# Mortal sin: leaving the toilet seat up: why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900 "2013-06-25T18:43:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tralfamidor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@tralfamidor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tralfamidor)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/1 "2013-06-25T18:43:17Z")
This is a transgression a male can commit that proves him to be an unreconstructed Neanderthal who is unworthy to share a dwelling with any member of the female sex. It is a mortal sin, not sufficiently punished by burning alive, let alone mere banishment from the household or worse, a perpetual volley of barbed comments. Why??? Do women habitually go to the bathroom in the dark and thus fall in when they sit down? Are these delicate flowers of femininity overstrained by having to lower the seat before use (approx. 2 calories expended)? Don’t we men have to raise the seat most of the time after some “inconsiderate” woman leaves the seat _down_? Why is this such a big deal? (My own theory is that the toilet seat sin is a stand-in, a scapegoat if you will, for all the various chauvinistic acts and thoughtlessnesses that are routinely committed by–ick–_men_.) ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/2 "2013-06-25T18:49:52Z")
It really isn’t. It doesn’t belong down or up it just is: get over it ladies and get a grip: worst things happen at sea, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/3 "2013-06-25T18:50:17Z")
> [@tralfamidor](#): > > Do women habitually go to the bathroom in the dark and thus fall in when they sit down? I’ve done this. It’s annoying. I think it’s worse though that my husband never replaces the toilet paper roll. In fact, this reminds me to call my lawyer about that divorce I’ve been knocking around since the last time he forgot- thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/4 "2013-06-25T18:54:59Z")
The only fair solution to this problem is that everyone lowers the seat and the lid every time after finishing. That way everyone always has to lift something and lower something. Plus things don’t fall into the toilet by accident when not using the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/5 "2013-06-25T18:55:16Z")
It also usually means you flushed with the lid up, sending a fine mist of urine-y water over everything. Put a lid on it for the sake of hygiene. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/6 "2013-06-25T18:56:48Z")
Madame Pepperwinkle has continence issues, so in our case, the quicker she can get there, the better. Otherwise, it just seems a basic consideration for others. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/7 "2013-06-25T19:01:05Z")
> [@tralfamidor](#): > > Do women habitually go to the bathroom in the dark and thus fall in when they sit down? Yes. This. Exactly. The worst that would happen to a guy if the seat is left down is he has to aim for a smaller hole. Boo effin’ hoo. If you fall in you get a cold wet dunking and bruises and a wrenched back. Plus the underside of the seat and the edge of the bowl are unattractive. Be a grown up and be considerate. ---
**Author:** ![BrokenBriton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@BrokenBriton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrokenBriton)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/8 "2013-06-25T19:06:51Z")
Right. Be considerate and grown up and go to the toilet in the dark. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/9 "2013-06-25T19:08:57Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The only fair solution to this problem is that everyone lowers the seat and the lid every time after finishing. That way everyone always has to lift something and lower something. Plus things don’t fall into the toilet by accident when not using the toilet. This is what we do. It was a “pick your battles” thing, and one day Mr. Snicks told me that it bugged him to leave the lid up - looks unsanitary - and could I please remember to close the lid. No problem! Done and done. So everyone has to move something in some way. It is kind of funny how much I now notice when I have company over that the lid’s up. Never thought of it before. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/10 "2013-06-25T19:09:48Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The only fair solution to this problem is that everyone lowers the seat and the lid every time after finishing. That way everyone always has to lift something and lower something. Plus things don’t fall into the toilet by accident when not using the toilet. This is how I roll in my household. Put everything down before flushing, and leave it there. If I had to choose between seat up or down in some sort of hostage situation, I would do seat down, for this reason: > [@kittenblue](#): > > Yes. This. Exactly. > The worst that would happen to a guy if the seat is left down is he has to aim for a smaller hole. Boo effin’ hoo. If you fall in you get a cold wet dunking and bruises and a wrenched back. I can deal with wiping extra from midnight tinkles if it means when I have a terrible bout of indigestion I don’t have to fling any toilet parts around in order to sit down. I’d imagine both men and women would benefit from this. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/11 "2013-06-25T19:15:52Z")
Ever have a cat fall in the toilet? Trust me, you’re better off keeping the lid down, unless you _like_ bathing cats. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/12 "2013-06-25T19:17:49Z")
The toilet has a lid. Just as we don’t leave canisters unlidded when not in use or cabinet doors open, we don’t leave the toilet lid up. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/13 "2013-06-25T19:23:40Z")
