# Why so many restroom stalls don't center the toilets? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784 "2017-03-22T20:11:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2017, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/21 "2017-03-23T19:15:51Z")
I’ll vote for disability retrofitting as well. Although I don’t think that “many” restrooms are misaligned because I think I’ve only seen it once or twice and both were not in the “regular” stalls but in the handicapped stalls. Far more often is when the handicapped stalls are the only ones available I find that their toilet height is so high that my legs fall asleep, but I’m sure that people who are much shorter than me have that happen under regular circumstances so I can’t complain too much. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/22 "2017-03-24T01:17:08Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > And while we’re at it… HOOKS. Nothing worse than going into a stall in winter, and having no place to hang your coat. Really? What about not noticing the toilet paper dispenser is empty until after the fact? ---
**Author:** ![edwardcoast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cab0a1/32.png) [@edwardcoast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwardcoast)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/23 "2017-03-24T03:04:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They’re playing Head games. > > **panache** wrote: > > We’ve had at least one thread about this in the past. It’s annoyed the heck out of me for years, because in many cases the mounting screw holes are already there. It was suggested that a.) people stole them, and b.) It was seriously suggested that they were removed so that they wouldn’t be stolen. I’m trying to imagine someone stealing something that requires a tool to remove them. OK, you just stuff off from Home Depot with your new tool set and decided to use it to steal the hooks. Or they looked so good, and after all, they might cost $1.00 new from Home Depot, so you carry around a tool with you to use so that next time you use that bathroom you steal the hooks. Or in a fit of rage, you see these hooks and you must have them and now, and pull them off with your bare hands. But what is someone going to do with these hooks? Unless they are missing from bathroom installs in your own building? I’m going to go out on a limb, and guess that they aren’t installed because they were lost at the time of putting the stalls together. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/24 "2017-03-24T03:20:36Z")
> [@edwardcoast](#): > > I’m trying to imagine someone stealing something that requires a tool to remove them. OK, you just stuff off from Home Depot with your new tool set and decided to use it to steal the hooks. Or they looked so good, and after all, they might cost $1.00 new from Home Depot, so you carry around a tool with you to use so that next time you use that bathroom you steal the hooks. Or in a fit of rage, you see these hooks and you must have them and now, and pull them off with your bare hands. > > But what is someone going to do with these hooks? Unless they are missing from bathroom installs in your own building? I’m going to go out on a limb, and guess that they aren’t installed because they were lost at the time of putting the stalls together. Is there a tool for taking off those screws they (mostly) use? The slot only spins the screw one way. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/25 "2017-03-24T05:48:57Z")
People who work in the building likely won’t notice missing or damaged hooks, because they don’t use them – they leave their coats in their offices or desks all day. And visitors to the building who would notice (because they want to use the hooks to hang up their coat) – but they won’t know who to tell among the building maintenance staff. And they might be shy about mentioning problems in the restroom to building occupants. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/26 "2017-03-24T17:07:52Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > We’ve had at least one thread about this in the past. It’s annoyed the heck out of me for years, because in many cases the mounting screw holes are already there. It was suggested that a.) people stole them, and b.) It was seriously suggested that they were removed so that they wouldn’t be stolen. The ones I’ve seen typically look like they’re missing because they’re broken. I’ll do whatever I can to **not** put anything other than the soles of my shoes on a public bathroom floor. Computer bag? Yup it gets hung up. A bag to change from work clothes to afterwork clothes? Yup, that gets hung up, too. If they’re not mounted well, all of that weight might pull them out. > [@mack](#): > > I assume in most cases toilets are off center to accommodate the toilet paper dispensers. If you have one of those big bulky jobs it’s going to be a hassle getting in and out if there isn’t some kind of compensation like the wall being further away on the dispenser side. I’d bet this is the reason too. **OP** , is the john centered between the stall walls or between the stall space (taking into account the TP holder)? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784/27 "2017-03-24T18:59:02Z")
Why so many restroom stalls don’t center the toilets? Some men dress left and some dress right, but damn few hang straight. By offsetting the toilet either direction one is bound to ac **comode** ate more men than by centering. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-restroom-stalls-dont-center-the-toilets/782784.md?page=1)