To flush or not to flush? That is the question. [Gross]

[Sonoma]

I have the opposite experience with the auto-flush toilets where I work. You have to linger at the stall door, prepared to manually flush, before the auto-flush activates. It has the longest delay I've ever seen. It's not just one bathroom, it's in completely different buildings as well.

On the upside, so far, they seem to eventually flush, so I shouldn't have to deal with the 'remainders' of the previous visitor.

[Onar]

I'm cursed, apparently, because anytime I get near an auto-flush toilet, it'll flush five or six times during the course of my using it.

I've got that same curse. I think I just have a tendancy to lean forward when I'm sitting down and the sensor shoots over my shoulder or something. Startles the heck out of me. Though when standing I can find no logical work around as to why it flushes on me before I'm done.

I used to hate auto flushers for this reason, but this thread has made me realise that it is far better than the alternative; leaving the option open to some people to not flush.

Yeck!

[Seshat]

Also, isn't it gross when you go into a bathroom stall, look down into the toilet and realize someone's left a turd.. but there's no toilet paper in there with it - meaning they didn't wipe.

That's not necessarily the case. I've walked in immediately after someone, having heard the flush, to be greeted by that. Sometimes the physics of the situation leaves something behind. TP is designed to break up in water, and is less likely to be left behind.

[Rubystars]

One time when I worked at the grocery store I walked into the restroom and these two Mexican women and their daughters were in there. I started to go into a stall and had to back out because the smell was just horrible and the toilet had feces in it. I said something like "UGH! Gross!" The nasty women just laughed, and I realized from the size of the pieces it was one of the girls who had just used it, and they all knew that they didn't flush, and they thought it was funny that an American thought it was gross.

I almost told them they needed to teach their kids how to flush, and it wasn't funny, but since I was in my uniform, I couldn't very well ream them out without risking getting into trouble.

Automatic toilets at least help in situations like that. I just wish people would sit on the seats though instead of being so damn paranoid about them and hovering, because when they leave pee all over the seats, no one else can use them.

[matty]

This discussion brings to mind those signs in public toilets (and, sad to say, even in work toilets) that state what should be obvious, such as:

"Remember to wash your hands"

"Please place used paper towels in the bins provided"

And, my personal favourite:

"To maintain tidiness, we request that you flush used toilet paper down the toilet, rather than leaving it on the floor. Thank you. Station Manager".

(from a very busy city train station)

[FenigDurak]

I frequently house sit for a friend who travels more than he is home. Typically there were no problems. His cat is a sweetie (despite the drool) and he has DVR which he lets me use.

Well, there was one trip where he left while I was still out of town and wouldn't be able to check on the cat for two days. When I finally walked into the apartment, it REEKED of urine. The stale kind. I spent over an hour crawling around with carpet cleaner, convinced the cat had done it. I finally gave up when nature struck me.

Turns out the smell had come from a toiletful of old pee. Seems my friend grew up with the "let it mellow" policy, had used the facilities a few times before his trip, but forgot to flush before going out of town. I was so disgusted I couldn't use the bathroom at his place for weeks after that.

[XCashier]

I'm cursed, apparently, because anytime I get near an auto-flush toilet, it'll flush five or six times during the course of my using it.

Heh! Me too. There was a similar discussion in this thread.

I used to hate auto flushers for this reason, but this thread has made me realise that it is far better than the alternative; leaving the option open to some people to not flush.

Admittedly a very good point.

[Catwoman2965]

One grocery store near me actually has seat covers, and seat cleaner/disinfectant...a little dispenser in the stall with drawings showing you how to take a bit of TP and clean the seat. Oddly enough, the TP dispensers have no covers on them. I don't know if they're just missing or if that's intentional. Then they have soap dispensers between every sink, and pump bottles of (their store brand) soap...and hand sanitizer dispensers. With all that you'd think the bathroom would be cleaner than it always seems to be. It looks grimy in that "waited too long to clean it and now it's never coming out" sort of way.

I hear ya! That would be Wegmans, wouldn't it? I don't live close to one, but used to make the trek every once in a while, and I thought those things were awesome! We need them at my job!

[greensinestro]

Threads like this are disgusting, but at the same time informative about the slobs out there. Certainly these type of people have a home somewhere, and in that home, they have a bathroom. In that bathroom, they must have a toilet. So, it begs the question of, do these same people treat their own bathrooms like this? How would they feel about having to see their six hour old shit in their own toilet when they have to go again? Let alone, how would they feel about a houseguest making a rude but definitely necessary comment about how gross their bathroom is?

Sometimes I think these type of people do this as a practical joke on some unsuspecting stranger, and they're thinking about how they would love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

[blas]

The other night, one of my newest trainees, who is a somewhat older guy, pulled me aside and said, "Blas, you have to be 18 to work here right?" and I nodded and he went on with "Well I'm starting to question the maturity of some of the people here. I mean, there are BOOGERS on the wall next to the urinals!"

[Pagan]

I mean, there are BOOGERS on the wall next to the urinals!"

That's....just....EWWWW! I'm mean....EYUCH! And I can't even explain why that grosses me out more than poo left in the toilet!

[Rapscallion]

I'm cursed, apparently, because anytime I get near an auto-flush toilet, it'll flush five or six times during the course of my using it.

It takes me ages to finish reading an article in a magazine as well!

Rapscallion