# Revenge of the vacuum-flush commodes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revenge-of-the-vacuum-flush-commodes/469791>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [October 27, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revenge-of-the-vacuum-flush-commodes/469791 "2008-10-27T17:11:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revenge-of-the-vacuum-flush-commodes/469791/1 "2008-10-27T17:11:03Z")

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This morning I read Cecil’s column confirming that vacuum-flush commodes can actually pose a risk.  
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1171/did-a-vacuum-flush-commode-once-suck-a-womans-insides-out](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1171/did-a-vacuum-flush-commode-once-suck-a-womans-insides-out)

Then, as if on cue, I just saw the following story on the BBC website  
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7693386.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7693386.stm)

Eerie. It’s almost like the toilets are reading Cecil’s columns :eek:

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**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\
**Post date:** [November 2, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revenge-of-the-vacuum-flush-commodes/469791/2 "2008-11-02T20:18:34Z")

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I seriously doubt that the vacuum from the toilet held the mans hand captive. It’s just not powerful enough.  
Somthing smells here.

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**Author:** ![SiXSwordS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/49beb7/32.png) [@SiXSwordS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SiXSwordS)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/revenge-of-the-vacuum-flush-commodes/469791/3 "2008-11-03T20:34:52Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> “He came out on a stretcher, with his hand still jammed in the toilet bowl, which they had to saw clean off,”

Indeed… aside from the dangling particliple, it would seem that by the time the toilet bowl had been separated from the septic system, the vacuum would no longer be an issue.