The Great Toilet Bowl Debate

[Head Mutant]

I think one of the toughest parts of moving in together with a member of the opposite sex (or, heck, anyone at all) is that you have two people who have -- up to this point in their life -- gotten used to certain systems and doing things a certain way, and now you have to mesh those two people together. I find it decidedly unfair when one person demands that their systems be left intact while the other person has to make all the changes to accomodate; the best relationships I've seen is where both people nudge and scoot and mold their lives to make compromises and live peacefully together.

[ronzo]

When I was younger, I lived with my grandparents in a large house with 3 bathrooms. It was situated such that I had my own bathroom, near my bedroom, that was less convenient to use than the other bathrooms unless you were actually in or near my bedroom. This bathroom was, by virtue of circumstance, mine to use, and I never bothered to put the seat down.

Well, one Thanksgiving afternoon, a young girl cousin (about 10 at the time, I think) had to use my bathroom because the others were occupied (many family members in the house all at once). Keep in mind that it is mid-day, and I doubt she left the light off or walked into the bathroom with her eyes closed, but several minutes later I'm confronted by a crying young cousin and a livid grandmother both blaming me for the girl's fall into the toilet.

Since then I've been very conscientious about putting the seat down, but I fail to see, still, how it's remotely my fault that she didn't check the toilet.

On a side note, where is your sig quote from, Drew? It's niggling the back of my mind, and I'm thinking comic book, but googling it just brought up this forum.

[PoolMan]

ronzo said:

Since then I've been very conscientious about putting the seat down, but I fail to see, still, how it's remotely my fault that she didn't check the toilet.

Now that's the part where I'm definitely on the boys' side. I don't walk into a bathroom and indiscriminately start peeing in the general direction of the toilet without looking. Why are women so concerned about falling in? How does it even happen?

[Magill]

staropal said:

Well, I have a gender neutral reason for putting down the the seat AND the lid:

Flushing without having the lid down spreads germs and such with the splashing water.

My boyfriend and I avoid avoid the seat up argument for exactly this reason. We both put the seat and lid down each time before we flush.

[StarOpal]

magill said:

staropal said:

Well, I have a gender neutral reason for putting down the the seat AND the lid:

Flushing without having the lid down spreads germs and such with the splashing water.

My boyfriend and I avoid avoid the seat up argument for exactly this reason. We both put the seat and lid down each time before we flush.

Exactly. To me, this shouldn't even be an issue.

Let me repeat, Drew, this is a totally gender neutral reason.

[dajaymann]

You know what's really wierd? My wife is as neurotic about the house being clean as anyone (heck, maybe more, she is half-filipino) and I cannot for the life of me remember her asking me to put the lid of the toilet seat down. And we've lived together for seven years.

However, I kinda got in the mode of putting down the toilet seat when I was pretty young. Having a dog that just has to drink out of the toilet will do that to you.

[TheLuckyOne]

staropal said:

magill said:

My boyfriend and I avoid avoid the seat up argument for exactly this reason. We both put the seat and lid down each time before we flush.

Exactly. To me, this shouldn't even be an issue.

Let me repeat, Drew, this is a totally gender neutral reason.

Meh. I decided long ago not to worry about the whole "toilet spraying invisible particles of water" thing. The way I see it, there are always going to be SOME gross things you can't avoid; heck, they say the average person swallows, what is it, like 6 spiders through the course of their life during their sleep? (Sorry, Shalen.) And while I do sleep on my stomach, and we have a large bathroom where the toothbrushes are well away from the can... still, you can't avoid that kind of stuff. So I don't worry about what's in my hot dogs, I don't worry about what the dog who just licked me was licking right before that, and I don't worry about being within six feet of my toilet when it flushes. Call me zen, but life's too short to sweat the small stuff.

But I believe you that it's perfectly gender neutral, yes. *wink*

(Oh, and ronzo: the quote's from issue... I want to say 2 of the MadroX miniseries from 2005.)

-D

[Head Mutant]

poolman said:

ronzo said:

Since then I've been very conscientious about putting the seat down, but I fail to see, still, how it's remotely my fault that she didn't check the toilet.

Now that's the part where I'm definitely on the boys' side. I don't walk into a bathroom and indiscriminately start peeing in the general direction of the toilet without looking. Why are women so concerned about falling in? How does it even happen?

I remember my aunt once chewing me out over a left-up seat, and she laid out for me the horrors of sitting down and cracking your tailbone on the porcelain. Good times.

I'll tell you what, women of the world. How about we men go ahead with the silliness that is having to lower the lid every time, if you all would please de-hair the shower drain after shedding a full wookie coat every morning, or whatever it is you do. Compromise?

[StarOpal]

theluckyone said:

But I believe you that it's perfectly gender neutral, yes. *wink*

*waves hand dismissively* I shared a bathroom with two older brothers. I learned to look first early on. Other than hygiene it doesn't bother me too much.



Oh and, Justin, that thing about the hair was just too hilarious. True, but still funny.

[PoolMan]

admin said:

I'll tell you what, women of the world. How about we men go ahead with the silliness that is having to lower the lid every time, if you all would please de-hair the shower drain after shedding a full wookie coat every morning, or whatever it is you do. Compromise?

HOO-freaking-RAY!

[Lissa]

Reason #41 why I actually have a wonderful mother in law: the toilet seat is always down in our house. I never even said anything. (And I don't know that I would have. I am NOT a domestic goddess, except that I love to cook, so I don't bug Duckie about housecleaning. More like the reverse.)

Right now, up or down doesn't faze me. But ask me again in a few months, when Ducklet is walking on his own and is interested in conducting scientific experiments such as "the effect of flushing Mom's keys on Mom's temperment and the plumbing." I am sure SOMETHING inappropriate will get flushed down the toilet in this house. It's just a question of what....

[deusdragonexx]

See, my girlfriend and I have a very...good...relationship. When I go, I put the seat up, and when she goes, she puts it down...unless of course it was down already because I didn't have to put it up. Ya gotta flip it before ya zip it. ...or somethin...