# Urinating/defecating on train tracks (Africa/Asia) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468 "2011-11-19T18:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/21 "2013-03-25T08:45:38Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Yes, even today, despite great strides in nuclear disarmament, you still face a threat from icy BMs. At first I thought BM = Bowel Movement, then I realised it was meant to be ICBM. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/22 "2013-03-25T08:50:46Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > At first I thought BM = Bowel Movement, then I realised it was meant to be ICBM. I think the joke is that it is both ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/23 "2013-03-25T09:04:01Z")
> [@Mr.Zheng](#): > > I abhor squat toilets. I have learned living in Asia to do my business at home before going anywhere, and I know mainly in the city I live in where a sit down toilet is. Interesting. The most natural posture to empty your bowels is squatting. Why do you abhor squat toilets? FWIW my most memorable toilet experience was on a Sudanese steam train south of Wadi Halfa. In the dining car we enjoyed sweet tea and bread. On the table was a saucer of salt which I seized upon knowing the effects of dehydration. Minutes later my bowels were seized upon too. I desperately sought the night closet at the end of the carriage and at 45mph with dust blowing up the hole experienced an ethereal moment. It was the most fervent and welcome evacuation of my life. I emerged a humble and lesser man but alive allah akbar. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/24 "2013-03-25T10:48:16Z")
> [@Ken001](#): > > Interesting. > > The most natural posture to empty your bowels is squatting. Why do you abhor squat toilets? You’re asking a banned poster about a comment made over a year ago, just fyi. ---
**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 25, 2013, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/25 "2013-03-25T12:40:48Z")
To answer the question, however… well I’ll take a stab at it. Because in many western nations people do not squat, they sit in chairs or stand up, and after many years of adulthood they lose whatever skill is required to squat without falling over and have difficulty getting into and out of the position. Therefore, squat toilets because difficult or impossible to use, see the “I hate squat toilets” poster’s comments about using chair to assist in the use of a squat toilet. We’re clearly talking about an adult who has lost the ability to squat after many years of never doing so. Likewise, many adults in the west can no longer get up off the floor easily if at all (see “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” among the elderly) and are loathe to even attempt it. Meanwhile, in other places in the world where people sleep every night on bedding rolled out onto the floor people retain the ability to get down and back up off the floor far longer into old age. Why? Because they practice doing it every single day. Thus, they are far likelier to retain the dexterity and required muscle strength to perform the action. Perhaps it is not coincidence that floor-sleeping and squat toilets frequently overlap in cultures? ---
**Author:** ![Lazlo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lazlo/32/9678_2.png) [@Lazlo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazlo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/26 "2013-03-25T12:56:18Z")
> [@naita](#): > > A good joke, but did it really merit commenting on a two year old thread and putting zombie-poop images in my head? Yes, yes it did. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/27 "2013-03-25T13:05:40Z")
No wonder it takes those trains forever to come to a stop. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468/28 "2013-03-26T02:39:58Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > I think the joke is that it is both Yes I realised that after I posted and didn’t want to embarrass myself further. Good joke. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urinating-defecating-on-train-tracks-africa-asia/603468.md?page=1)