# Which is worse: being walked in on during sex or while taking a dump?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 10, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386 "2011-05-10T12:23:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/1 "2011-05-10T12:23:06Z")
Weird question, but I guess it boils down to which is the inherently more private act to you. Create whatever convoluted hypothetical scenario you need to to put yourself in the position of, say, a coworker walking in on you either taking a dump or having sex. Which is worse/more embarrassing?
Let’s make it more even and say that you’re naked either way. (You are about to take a shower or something for the dump one)
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### Author:  [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/2 "2011-05-10T12:42:19Z")
I voted "being walked in on during sex "
(but some of my fantasies do contain the swedish bikini team asking if they can join the fun…so sometimes it would be okay to be walked in on during sex .)
others seeing me using the toillet or anything else where I am naked would never be a issue for me
I’m Dutch by the way
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/3 "2011-05-10T12:48:52Z")
This place where a co-worker might walk in on you having sex, are they hiring?
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### Author:  [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/4 "2011-05-10T12:51:34Z")
> [@lieu](#):
>
> This place where a co-worker might walk in on you having sex, are they hiring?
Yeah, and I would probably like to avoid the place with the unlockable stalls/bathrooms.
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### Author:  [@heathen\_earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heathen_earthling)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/5 "2011-05-10T13:14:03Z")
Depends on whether the person is attractive.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/6 "2011-05-10T13:54:56Z")
Coworker? I, too, am curious about what sort of place I work where it’s likely I’m going to be having sex. I can’t imagine any scenario in my current workplace where I wouldn’t get fired. (OK, I’ve imagined quite a few.)
Having said that, I was recently walked in on while having sex. I think the walker inner was the most embarassed out of the three of us. Takeaway lesson: This is why we knock.
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### Author:  [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/7 "2011-05-10T14:55:06Z")
Sex with yourself or someone else?
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### Author:  [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/8 "2011-05-10T15:04:58Z")
Worse for me or for the intruder?
I’ll say sex, but only because my wife is very modest. I couldn’t really care one way or the other. I’ve dumped in front of people before.
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/9 "2011-05-10T15:08:09Z")
Clearly, the posters who voted for “taking a dump” never had a 3-year old walk in on them having sex.
Or a college roommate, for that matter.
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### Author:  [@mauxlicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mauxlicious)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/10 "2011-05-10T15:54:59Z")
For me it’s dumping. There’s no secret shame in having sex!
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### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/11 "2011-05-10T16:04:33Z")
> [@kunilou](#):
>
> Clearly, the posters who voted for “taking a dump” never had a 3-year old walk in on them having sex.
>
> Or a college roommate, for that matter.
I’ve had a roommate walk in on me having sex. Not the end of the world. You’re always with at least one other person while having sex, so I don’t consider it that “private.” The bathroom, however, is a one person activity and should stay that way.
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### Author:  [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/12 "2011-05-10T16:05:00Z")
People don’t sue you if they had to witness you taking a dump. But they might claim that you having had sex, where they could walk in on you, consitutes an unsafe work environment, sexual harrasment, or worse.
Toddlers witnesses might be scarred for life. Or not, but mom and dad are afraid they’ve scarred them even so.
Besides, no one can blackmail you for taking the occasional dump.
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### Author:  [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/13 "2011-05-10T17:05:48Z")
Meh, pooping is grody and sex is awesome.
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### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/14 "2011-05-10T17:12:43Z")
Sex.
But that’s because I’m married and if somebody is walking in during sex, it’s either:
1. Our daughter
2. A stranger
None of those are optimal.
If I’m walked in while pooping, it’s my wife. Not optimal either, but whatcha gonna do?
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### Author:  [@FrancisCastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrancisCastle)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/15 "2011-05-10T17:22:57Z")
I voted pooping.
The only time I’d be stressed out about the sex is if it was one of my kids walking in. Hopefully we’re semi-covered and can pass it off as “wrestling”. 😉
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/16 "2011-05-10T17:25:58Z")
What about if you are taking a dump as part of a sex act? That would suck.
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### Author:  [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/17 "2011-05-10T17:47:45Z")
I said sex.
When you’re dumping all your bits are sort of contained, hidden in the toilet (unless you do something VERY different from what I do while pooping).
During sex who knows what body part is going to be racked out, stretched into a weird shape, hung up in a trapeze of some sort.
Clearly sex is worse. As noted by the previous poster, being busted dumping _WHILE HAVING SEX_ would be the worst. (Not that I have any experience with that particular act, but I can’t imagine having your mom bust you during a Cleveland Steamer is good.)
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/18 "2011-05-10T18:45:16Z")
> [@mauxlicious](#):
>
> For me it’s dumping. There’s no secret shame in having sex!
I’m trying to figure out what the secret shame is in taking a dump.
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned from great literature, it’s that Everyone Poops.
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### Author:  [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/19 "2011-05-10T19:53:51Z")
Depends. Who am I having sex with?
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-is-worse-being-walked-in-on-during-sex-or-while-taking-a-dump/581386/20 "2011-05-10T20:00:55Z")
> [@DianaG](#):
>
> Depends. Who am I having sex with?
And did I have Thai for dinner last night?
I’ve got 3 kids. Getting walked in on when I’m on the toilet is par for the course.
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