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Beijing Olympics Face Another Issue - Too Many Squat Toilets

aol.com.au — The Beijing Olympics are being hit with another problem, at least by Western standards. The issue came up over the weekend when the San Diego Padres played the Los Angeles Dodgers at the new Olympic baseball venue. The portable toilets trucked in were the squat variety, the style used widely in Asia.

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  • BuzzDiggity, on 03/19/2008, -33/+15i was planning to attend the beijing olympics... but i don't like chinese food... and i can't stand squat toilets ...
    • ransomduke, on 03/19/2008, -5/+15At least it's Beijing and not Mexico City. Squatting with the squirts would be less than fun.
      • supermansuper, on 03/19/2008, -1/+7You dont stand, you squat!
      • ghostrc, on 03/19/2008, -1/+9They dont use squat toilets in Mexico
      • revjustin2, on 03/19/2008, -3/+4I spent an entire week in Mexico City recently and didn't have a single squirt issue. Neither did my wife or my three kids.
      • digjam, on 03/19/2008, -1/+8Why would you even put ur ass on something anyway.. that so many people pissed on ? Squatting will atleast prevent u from piles.. :P
      • sanman, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1The squatting is to remind the puny subjects to bend low - the better to grovel before their Beijing masters.
    • antiquiche, on 03/19/2008, -3/+12I love Chinese food therefore I need a sit down toilet
    • latrosicarius, on 03/19/2008, -2/+26Who cares, I wouldn't sit down on a port-a-pot anyway. Master your hovering skills.
      • edwartica, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2It actually is quite easy once you get used to it.
    • swrostmore, on 03/19/2008, -3/+23I was planning to attend the beijing olympics...but then they started slaughtering Tibetans
    • roycifer, on 03/19/2008, -4/+5maybe all future olympics should just be held in the good ol' USofA
  • BCKids1208, on 03/19/2008, -17/+6Whew, no bueno.
  • guillebravo, on 03/19/2008, -35/+27This is random, civilizations in the west are so snobby we can't just pop a squat for a couple weeks. Come on suck it up
    • brownr21, on 03/19/2008, -17/+10Squat toilets are ***** disgusting.
      • onestrawplz, on 03/19/2008, -5/+37so are the western style toilets that people pee all over. bathrooms are gross. deal with it.
      • ausfahrt, on 03/19/2008, -7/+15Wrong they're more sanitary.
        • sexybobo, on 03/19/2008, -3/+10not when used by 500,000 people that don't know how to use them.
          • wellyuk, on 03/19/2008, -2/+5Is squatting really rocket science? It's social Darwinism! Those who can squat will overcome. Those who can't will fill their pants with turd.
          • ausfahrt, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6Try a regular toilet after 500 000 people have used it. It sucks as well and you have to sit on/it it.
          • praisethelard, on 06/06/2008, -0/+2wellyuk, I'd say sit toilets are biological Darwinism, as you'll be exposed to more bacteria, which will most likely not be too dangerous, but strengthen your immune system.
        • Lumpmoose, on 03/19/2008, -1/+0The worst bathroom I've ever seen, BY FAR, was at the Nanjing train station (Asian-style toilets). I think it was that abyss Nietzsche was talking about.

