h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Re the toilet signs story it seems to me that its a mixture of poor education, ignorance and a laziness on peoples part not finding out what the habits and culture of another country are. I for one, having never been abroad for holiday or any other reason, would, nonetheless have taken the time to find out things such as, can you drink the tap water, is there baths or just showers etc. If that makes me the 'odd one out' so be it.

Another story in the same vein here:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16995228

This one is about how folk don't even know the emergency number to call in Europe. The mind boggles frankly.

"Re the toilet signs story it seems to me that its a mixture of poor education, ignorance and a laziness on peoples part not finding out what the habits and culture of another country are."

Which I suppose makes it gleefully ironic as the signs are up in a British university... I mean, it's not like we have a very good track record as a culture of respecting the traditions and habits of the countries we visit.

Also what Anhaga said... when the majority of the world does things one way it's not that unreasonable for them to expect that we'd do things the same way too. Our supposedly hygenic and civilised way of using the toilet is also the way that's most likely to cause long term difficulties in the nether regions; the system works most efficiently when squatting. Sitting (or standing as the case may be) isn't how it's supposed to be done, but rather a triumph of mankind's arrogance that it can beat nature with 'civilisation'.

"I for one, having never been abroad for holiday or any other reason, would, nonetheless have taken the time to find out things such as, can you drink the tap water, is there baths or just showers etc. If that makes me the 'odd one out' so be it."


In my experience of travelling abroad and observing other non-locals and also observing visitors to my country, you (and I) are definitely the odd one out on that score BMT. Tourists are notoriously ignorant of their surroundings and legendary for expecting everything to be just like home.

**it's not like we have a very good track record as a culture of respecting the traditions and habits of the countries we visit.**

Isn't that what I said here? :-"mixture of poor education, ignorance and a laziness on peoples part not finding out what the habits and culture of another country are."

The debate isn't about the right or wrong ways of using toilets in terms of 'natural' or 'un-natural', its how they're used here and the need for signs like that. When it comes to Brits abroad, well, its exactly as you say above, sad but true.
Yes, there is an irony that this story happens to be about a University, a place where people are supposed to be, in theory, educated to start with.

What the damn hell has education got to do with it? I never made it to university so it's possible I just missed out this but I'm pretty sure that none of my education involved the toilet hardware and etiquette of foreign countries. Even the French lessons.

I mean, you *might* be able to level the "poorly educated, ignorant and lazy" accusation at some tourists but I'm pretty sure that someone who's got into university is going to have had a decent education up to that point and not be that lazy.

It's ludicrous to think anyone should have to check *every single* cultural difference before going abroad and even more so to assume that only an idiot would fail to go "aha! They probably have different toilets to us so I'd best do some research. I wonder if the library has a Foreign Toilets section..."

With regard the correct use of the sit down lavatory, one wonders what state "they" left the aeroplane lavatory in, or maybe the lavatory of the passenger ship or ferry, if "they" came to Britain by boat.

I wonder whether this could explain the state of the lavatories on trains .

To add, separate to this - there are those that know how to use the sit down lavatory but have an issue of using public lavatories - fearing hygene issues. In some ladies lavatories there are special disposable paper rings that you can fit around the seat. Others might use tissue paper around the seat and sit on that. In fact I would contend that everyone knows how to use the sit down lavatory if they find themselves attending a British University.

"I wonder whether this could explain the state of the lavatories on trains"

The combination of wobbly fast-moving vehicle and Inevitable Drunken Idiots pretty much explains train lavatories.

And yes, there is the hygeine issue. There are *British* people who would rather stand on the toilet seat and squat than actually sit on the seat. Because you can get herpes and pregnant and stuff presumably.

There is an apparent need to repeat Stone Art's link:

>> http://eightsolid.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/17.jpg <<

A picture is sometimes worth much more than any number of words.
I love the No Fishing and the Doggie approach.

Oh and BTW, the modern sit down toilet was not and is not
ever meant to be used as a stand-up urinal. Sit boy, sit!



~jwf~

In other news, it's Hockey Day in Canada!


Follow the live stream in your language of choice, Cree, English, Punjabi, Italian, Spanish . . . there must be a French one somewhere: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hockeydayincanada/blog.html

"Sit boy, sit!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_5oCkpAkUk

The toilet affair.

Why everybody assume that those who squat are foreigners?

I´ve seen the prints of shoes on the toilet ring lid in many bars in Spain, also at my university, at bus stations in Madrid, Dublin and London... that is, in busy places where many people come and go, and many don´t care about the rest, and leave a messy place.

As jwf has pointed out, they are blaming inmigrants directly. I see that piece of news a piece of insulting racism, but I don´t know if it comes from ignorance or if it is deliberated.

"I´ve seen the prints of shoes on the toilet ring lid in many bars in Spain, also at my university, at bus stations in Madrid, Dublin and London... that is, in busy places where many people come and go, and many don´t care about the rest, and leave a messy place."

You may not be aware of this, Maria, but the proprietors of very many men's public toilets around Spain do not provide a seat - presumably to make the prospect of using the facility fully... unappetising. It might explain the shoeprints on the porcelain rims, though.

I tend to assume that the puddles I invariably find in such places are left there by young children.

>>..are left there by young children. <<

And old men.


~jwf~

One thing's for sure, in all the places I've worked and the people I've worked with nobody has worse aim than an accountant.

Financial strain in Greece may lead to civil war: http://www.emg.rs/en/news/region/174540.html
http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2011/09/20/after-the-greek-default-could-civil-war-be-next/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/7980291/EU-austerity-policies-risk-civil-war-in-Greece-warns-top-German-economist-Dr-Sinn.html

Turkish warplanes bomb Iraq http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17002408

US drone bombs Pakistan http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16960948

Israel bombs Gaza http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17001420

Is there some kind of "National Bombing Day" that I have missed?