Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post

h2g2Fan · 08-01-2003, 12:56 PM

Many of you might have wondered at one point why toilets are always placed adjacent to a wall and never in the middle of a room. Or, perhaps you simply assumed that it was due to easier plumbing design. However, this isn't really a factor since the pipes could go underneath the floor just as easily as they go up a wall. With that in mind, you might now assume that it is just more aesthetically pleasing to put a toilet next to a wall, or hidden in a corner, out of sight and out of mind. Now, this might be a viable reason if it were not for the fact that some people consider the toilet as a work of art (something I found out 4-5 years ago at a modern art museum). Surely one of these toilet art connoisseurs would have theirs somewhere other than next to the wall unless the real reason was something besides simply aethstetic values or practical constraints.

In reality (or at least my version of it), this is more of a gender issue than one might think. Why? Well, if I understand correctly, when a woman uses a toilet, she simply sits on it, does whatever it is she has to do, and stands up. Men, on the other hand, will stand in front of the toilet while peeing (note: this is at least 95% of the basis for some women's "penis envy"). However, this will sometimes be done leaning over the toilet seat with one hand on the wall. This simple practice could not be done if the toilet were in the middle of the room. I hope you're thinking to yourself now how obvious this must have been.

An exception? The "double toilet" for married couples, which features two toilet seats back-to-back so the happy couple can go poo at the same time. I must say, it's a cute idea, but when you really think about it (and by you I mean me), the toilet is probably the one place where a couple shouldn't (and I mean never) spend any time together.

Three minutes of research shows the "double toilet" was invented, or at least marketed, by a Rachel Stevenson. This should not be suprising since, before this post, women had no idea how important the wall really is.

08-01-2003, 12:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
h2g2Fan Loser Location: University of Maryland at College Park	Why Toilets Are Always Against a Wall Many of you might have wondered at one point why toilets are always placed adjacent to a wall and never in the middle of a room. Or, perhaps you simply assumed that it was due to easier plumbing design. However, this isn't really a factor since the pipes could go underneath the floor just as easily as they go up a wall. With that in mind, you might now assume that it is just more aesthetically pleasing to put a toilet next to a wall, or hidden in a corner, out of sight and out of mind. Now, this might be a viable reason if it were not for the fact that some people consider the toilet as a work of art (something I found out 4-5 years ago at a modern art museum). Surely one of these toilet art connoisseurs would have theirs somewhere other than next to the wall unless the real reason was something besides simply aethstetic values or practical constraints. In reality (or at least my version of it), this is more of a gender issue than one might think. Why? Well, if I understand correctly, when a woman uses a toilet, she simply sits on it, does whatever it is she has to do, and stands up. Men, on the other hand, will stand in front of the toilet while peeing (note: this is at least 95% of the basis for some women's "penis envy"). However, this will sometimes be done leaning over the toilet seat with one hand on the wall. This simple practice could not be done if the toilet were in the middle of the room. I hope you're thinking to yourself now how obvious this must have been. An exception? The "double toilet" for married couples, which features two toilet seats back-to-back so the happy couple can go poo at the same time. I must say, it's a cute idea, but when you really think about it (and by you I mean me), the toilet is probably the one place where a couple shouldn't (and I mean never) spend any time together. Three minutes of research shows the "double toilet" was invented, or at least marketed, by a Rachel Stevenson. This should not be suprising since, before this post, women had no idea how important the wall really is.