# You took a dump in a public toilet. Why didn't you flush? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 13, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640 "2012-03-13T13:09:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/1 "2012-03-13T13:09:10Z")
All too often I enter a public restroom and discover that a previous user has neglected to flush after he/she used it. Are you that person? What’s the big deal? Why are you refusing to flush after using the toilet? Do you do that at home too? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/2 "2012-03-13T13:22:30Z")
Preach it brother! I almost look forward to the days of Big Brother video recording everything. And I hope the first place they put the cameras are in public bathrooms. And each town forms their own Crappy Shitter Investigation teams made up crack kick ass street coppers, database gurus, and facial recongition experts to track these bastards down and throw em in the clink. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/3 "2012-03-13T13:24:17Z")
I don’t do it, but I would guess either: (a) they don’t like touching the flush handle, or (b) they flushed once (and left), but it didn’t “take”, or © it’s a power thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/4 "2012-03-13T13:27:23Z")
Rampant germophobia probably - some folks don’t want to touch anything that someone else might have touched, even if they’re just about to wash their hands. (We’ve got one at work - won’t even touch the cubicle door when he’s taking a dump - so he sits there with it wide open. On the way out of the room, he waits for someone else to open the door, then barges through so he doesn’t have to touch the handle. Frickin idiot.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/5 "2012-03-13T13:42:33Z")
Might be the toilets won’t flush. Over the weekend I took a 3 state road trip. Every rest stop I stopped at, the toilets were those that flush themselves, and didn’t have any way to manually flush. One of the rest stops I went to, not a single toilet or urinal would flush, and they had all been used. Talk about a horrid smell. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/6 "2012-03-13T14:30:00Z")
I’m sorry. Sometimes I forget. (Well, not sometimes, once). I agree it is gross, but I didn’t do it on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/7 "2012-03-13T14:48:04Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I don’t do it, but I would guess either: > > (a) they don’t like touching the flush handle, or > (b) they flushed once (and left), but it didn’t “take”, or > (c) it’s a power thing. (d) pride ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/8 "2012-03-13T14:55:58Z")
I’m not sure I buy the germaphobe argument. You could tap the handle with your foot to flush, you wouldn’t have to touch it with your hand. When I see this at work there’s often a half roll’s worth of TP in the toilet, so I’m guessing tried to flush and it didn’t go down. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/9 "2012-03-13T15:01:22Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > (We’ve got one at work - won’t even touch the cubicle door when he’s taking a dump - so he sits there with it wide open. You’ve got a coworker who shits in his cubicle? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/10 "2012-03-13T15:25:25Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You’ve got a coworker who shits in his cubicle? Thank you for giving me a much-needed laugh this morning. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/11 "2012-03-13T15:31:52Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You’ve got a coworker who shits in his cubicle? Damn, I had a dream about doing that last night. More to the point, sometimes toilets may not flush completely. I’ve had this happen at home when I KNOW I flushed, and yet some excretia stubbornly remains _in situ_. Thankfully, this is rare. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/12 "2012-03-13T15:39:57Z")
A guy in our building talks on the cell phone while he poops, and I guess is being ‘polite’ by not flushing and disturbing the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/13 "2012-03-13T15:58:36Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I’m not sure I buy the germaphobe argument. You could tap the handle with your foot to flush, you wouldn’t have to touch it with your hand. Because this thread is going to go there anyways…I hate people who do this. It’s so much more disgusting than the hypothetical trace of human urine and feces (people know they can use toilet paper to wipe most of that off to avoid smearing, right?). I was recently in a bathroom where someone had used her foot to flush - and left bits of grass, mud and what looked like gum on the handle. Seriously, there’s soap and water right on the other side of the door - be a grown up and flush with your hands and then go wash them. Childish, ignorant, selfish morons. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/14 "2012-03-13T22:10:44Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I’m not sure I buy the germaphobe argument. You could tap the handle with your foot to flush, you wouldn’t have to touch it with your hand. I’m sure they _could_ - and maybe some do, but the category of germophobes also contains an assortment of fucking nutcases who don’t care if their behaviour negatively impacts anyone else, as long as their mania is well fed. ---
**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 14, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/15 "2012-03-14T04:46:50Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > (d) pride Given the username, this must be the correct answer. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/16 "2012-03-14T04:47:34Z")
One could sensibly handle the toilet-flush-handle and the toilet seat with a piece of tissue. That’s what I do. It satisfies the (relatively mild I think) level of germophobia I have. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/17 "2012-03-14T04:51:26Z")
We could also generalize the discussion of this thread somewhat: I am amazed, flabbergasted, and generally DIZZgusted with the degree of filthiness commonly seen in public men’s rooms. (Are public ladies’ rooms commonly as bad? Or is this a man thing?) Just by the general dirtiness of public loos, the pee all over the floor (Yes, I know Cecil has discussed this somewhere), toilet paper all over the floor, unflushed toilets, thin veneer of crap on the seats, etc. – Are these people’s bathrooms at home as bad as this too? Shit! I mean, sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/18 "2012-03-14T05:56:28Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I am amazed, flabbergasted, and generally DIZZgusted with the degree of filthiness commonly seen in public men’s rooms. (Are public ladies’ rooms commonly as bad? Or is this a man thing?) > > Just by the general dirtiness of public loos, the pee all over the floor (Yes, I know Cecil has discussed this somewhere), toilet paper all over the floor, unflushed toilets, thin veneer of crap on the seats, etc. Women’s bathrooms get all that, plus blood. Oh, but in the women’s rooms, the pee isn’t all over the floor, it’s all over the seats due to nasty ass hoverers. ---
**Author:** ![Corcaigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Corcaigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corcaigh)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/19 "2012-03-14T13:31:50Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Are these people’s bathrooms at home as bad as this too? A question I used to ask when I had to clean the toilets in a pub (that was part of the hotel I was working in - no one else would clean the daymn things) There are medications (specifically for high cholesterol) that apparently fill your poops with helium\* and _nothing_ will make them flush away (\*I know it doesn’t actuall do that, it just seems that way) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640/20 "2012-03-14T13:50:48Z")
It’s really simple if folks would follow one simple rule: Leave the stall in the same condition as when you got there! Was that piss on the seat when you got there? No? Then wipe it off! Were there random scraps of TP on the ground when you got there? No? Then pick them up! Was there a log floating in the water when you got there? No? Then flush yours down please! Was that seat protector already in place for you when you arrived? No? Then flush it down! Oh, and that rule about no loud grunting and groaning they have at gyms? Let’s apply that to bathrooms also please. The other day I swear the guy in the stall next to me was having a baby. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-took-a-dump-in-a-public-toilet-why-didnt-you-flush/615640.md?page=2)