The Toilet Seat Phenomenon

So, although it may not be evident from the actual comments on my blog, the feedback that I received regarding this whole "toilet seat" issue has been immense. I decided that the issue needed a follow-up blog post.

First of all, I must state that the blog was by no means intended to pit the female species against my sister-in-law, Lailah. :) I love Lailah (I'll save the extent of my love for her for another, much anticipated blog post), and she is just one of many who happen to share the opinion that the toilet seat need not be placed in the closed position. Or, more specifically that men should not be expected to return the toilet seat to this position. However, it appears as though some of my friends and family members have very different opinions about the expectations of the male species in the restroom.

One of my closest friends, Sarah, went so far as to claim that "toilet seats left up are not okay" and "unsanitary" and that those who are unbothered by this just may need their "heads examined". Now, I don't believe anyone can fault her for this opinion. In fact, I applaud her for taking such a strong stance on the issue. She actually suggested that "boys should wipe the rim of the bowl AND put the toilet seat down". This suggestion made me smile, but I felt as though I needed to stand up for those who may not share our similar opinion on the toilet seat.

In response to my doubt as to whether or not we held reasonable expectations, Sarah had this to say, "unless they can figure out how to perfect their aim and not soak the seat, the only reason to move it is for them. Therefore they should also have to put it down. Duh". And really, who can argue with that?

My friend, Adam, (who is a believer in putting the toilet seat down when a restroom is shared with a female) had another suggestion. He doesn't understand why people don't start installing urinals in their homes (in addition to the standard toilet). He claims that this would solve the issue altogether and that, if you think about it, it would actually be easier to clean than a toilet. He continued, by noting that it makes no sense that the wealthy will have both a toilet and a bidet, but not a urinal (which is really the only missing element here). To his credit, he did recognize that a urinal isn't exactly the most attractive architectural element in a bathroom, but we designed a few "fountain-esque" urinals that would actually be more like art than potty.

I also learned that the Santa Rosa Morris household also had some issues regarding the famed "toilet seat blog". My Uncle Lee insisted that I contradicted myself, between my insistance on opening doors for myself (see Gentlemanly post) and my insistance on men putting down the toilet seat. He used the term "Feminist" to describe my preceding opinions. Well, the first issue here, is that I don't open doors for myself and pay on dates because I'm a feminist, it's entirely an issue of my stubborn nature. The second issue, is that there are two very key differences between a guy paying for your date and a guy putting the toilet seat down - (1) sanitary concerns and (2) safety. Falling into the toilet seat is both unsafe AND entirely unsanitary. Paying for your own meal, or opening your own door are neither of these things.

So, I hold firm to my opinions. However, I am delighted to report that both (cousin) Chelsea and (aunt) Janette (as well as a couple of Chelsea's friends) supported the notion that men should be expected to put the toilet seat down, and that this expectation is not entirely unreasonable. I know nothing more than this, because Uncle Lee slipped away from this debate finding himself slightly outnumbered. Coward? :)

I believe it is also important to note that I have no problem putting the toilet seat cover down when I leave the restroom (if this makes men feel as though we are compromising because we both have do our share of "seat swinging" as Ryan calls it). But, the simple facts are that the majority of toilet uses require that the toilet seat be down, therefore this is the favored position.

I will end my potty tirade here, keeping in mind that I don't like these blog posts to get too long. But I appreciate all of the input, and if further clarification is still needed, please don't hesistate to come forth with your issues. :)

Potty Note: There is a toilet-shaped HOUSE in Korea, named Haewoojae (which in Korean means "a place of sanctuary where one can solve one's worries"). Check it out: http://freshome.com/2007/10/11/toilet-shaped-house/