15Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > WAG, he’s either trying to finish peeing faster or he has a nervous bladder so he’s pushing a bit harder then normal. Either way he ends up farting as well. It wasn’t involuntary. The dude wound up, strained, and then let fly! 😃 It’s not a huge deal. People fart. I get it. I was just shocked at the brazenness of it. ---
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/8 "2011-06-10T02:44:54Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > Stop reading if you don’t like to read about bodily functions. > > I can’t decide - > > Let’s say you’re in the men’s room at the office. You’re a man, at the urinal. A co-worker enters the men’s room and steps up to the urinal adjacent. While you’re both pissing he winds up (I’m talking full grunt, face squint) and then blasts a huge noisy fart. > > Yes, this has happened to me with two co-workers. > > I’m torn - neither would ever do this in the public office area. If they were in a stall I would probably just ignore it. But to do it at the urinal - I dunno, I can’t decide. Yeah, if you gotta break some wind, the bathroom is the acceptable place. But at a urinal? Where’s the decorum? > > Is this crass or acceptable? Crass, he should go into a cubicle. Does anyone else prefer to ensure the bathroom is empty or at least no one knows you’re in the cubicle before taking a dump? You don’t want your co-workers hearing bathroom noises. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/9 "2011-06-10T02:46:09Z")
it could have been aimed your direction and wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/10 "2011-06-10T02:49:12Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > it could have been aimed your direction and wasn’t. LOL 😃 One of the guys was a VP while I’m still a drone. Maybe it was a dominance thing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/11 "2011-06-10T02:50:52Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > LOL 😃 > > One of the guys was a VP while I’m still a drone. Maybe it was a dominance thing. > > 😛 You might be onto something there. Like the bellowing and snorting of a bull-walrus when lesser males come into his territory 😉 FWIW: I’m a chick, and I’m poop-shy, I prefer nobody else to be around when I’m pooping. BUT I don’t get all offended if other folks fart in the bathroom. It’s what it’s for, doing gross and impolite shit. ---
**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:** [June 10, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/12 "2011-06-10T02:52:48Z")
If there’s anyplace where it’s socially acceptable to rip ass, it would have to be a bathroom. Pissing, pooping, farting. Hell, even nose-picking-- let 'er rip. Bodily functions, be free. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/13 "2011-06-10T02:53:54Z")
Can’t have someone farting in a shithouse can we? Now if he did it while I was eating lunch I might wince. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/14 "2011-06-10T02:54:50Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > Is this crass or acceptable? It’s acceptable. I don’t do it myself, though. I prefer to go to a stall and have at it. Kind of like singing in the shower. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/15 "2011-06-10T02:59:29Z")
> [@mack](#): > > It’s acceptable. I don’t do it myself, though. I prefer to go to a stall and have at it. Kind of like singing in the shower. Exactly what do you sing through? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/16 "2011-06-10T03:04:51Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > Can’t have someone farting in a shithouse can we? > > Now if he did it while I was eating lunch I might wince. Well it’s your own fault for eating in the shitter, dude. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/17 "2011-06-10T03:12:46Z")
As some others have said, this is exactly what the bathroom is for. I find it hilarious that some people think that it’s inappropriate to fart in a bathroom. Also, as **Dio** suggested, farting is often an involuntary accompaniment to urination. ---
**Author:** ![Jaledin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/18 "2011-06-10T03:13:11Z")
It’s hysterical. Yeah, the guy should audition as a sub for Larry the Cable Guy, but it’s still a funny story. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/19 "2011-06-10T03:16:17Z")
what exactly does winding up consist of? ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935/20 "2011-06-10T03:18:06Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > what exactly does winding up consist of? A tensing of the abdominal muscles, facial contortion, an audible grunt, a huge wet fart, and then a satisfied sigh “Ahhhhh…” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-normal-or-disgusting-office-mens-room-gross/584935.md?page=2)