          Just think about the difference between when people miss while using a western toilet vs. using an Asian toilet.
          • edwartica, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1"And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
            Hmm, I think you could of come up with a better literary allusion.
    • fredgarvin1138, on 03/19/2008, -1/+17You need to stop using the word "random" - you clearly don't know what it means
      • wellyuk, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5I dugg you up because using "random" when people actually mean "odd" or "strange" winds me right up. But the meaning of words evolve. I just hope "random" evolves back to it's proper meaning and then I'll be able to stop going around punching emo kids for using "random" inappropriately.
    • gannina, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1I don't think may people in the West can squat period.
      • Farnn, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0Very true. The way the Chinese squat is extremely difficult if you are not accustomed to it. They keep their feet flat on the ground with their knees fully bent which to those not used to it is an easy way to fall backwards.
    • CarzorStelatis, on 03/19/2008, -4/+3@guillebravo:
      People are paying through the nose for these tickets. They should get toilets they feel comfortable using - whether they are Chinese or American or from anywhere else in the world.
      • edwartica, on 03/19/2008, -1/+7When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
  • CryRightardCry, on 03/19/2008, -17/+47I hear squat toilets lead to lower instances of hemorrhoids.
    • breckinshire, on 03/19/2008, -4/+7Yeah, they just move lower.
    • ausfahrt, on 03/19/2008, -2/+24True it's much better for your body. It's a more natural intestinal arrangement for that activity.
      • gannina, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4Better get your toilet, so you can squat over the remaining pipe, since it is the better way to go
    • sleepycoder, on 03/19/2008, -0/+18I remember reading about a study comparing instances of hemorrhoids in western toilet nations vs. squat toilet nations. Hemorrhoids were almost unheard of in squat toilet nations.
      • charlie55, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6they have it good in the STNs
      • Sophistifunk, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2I'd say that's a lot more due to a diet of processed carbs (ie, glue) than squat toilets tho :)
    • joshblufs, on 03/19/2008, -9/+3Why the digg down? its true you ignorant MF'ers.
    • HannibalLecter, on 03/19/2008, -0/+12Not only does it lower the instances of hemorrhoids, but it also decreases constipation. Additionally, the lowered constipation might lead to lower instances of colon cancer.
  • mshifley, on 03/19/2008, -18/+8I think I squatted out a kitten one time on the toilet. Jager.
  • TheGreatSeal, on 03/19/2008, -27/+16Been to China and Korea.. those ***** squat toilets are retarded.
    • alex7575, on 03/19/2008, -4/+7there are at least 6 chinese/koreans for every westerner, that will disagree with you
      • crazydiode, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1I think it's the same across most of Asia..
    • HannibalLecter, on 03/19/2008, -0/+4Why are they retarded? They seem perfectly functional to me when I lived in China.
    • edwartica, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2You just have to learn how to use them. Once you do, they're wonderful!
  • onixxino, on 03/19/2008, -12/+41BOYCOTT!
  • xavierhp, on 03/19/2008, -48/+1HEY WHY IF I SUBMITTEDD THAT STORY IS NOT NO THE FRONTPAGE!???????

    http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Another_problem_for_Chin ...
  • Atacand, on 03/19/2008, -15/+157Worst...Olympics....Ever....
    • BossKey, on 03/19/2008, -10/+4Wai u no like my city toilets? Doan u like our city facilities?
      Damn Tibetans! Arways ruining my city Olympics!
    • sumgi, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2We have ourselves a new event...

      'Stay on target, stay on target!'
  • stephenpjc, on 03/19/2008, -12/+90Squat toilets are more sanitary than Western toilets
    • onionlayer, on 03/19/2008, -10/+8Explain
      • NDUO, on 03/19/2008, -3/+25Gee I dunno ... how about not having to plop your ass on the toilet seat that some other sweaty Olympian just pinched a nervous loaf on minutes before you?
        • worldchanger, on 03/19/2008, -4/+2BAHAHAHAHAAH!!
        • xcheats, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1You realize that in a lot of public places, they say the toilet seats are the cleanest spots?
          • NDUO, on 03/19/2008, -0/+13Cleaner than hovering in the air? Beg to differ.
          • revjustin2, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Especially in places that aren't bathrooms.
      • breadfred, on 03/19/2008, -1/+24You don't sit in on someone elses piss, no contact with a toilet seat just been occupied by some great unwashed fat-ass.. (not saying that all fat-asses are unwashed, or that all the unwashed are fat-asses, just giving an example)
        • Pimpalicious316, on 03/19/2008, -0/+22I genuinely appreciate your distinction of the unwashed and fat-asses. as a clean and quite hygienic fat ass myself, being associate with the filthy fat people is hurtful. I'd stand to salute your movement to recognize the fat and unwashed as not always being mutually exclusive, but my fatness prevents me. so to you, I raise my slice of pizza. hear hear!
        • AceyS, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1You're so brave!
        • eddy23170, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1excellent point...I smell pretty sketchy and I'm thin as a rail....good point
    • woohhaa, on 03/19/2008, -1/+36Does the position provide a clearer path for your cargo to be jettisoned leaving less paper work?
      • Hillsfar, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2More like toilet seats are often stained with invisible biofilm - dried pee, mostly-wiped-away poo, etc.
      • kablammo, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1LOL that comment/question just made my day. way better than how i would have phrased it.
    • shazzb0t, on 03/19/2008, -4/+28Given the fact that you maybe walking in piss or perhaps diahreea that splashed out of the side of the squat toilet when using one, I'd have to disagree.

