# Things you've seen abroad you wish were adopted world wide **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 28, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094 "2021-05-28T14:31:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/283 "2021-06-10T01:27:56Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > U.S. cashiers don’t have time to sit. “Time to lean, time to clean” is a common motto. Cashiers here in Switzerland have stools for when they are at the cash register. If there’s no line, they are also stocking shelves, cleaning, etc. The stool does not mean they get to sit at the cash register and do nothing until the next customer checks out. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/284 "2021-06-10T01:39:21Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > It’s totally accessible from the side if there’s not a wall there. Also, the tank tends to be pretty tall vs a non-sink toilet, probably for ergonomics, which would help. Sure, but in the photo shown there is a wall there. And I suspect that’s where - and why - they’d most often be used. I suppose it’s a good solution for a really tiny WC in some circumstances for a private home (though it might affect the resale value if it’s the only WC), but it’s not what I’d want to see, for example, in places that need to fit as many cubicles as possible (which is the sort of place I could see people enthusiastically supporting this sort of WC), like entertainment venues. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/285 "2021-06-10T01:43:31Z")
> [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > Cashiers here in Switzerland have stools for when they are at the cash register. If there’s no line, they are also stocking shelves, cleaning, etc. The stool does not mean they get to sit at the cash register and do nothing until the next customer checks out. Yep. When I last worked in a shop - a hell of a long time ago - we were expected to stand even if actually we were at the till for four solid hours because it was busy. Providing a chair doesn’t mean you never get off it. That was, however, the excuse management gave when we asked for a stool because we were all suffering from foot and back problems after standing in one position for so long. They said that if we had a place to sit down we wouldn’t go and do the other work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/286 "2021-06-10T01:47:16Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > But in US dollar stores, are the items actually $1 + N pennies? Does the store indicate this price anywhere (it’s one thing to not display the actual price on every item, but in a store where virtually everything is $1.12, it might be worth putting it on a notice somewhere)? In a US dollar store, most everything is one dollar. Taxable items are $1+ tax, drink bottles and cans have a surcharge for recycling. Food is not taxed in most states. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/287 "2021-06-10T01:48:52Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > No, in most dollar stores in the U.S., the prices are low but not just one dollar. Items usually cost several dollars. Part of the problem is that it’s basically impossible for a store to charge just one dollar for most things anymore. Prices have risen enough that nothing is that cheap. Yes, they always add sales tax to the price on the shelf. Here in SoCal we have a couple chains of them, and _everything is $1_ or sometimes less (like candy at the register). Nothing is more than a dollar, except taxes and surcharges. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/288 "2021-06-10T01:50:32Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Sure, but in the photo shown there is a wall there. And I suspect that’s where - and why - they’d most often be used. In my buddy’s Tokyo house, there’s a full bath minus a toilet but with sinks and one of those big Japanese soaking tubs downstairs in the hall near the living areas. Next to that is a separate very small room with just a toilet also accessed from the hall, not from the bath next door. That room has only that toilet-sink. So yeah, you can pop into the big bathroom to wash hands, or save time and do it over the toilet. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/289 "2021-06-10T04:47:37Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > > [@Die\_Capacitrix](#): > > > > Cashiers here in Switzerland have stools for when they are at the cash register. If there’s no line, they are also stocking shelves, cleaning, etc. The stool does not mean they get to sit at the cash register and do nothing until the next customer checks out. > > Yep. When I last worked in a shop - a hell of a long time ago - we were expected to stand even if actually we were at the till for four solid hours because it was busy. Providing a chair doesn’t mean you never get off it. That was, however, the excuse management gave when we asked for a stool because we were all suffering from foot and back problems after standing in one position for so long. They said that if we had a place to sit down we wouldn’t go and do the other work. We’re never supposed to sit at work. Fuck that. I stand when guests approach or I need to but other than that I sit. It’s that “only management sits” mentality. Standing basically in place for 8 hours is not healthy. My one manager not only knows I do, if I’m relieving her she leaves the chair for me. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/290 "2021-06-10T04:49:33Z")
According to this website, at Dollar Tree is everything a dollar or less. At Dollar General, 99 Cents Only, and Family Dollar the prices are often more than a dollar. Is there somewhere online a list of stores that are supposedly dollar stores and which ones have some prices more than a dollar?: > **[26 Things You Didn't Know About Dollar Stores](https://blog.cheapism.com/dollar-store-secrets)** > > Consumers may think they know all about dollar stores, but there's more than meets the eye, including some things shoppers may not want to know. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/291 "2021-06-10T18:09:33Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > I think they’re the only chain where I’ve ever seen this. It’s that way at Albert Heijn. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/292 "2021-06-10T18:16:51Z")
