# "Please do not sit on the rice." **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 12, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752 "2011-07-12T15:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/1 "2011-07-12T15:16:29Z")
“No matter [how inviting it may be](http://www.flickr.com/photos/49289187@N02/5928181421/in/photostream/lightbox/).” Every time I’m at Silom Market, the urge is so hard to fight off. Oh, that rice. Why, oh, why can’t I sit on it? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/2 "2011-07-12T15:22:23Z")
Sorry, can’t see your link (it’s blocked here in the office). Assuming it’s a serious question, then based on your location and the name of the market, you’ve linked a picture of a Thai market somewhere in Thai Town/East Hollywood. Thais would considered it grossly inappropriate to sit upon a bag of rice. I know Mrs Shibb would freak out. She was always taught to respect rice. FWIW it would probably be considered even worse to stand on it. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/3 "2011-07-12T15:23:04Z")
Ass germs maybe? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/4 "2011-07-12T15:33:30Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Thais would considered it grossly inappropriate to sit upon a bag of rice. Of course, but if you could see the photo, you’d understand why they have such a problem with this. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/5 "2011-07-12T16:18:42Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Thais would considered it grossly inappropriate to sit upon a bag of rice. I think most people would not appreciate someone else sitting on a bag of rice that they were going to buy/eat. No harm would come of it - ass germs are unlikely to penetrate the thick bag, and even if they did, the rice is gonna get cooked - but if I’m considering buying a 20-pound bag of rice, and I see some sweaty guy taking a break and sitting on a stack of them, it’s kind of a turn-off, and I may not want to buy the top bag. And then of course there’s liability issues if someone slips, or if the stack is unstable and topples while someone is sitting on it. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/6 "2011-07-12T17:48:12Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > …I may not want to buy the top bag. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe everyone is shuffling around the 25-pound bags to find one that no one has sat on. Kind of like how people go through the peaches to find only ones that no one has squeezed yet. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/7 "2011-07-12T17:59:14Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Of course, but if you could see the photo, you’d understand why they have such a problem with this. One could imagine the bags used to make a modular rice-bag throne from which you would be the Rice God, lording over your Rice Empire 😉 I thought the photo might be a big honkin’ pile of loose rice that you wanted to sit into like a beanbag chair. Also seems kinda fun in its own way - but, yeah, you’d have to throw out the rice… ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/8 "2011-07-12T17:59:34Z")
You’re there to shop, not sit! Now get off your rice and get to it! ---
**Author:** ![CoffinMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@CoffinMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoffinMan)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/9 "2011-07-12T18:29:56Z")
Every time I am at Silom I have seen that sign and it makes me want to sit on the rice all the more! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/10 "2011-07-12T20:28:06Z")
It never would have occurred to me to sit on something that looks so unstable. But now that we’re told not to… ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/11 "2011-07-12T20:47:05Z")
I now know what my next piece of furniture is going to be. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/12 "2011-07-12T20:53:19Z")
Confucius say: Man who sit too quickly on rice, going to Bangkok. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/13 "2011-07-12T20:54:27Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Sally\_Mander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@Sally\_Mander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sally_Mander)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/14 "2011-07-12T21:50:52Z")
I think in this case, it’s more a matter of liability than hygiene. It’s not like people are getting naked and actually rolling around in the rice. The stacks of bags look enticing to kids and the “Hey, watch this!” types. It’s a CYA on the part of the store. They don’t want people getting hurt by falling off or knocking a stack down on an unsuspecting shopper. Question… if you saw someone sitting on a bag of rice, is there anyone here who would really not buy it? I mean, assuming they’re wearing clothes, and the bag is that plastic-y stuff rice usually comes in. It wouldn’t bother me in the least. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/15 "2011-07-12T21:58:35Z")
Rice is packed in two ways. Some is packaged in cloth bags. You could understand why why they would not want people farting through those bags. These bags are sealed plastic with no air relief holes. They are strong as witnessed by the number that can be piled on top of each other. However, if people tear the bags with keys or items in their pockets, the rice can run all over the floor and the contents become unsafe for consumption. Also, such a pile can tumble easily with a person sitting on it and failure to warn can increase the liability. That’s my take anyway. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/16 "2011-07-12T23:41:09Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Confucius say: Man who sit too quickly on rice, going to Bangkok. I must be an 8 year old boy because this made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/17 "2011-07-13T00:52:06Z")
You kids get your butts off my rice! ---
**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:** [July 13, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/18 "2011-07-13T02:16:54Z")
My grandmother once made my aunt kneel on dry rice as a punishment. Does that count? ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/19 "2011-07-13T02:39:44Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My grandmother once made my aunt kneel on dry rice as a punishment. Does that count? A punishment for what? Rice-aroni? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752/20 "2011-07-13T03:08:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > My grandmother once made my aunt kneel on dry rice as a punishment. Does that count? A similar punishment was standard for my mom in Poland, except it was kneeling on split peas. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-do-not-sit-on-the-rice/588752.md?page=2)