Sadly, having worked in a facility with a lot of immagrants of questionable legal status from south of the border, this sign is quite necessary. Small rural towns don’t have nice plumbing like we do, so they throw the (used) paper on the floor. As for standing on the toilet, I don’t get it, but have seen shoe prints on the seat.
I think I’m more confused by the picture on the left than the one on the right… Is the toilet paper supposed to be taking a shit? Are you supposed to stand backwards on the tank to use the toilet? Or are those just turnips committing suicide?
I think the explanations are: 1) Amazingly, in some places you are not supposed to put toilet paper into the toilet. Here they want you to. 2) In many places (e.g. the Middle East) toilets are “Turkish” style, consisting of a hole in the floor that you squat over. When people used to that kind of toilet use a Western-style one, they often will stand on the bowl and squat, instead of sitting down. So that part of the sign means “Don’t stand on the toilet.”
A fellow once told me a story of his coworker. Apparently the guy came from a country where indoor toilets were few and far between. So he was used to standing high up on a platform in order to do his business into a hole below. Now, even though he had been in America for years, he still would stand on the toilet seat while making a bowel movement because he couldn’t go/didn’t know how to go any other way.
Teek – like said above – in many countries you can’t flush toilet paper, pipes are too small. Basically, toilets are for urine only. You can’t make bowel movements in them either or you back up the entire sewage system.
It says: We’re not paying for a bunch of fancy toilet seat covers. If you’re concerned about getting germs from this disgusting public toilet seat, cover the damn thing with some toilet paper first. Don’t try to hover and get your piss all over the place, moron.
The One Guy – To clean yourself up after you crap on the floor next to the toilet.
I spent a summer cleaning beach restrooms and one of the men I worked with was from Mexico. He’s the one whom informed me of the poor conditions down there and how in the non-tourist areas it was typical for people to urinate in the toilet, but poop next to it.
Remember, those shovels beach restroom cleaners have in the back of their vans – it’s not for sand.
I clean public restrooms, and I’ve seen almost anything. My question is, how many years do you have to live in the U.S. before you learn how to use a toilet? As an adult I would expect that it would take less time than it takes a newborn baby. I bet there are immigrants who have lived a decade or more here, and still can’t figure it out and so continue to shit all over the toilet, the walls, and the floor. Animals.
As said above, toilets aren’t the same in third world countries or non-western (ie. Asia, South America, etc.). I know that in South Korea they use to trough, so when they use a toilet here (Aust.) they don’t know how to use it. I’ve seen a couple of signs telling people in verious languages and using diagrams to sit, not stand on the seat and to flush paper. But unfortunately, you can still find foot prints and presents on the floor for you. I also know that hygiene is different in a lot of Asian countries. On hand for food, the other for wiping. So you have to make sure you shake the right hand.
I’m more confused about the sign on the left… to me it looks like UFO are flying into or out of the toilet… or maybe both… looks more like a dimensional gate here sign to me…
Actually, it’s very dangerous to stand on the toilet. Even some people from countries were public toilets are common, they stand on the toilet. The thing is that the porcelain, despite being very strong, it might hit a rupture point… needless to say that if/when it does, you’ll be in serious trouble. But sure, I have no doubt that the bathroom will be cleaner if the occupants get an higher chance to hit the target
I work with a lot of Vietnamese. Myself and a co-worker of mine thought it was strange that, occasionally, a stall would be occupied and there would be shoes on the floor but no legs. We had no way of confirming that these guys were standing on the toilets. One day, the subject came up, so we asked a Vietnamese guy. He was reluctant to say, but he admitted that this is normal in Vietnam.
People of the world do not share the same table habits. Some of us eat with our hands, others use chopsticks, and a few use forks.
Likewise, all people of the world do not share the same toilet habits. We are all either SITTERS or SQUATTERS and WASHER or WIPERS.
These distinctions are absolutely clear to international sanitation experts and are quickly becoming so to those who design facilities in the world’s cities, where today half of all humanity lives.
I’m sure no one quite understands this sign, but it makes perfect sense. At least for poor Chinese people.
See, they basically have holes in the ground and working at a University in the UK, I’ve often had to deal with Chinese students from poor families / small villages, pissing all over the toilets because they stood on them to do their business.
Simply put, jzimbert is totally right. When you are in a public restroom with a dirty seat, you have two alternatives: either cover the seat with toilet paper and sit, or take the dump squatting on the toilet. The sign asks you to use method #1.
You mean I’ve been doing it wrong all these years!? Thanks, random sign!
Sadly, having worked in a facility with a lot of immagrants of questionable legal status from south of the border, this sign is quite necessary. Small rural towns don’t have nice plumbing like we do, so they throw the (used) paper on the floor. As for standing on the toilet, I don’t get it, but have seen shoe prints on the seat.