this, This, THIS! From an efficiency standpoint, how is this not being demanded by restaurant owners? One less table visit per waiter–think of the labor cost savings. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/293 "2021-06-10T18:23:12Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Yep. When I last worked in a shop - a hell of a long time ago - we were expected to stand even if actually we were at the till for four solid hours because it was busy. Providing a chair doesn’t mean you never get off it. That was, however, the excuse management gave when we asked for a stool because we were all suffering from foot and back problems after standing in one position for so long. They said that if we had a place to sit down we wouldn’t go and do the other work. Yeah. Acting like there are always things to do is big with American managers. Acting like you’re always doing something is big with American employees. It’s fantasy. As Bill Hicks said: > You know what I hate about working? Bosses. That’s what I fucking hate… ‘Hey, how come you’re not working?’ > ‘There’s nothing to do.’ > ‘Well, you pretend like you’re working.’ > ‘Well, why don’t _you_ pretend I’m working? Yeah, you get paid more than me, _you_ fantasize. Pretend I’m mopping. Knock yourself out. I’ll pretend people are buying stuff; we can close up. I’m the boss now, you’re fired. How’s that?’ I’d love to live in a country where the residents understand and can handle capitalism. Here in the US it’s taken over our minds, bodies, and souls. We behave as if it’s some force of nature that we have no control over. We’re like little children. We don’t understand our own agency. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/294 "2021-06-10T23:08:01Z")
This was actually in the UK 😃 But that was just the one shop - actually two, but the other one was justifiable (a shoe shop, so you were walking around most of the time and not behind the counter for long. Though there our manager did have a chair that we underlings were not allowed to use). Another shop I worked at (a bookshop) did have a stool and I’m not certain, but I think that is common. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/295 "2021-06-11T01:45:26Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I just saw a picture of a Japanese toilet that has a sink situated over the tank. You wash your hands and the water accumulates to flush. A hostel where I stayed in Australia back in 2012 had toilets like that. One thing that takes some getting used to is that the faucet immediately starts running when you flush, and stops when the tank is refilled. So if you’re not done washing your hands by the time the tank is refilled, the only way to get the sink to come back on is to flush again, which is kind of a waste and defeats the purpose. But after a few times you learn that you have to be ready to wash your hands right after you flush, no standing around zipping up your pants first – have that done before you flush. Although I wonder how well these toilet/sinks work when following the advise to scrub for 20 seconds like we were told during the pandemic. It would be nice if they allowed you to stop the flow of water while you’re scrubbing your hands and turn it back on when you’re ready to rinse. Maybe some of them do. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/296 "2021-06-11T02:38:25Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > A hostel where I stayed in Australia back in 2012 had toilets like that. One thing that takes some getting used to is that the faucet immediately starts running when you flush, and stops when the tank is refilled. So if you’re not done washing your hands by the time the tank is refilled, the only way to get the sink to come back on is to flush again, which is kind of a waste and defeats the purpose. But after a few times you learn that you have to be ready to wash your hands right after you flush, no standing around zipping up your pants first – have that done before you flush. I’m trying to picture how you can actually do that. I mean, you can’t straddle the loo with your trousers round your ankles. So do you just lean forward? Or was there space to shuffle around the loo to get to the sink from the side, with your trousers dragging on the ground? Sounds fun in a shared hostel loo where people might not always be hitting the seat! ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/297 "2021-06-11T03:32:11Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > I’m trying to picture how you can actually do that. I mean, you can’t straddle the loo with your trousers round your ankles. So do you just lean forward? Or was there space to shuffle around the loo to get to the sink from the side, with your trousers dragging on the ground? 1. Do your business. Don’t flush. 2. Stand up, fasten pants/zip/whatevs 3. Flush toilet 4. Wash hands from faucet ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/298 "2021-06-11T16:52:18Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > It’s that way at Albert Heijn And at every supermarket I know in the UK. Other shop jobs may have staff mostly on their feet (meat and deli counter, department stores and so on), but they can move about. I assume Health and Safety would have something to say about expecting people to be on their feet in the same position for any length of time. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/299 "2021-06-11T17:25:01Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > I assume Health and Safety would have something to say about expecting people to be on their feet in the same position for any length of time. As one would assume would be true in the States, as well. But sorry… US policy is to keep the Invisible Hand happy and well-fed. The brute prefers to eat Black and Brown people whole but will accept the backs and feet of White folks in a pinch. Can you believe it? We all can vote to change this broken policy if we choose to, but we don’t because “soon my ship will come in, I just know it. So fuck you.” ---
**Author:** ![Mikkel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikkel/32/13151_2.png) [@Mikkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikkel)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/300 "2021-06-11T17:38:55Z")
Even better. If you know that this bar has 17 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams of which 3.6 grams are sugar, you know how many percent is sugar. That makes it easy for a diabetic to calculate the sugar intake. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/301 "2021-06-11T19:15:30Z")
never mind ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094/302 "2021-06-13T18:27:47Z")
When I lived in Japan, I saw those sink-toilets. I couldn’t understand how to use the sink. Unlike the one pictured in post #233, there were no soap nearby or towels either just like the one in post #239. How to wash? I understood when I used the public men’s restroom at a local festival. All the Japanese men filed by the sink and just rinsed their fingertips in the water for a couple seconds. No soap, no towel to dry. The sink-toilet made sense to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-youve-seen-abroad-you-wish-were-adopted-world-wide/943094.md?page=16)