+1 Seat and lid down. There’s a reason it has a lid. ---
**Author:** ![tralfamidor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@tralfamidor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tralfamidor)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/14 "2013-06-25T19:32:59Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > +1 > > Seat and lid down. There’s a reason it has a lid. Sure–but my question was more along the lines of why not putting the seat down was such a horrible sin in the eyes of women; I wasn’t debating whether it might or might not be sensible to do so. Apparently, toilet seat malfeasance is a worse sin than accidentally setting fire to the cat. It seems to me (unreconstructed caveman) that it’s more along the lines of mildly careless/mildly thoughtless. Yet, I’ve heard, and heard of, some pretty vehement reactions, and I do believe those reactions’ disproportionate nature is due to their “all men are animals/scum” reinforcing quality. Women have got to understand that it’s quite the major step to get us cavemen to use the toilet at all. Unsupervised, we would all probably just pee out the window. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/15 "2013-06-25T19:43:54Z")
> [@tralfamidor](#): > > Sure–but my question was more along the lines of why not putting the seat down was such a horrible sin in the eyes of women; I wasn’t debating whether it might or might not be sensible to do so. Apparently, toilet seat malfeasance is a worse sin than accidentally setting fire to the cat. It seems to me (unreconstructed caveman) that it’s more along the lines of mildly careless/mildly thoughtless. Yet, I’ve heard, and heard of, some pretty vehement reactions, and I do believe those reactions’ disproportionate nature is due to their “all men are animals/scum” reinforcing quality. > > Women have got to understand that it’s quite the major step to get us cavemen to use the toilet at all. Unsupervised, we would all probably just pee out the window. that’s good to know about you I guess have fun with that ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/16 "2013-06-25T19:44:18Z")
Given my druthers, I’d rather he keep the lid open. A very bad thing happened in a hotel room recently when I ran into the bathroom in the dark with a mouthful of puke. I chucked it from the door, it hit the closed lid, and exploded. I mean y’all shoulda _seen_ it. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/17 "2013-06-25T19:46:22Z")
> [@tralfamidor](#): > > Sure–but my question was more along the lines of why not putting the seat down was such a horrible sin in the eyes of women; I wasn’t debating whether it might or might not be sensible to do so. Apparently, toilet seat malfeasance is a worse sin than accidentally setting fire to the cat. It seems to me (unreconstructed caveman) that it’s more along the lines of mildly careless/mildly thoughtless. Yet, I’ve heard, and heard of, some pretty vehement reactions, and I do believe those reactions’ disproportionate nature is due to their “all men are animals/scum” reinforcing quality. > > Women have got to understand that it’s quite the major step to get us cavemen to use the toilet at all. Unsupervised, we would all probably just pee out the window. While you say “it only takes 2 calories to lower it” we say “it only takes 2 calories to raise it” Other people have mentioned in the thread that even just the lid up doesn’t look nice to them. Lid AND seat up looks even less nice. No matter how clean you try to be there always seems to be one hair of some type stuck somewhere on the porcelain under the seat. Perhaps having the seat and lid up is a sign of “slobbishness” in general. An association with bachelor pads perhaps, where women do not normally reside. Or, I think it comes down to common respect. “I asked you to do one simple little thing and you can’t even do that for me” type stuff. It’s because it’s small stuff that it is a big deal - it’s so easy to do that to NOT do it on request is a snub. Continually forgetting says “I don’t care enough what you think to try and remember”…so on and so forth. It can snowball on other problems, too, and become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/18 "2013-06-25T20:29:13Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The only fair solution to this problem is that everyone lowers the seat and the lid every time after finishing. That way everyone always has to lift something and lower something. Plus things don’t fall into the toilet by accident when not using the toilet. This is how we do things at FairyChatEstates! Especially with a dog and 2 cats who like to get into everything. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/19 "2013-06-25T20:32:45Z")
I’m male and I always want the seat down. That’s the “default” position. Men can raise it when necessary, but I’d prefer they lower it back down when done. ---
**Author:** ![ombre12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d26b3c/32.png) [@ombre12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ombre12)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900/20 "2013-06-25T20:41:51Z")
The one problem with both parts being down is in the middle of the night when a guy is in a hurry, doesn’t take time to turn the light on, (like the ladies are unable to do or so it seems)’ knows where the hole in the toilet is supposed to be and just lets it go. It takes a few seconds to realize that IT is bouncing off the top of the toilet seat and going absolutely everywhere except into the toilet. Gawd what a mess to clean up in the middle of the night. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mortal-sin-leaving-the-toilet-seat-up-why/661900.md?page=2)