I think I’m more confused by the picture on the left than the one on the right… Is the toilet paper supposed to be taking a shit? Are you supposed to stand backwards on the tank to use the toilet? Or are those just turnips committing suicide?
I think the explanations are: 1) Amazingly, in some places you are not supposed to put toilet paper into the toilet. Here they want you to. 2) In many places (e.g. the Middle East) toilets are “Turkish” style, consisting of a hole in the floor that you squat over. When people used to that kind of toilet use a Western-style one, they often will stand on the bowl and squat, instead of sitting down. So that part of the sign means “Don’t stand on the toilet.”
I’m not sure how putting the toilet paper directly into the toilet without using it will help anything.
This is likely for those who are more used to ’squat toilets’ rather than sitting down directly on the toilet seat.
(Though I can’t explain the ridiculous toilet paper confetti.)
A fellow once told me a story of his coworker. Apparently the guy came from a country where indoor toilets were few and far between. So he was used to standing high up on a platform in order to do his business into a hole below. Now, even though he had been in America for years, he still would stand on the toilet seat while making a bowel movement because he couldn’t go/didn’t know how to go any other way.
That, or plenty of countries with just a hole in the ground. One could imagine confusion at first seeing an “elevated” hole in the ground.
Teek – like said above – in many countries you can’t flush toilet paper, pipes are too small. Basically, toilets are for urine only. You can’t make bowel movements in them either or you back up the entire sewage system.
Those savages!
Jami: If you can’t make bowel movements in them, why would there be toilet paper anyway?
The One Guy: Women need to wipe no matter what…
It says: We’re not paying for a bunch of fancy toilet seat covers. If you’re concerned about getting germs from this disgusting public toilet seat, cover the damn thing with some toilet paper first. Don’t try to hover and get your piss all over the place, moron.
The one on the right looks like the new universal symbol for “No upper-deckers please”.
looks like its trying to say put t.p. in the toilet bowl and dont poo it everywhere.
The One Guy – To clean yourself up after you crap on the floor next to the toilet.
I spent a summer cleaning beach restrooms and one of the men I worked with was from Mexico. He’s the one whom informed me of the poor conditions down there and how in the non-tourist areas it was typical for people to urinate in the toilet, but poop next to it.
Remember, those shovels beach restroom cleaners have in the back of their vans – it’s not for sand.
I clean public restrooms, and I’ve seen almost anything. My question is, how many years do you have to live in the U.S. before you learn how to use a toilet? As an adult I would expect that it would take less time than it takes a newborn baby. I bet there are immigrants who have lived a decade or more here, and still can’t figure it out and so continue to shit all over the toilet, the walls, and the floor. Animals.
As said above, toilets aren’t the same in third world countries or non-western (ie. Asia, South America, etc.). I know that in South Korea they use to trough, so when they use a toilet here (Aust.) they don’t know how to use it. I’ve seen a couple of signs telling people in verious languages and using diagrams to sit, not stand on the seat and to flush paper. But unfortunately, you can still find foot prints and presents on the floor for you. I also know that hygiene is different in a lot of Asian countries. On hand for food, the other for wiping. So you have to make sure you shake the right hand.
I’m more confused about the sign on the left… to me it looks like UFO are flying into or out of the toilet… or maybe both… looks more like a dimensional gate here sign to me…
Actually, it’s very dangerous to stand on the toilet. Even some people from countries were public toilets are common, they stand on the toilet. The thing is that the porcelain, despite being very strong, it might hit a rupture point… needless to say that if/when it does, you’ll be in serious trouble. But sure, I have no doubt that the bathroom will be cleaner if the occupants get an higher chance to hit the target
I work with a lot of Vietnamese. Myself and a co-worker of mine thought it was strange that, occasionally, a stall would be occupied and there would be shoes on the floor but no legs. We had no way of confirming that these guys were standing on the toilets. One day, the subject came up, so we asked a Vietnamese guy. He was reluctant to say, but he admitted that this is normal in Vietnam.
People of the world do not share the same table habits. Some of us eat with our hands, others use chopsticks, and a few use forks.
Likewise, all people of the world do not share the same toilet habits. We are all either SITTERS or SQUATTERS and WASHER or WIPERS.
These distinctions are absolutely clear to international sanitation experts and are quickly becoming so to those who design facilities in the world’s cities, where today half of all humanity lives.
Aww, so no upper deckers? That takes all the fun out of my day
Has this really been a problem before?
I’m sure no one quite understands this sign, but it makes perfect sense. At least for poor Chinese people.
See, they basically have holes in the ground and working at a University in the UK, I’ve often had to deal with Chinese students from poor families / small villages, pissing all over the toilets because they stood on them to do their business.
Simply put, jzimbert is totally right. When you are in a public restroom with a dirty seat, you have two alternatives: either cover the seat with toilet paper and sit, or take the dump squatting on the toilet. The sign asks you to use method #1.