# Question about the blind. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 20, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428 "2005-03-20T16:05:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hoosierhick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hoosierhick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoosierhick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/1 "2005-03-20T16:05:13Z")
My first post here. Hope this place is as fun as it seems. Anyway,I have puzzled over this for years. If it has been asked before please bear with me. How do blind people know when to stop wiping their rearend after pooping? Or do they just go for a total wash up after? ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/2 "2005-03-20T16:20:47Z")
You’re kidding, right? ---
**Author:** ![hoosierhick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hoosierhick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoosierhick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/3 "2005-03-20T16:30:40Z")
Not at all. ---
**Author:** ![hoosierhick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hoosierhick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoosierhick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/4 "2005-03-20T16:31:41Z")
Covered before? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/5 "2005-03-20T16:38:04Z")
Do you mean that you visually inspect the toilet tissue to see if it’s come away clean, before stopping? Not uncommon, but a minority practice. Most individuals seem to get their info by tactile sense alone whether the wiping is adequately done or not. I’d guess that the sight-impaired would tend to be even more sensitive to such tactile data than the sighted population. Granted, it’s an area that has not been studied rigorously, but depends more on anecdotal reporting. Perhaps you could construct a study? QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/6 "2005-03-20T16:39:05Z")
Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so flippant. Are you asking how blind people know if they have finished pooping so they can wipe? If so, I think it should be clear that you yourself don’t have to use sight to figure that out. If you’re asking how they can be sure of getting all the poop after they’ve finished, I think it’s clear that sight isn’t required for that either–it’s pretty easy to tell when you’re “sticky.” Maybe some people have to pat themselves back there to make sure, but it’s easy enough for me to figure out if there’s crap on my butt without touching or looking at the paper. I just don’t see how sight is required for the whole elimination process; I don’t have to look at the toilet paper to see if I’m clean. Maybe it works differently for other people. ---
**Author:** ![hoosierhick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hoosierhick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoosierhick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/7 "2005-03-20T16:42:34Z")
Well,I guess my asking here would kind of be a study. As for myself,yes I do rely on looking at the toilet paper. By feel alone would probably not work so well. For me anyway. I’m used to doing it the way I always have. Also, is it indeed true that the blind would necessarily have increased tactile sense dut to their blindness. We have all heard about their hearing supposedly being sharper but is this a myth? Very curious subject for me. ---
**Author:** ![hoosierhick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cab0a1/32.png) [@hoosierhick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hoosierhick)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/8 "2005-03-20T16:44:00Z")
I get you about the “stickiness” but sometimes poop can feel dry and maybe trick you. That’s why I always look. ---
**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/9 "2005-03-20T17:05:00Z")
More importantly, how do blind people know if they’ve had a [ghost poopie](http://rox.com/vocab/ghost-poopie/)? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/10 "2005-03-20T17:39:50Z")
> [@hoosierhick](#): > > Covered before? Yes: > **[Please, don't laugh. This question may look odd, but it's a serious one...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=45072)** > > Please, don’t laugh. This question may look odd, but it’s a serious one… How does a blind man knows that his @$$ is properly wiped? > [@Qad](#): > > Do you mean that you visually inspect the toilet tissue to see if it’s come away clean, before stopping? Not uncommon, but a minority practice. Are you sure? I thought most people did. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/11 "2005-03-20T20:07:20Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Do you mean that you visually inspect the toilet tissue to see if it’s come away clean, before stopping? Not uncommon, but a minority practice. > > **Most individuals** seem to get their info by tactile sense alone whether the wiping is adequately done or not. If this is true, then I’d suspect most individuals would be walking around with, well (sorry), a shitty ass. For me, and depending on the outcome, 2 wipes could be sufficient, and somedays 8. I would think a visual makes a huge difference in how clean you get it IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/12 "2005-03-21T03:03:13Z")
Bidets? ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/13 "2005-03-21T03:27:44Z")
Um, service dogs _do have tongues_, you know… ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-blind/295428/14 "2005-03-21T10:45:39Z")
**Washoe** , that’s just _digusting_ and just a little bit gross-funny I don’t think the other senses of the blind - hearing, tactile, etc. - are so much _better_ than those of the sighted, I think it’s a matter of _paying more attention_ to what those senses are telling them.