I read somewhere a few years ago about how many disgusting bacteria are thrown into the air as an invisible fine mist everytime you flush a toilet. Mythbusters did a segment about this too although I can't remember what the outcome was (drank too much that evening). In our house, the seat is always down when hubby or I flush.
In public restrooms I unlock the door and get ready to bolt before I push the handle, then the bolting out of the stall ensues. On our trip to South Africa in Dec., we had a lay-over in Amsterdam. I am sure alot of people are used to automatic flushing toilets but I had never been on one. The second my ass left the seat, the extremely high-powered toilet flushed, sending up the previously mentioned mist that I actually felt on my still bare ass.
Now, I am not like "Monk" about sanitary things but for the next 9 1/2 hrs. to Johannesburg, all I could think about was getting to our hotel and a shower!
I will not, at this time, get into airplane toilets/bathrooms. And if asked under oath if I sat on an airplane toilet that trip without checking to see if the seat was down, I will claim the 5th.
Ali