      Plus the chances of pissing on your clothing is high with those ***** if you don't do it right.
      • ldailey06, on 03/19/2008, -6/+4plus the fact that your average American tourist is too stupid to navigate a squat toilet
      • Hillsfar, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3More like toilet seats are often stained with invisible biofilm - dried pee, mostly-wiped-away poo, etc.

        At least with a squat toilet, you have shoes. Even with covers for your butt when you sit on a toilet seat shared by thousands of others before you, there's the chance of splash.
    • amoeba, on 03/19/2008, -2/+15yeh, right. tell me that when you've been to a railway station and seen a sh**t-splattered squat toilet.
    • illegalcortex, on 03/19/2008, -2/+17Does this increased sanitation factor in the large number of non-Chinese who will be eating the local food, drinking the local water, then spraying diarrhea all over their ankles?
    • aywwts4, on 03/19/2008, -0/+31While I'm sure squat toilets being used by professional squatters are sanitary. Imagine a public (in use 90% of a day with lines outside) squat toilet, being used by nothing but amateur foreigners who won't even know what the hell to Do with this metal trough, probably studying the in-bathroom instructions thoroughly before attempting (and failing) to aim hover and not make a mess.

      I imagine that within a few hours it would be a sight that would shock just about anyone. That and the hundreds of Olympic goers walking around with ***** stains down their pants all day.
      • Nick22, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5"That and the hundreds of Olympic goers walking around with ***** stains down their pants all day.

        that would be ***** hilarious
      • CedEx, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Hold on... here in western society, we have professional locals using sitting toilets and still manage to miss. Ever seen what the washroom looks like after a ball game? Filthy.
      • AndreiOttawa, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Dugg for "professional squatters". That's a good one...
      • emjaychina, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0Anyone who has ever been to China knows at big events such as the Canton fair, the bathrooms have 5 attendants who clean after EVERY guest. They will be far cleaner than any bathroom you find in a fast food joint or most hotels back home
      • dancingdeer, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0I never used a squat toilet before I went to China and had no problems aiming. The people which can't handle them would mostly be the ones which ***** all over the place in our western sit down toilets. The difference is that in China at least there is enough cleaning personal available.
        Also every hotel I was in had a sit down toilet and most modern restaurants/shopping malls have at least 1 sit down toilet for 4 squat toilets.
    • gannina, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Until you fall in
    • JointVenture, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4*****.

      You've never been in one.

      I will say I do dig the hand hose over toilet paper, but with a toilet.
      • stephenpjc, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1I have, I grew up with them in Taiwan until I moved to Canada, none of my elementary school's washroom stalls had any seated toilets.
    • webefools, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2not sure about which is more sanitory.. anything that has to do with fecal matter and body fluids... is going to be unsanitory... some of these squat toilets have quite the stench as they dont really flush but drain into a sort of... septic tank or maybe the natural ground i think, not sure... at least western toilet get cleaned and sanitized and there's a flusher that sends the spew in a channel of sewers...
      • down4twenty, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1squat toilets flush just as well as western ones
    • painting, on 03/20/2008, -2/+1its sanitary because your ass isn't against something another person's ass is.
      • flclfan22, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1the last meal you ate probably had more microorganisms LIVING on it than 100 toilet seats.
    • TBobes, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1What happens when you get a cramp in the middle of a giant *****?
  • pencilneck, on 03/19/2008, -7/+86Well, human rights mean nothing to be, but not being able to sit back and relax while I take a dump... that is front page worthy.
    • SkippyDoorknob, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6It's a basic human right to have your legs go numb from reading a magazine for too long.
  • whitesaint, on 03/19/2008, -2/+34Bahahaha
    http://naturesplatform.com/images/pedestal-squat.j ...
    • HA5TY, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6haha, wow. I guess u have to have good balance to take a ***** there
    • ghostrc, on 03/19/2008, -0/+8wow, I had no idea thats what squat toilets were
    • Dubbsacc, on 03/19/2008, -0/+10Maybe it's just me, but I have large testicles. How the hell do you not ***** on your nuts? Hold them up by your stomach when you take a *****?
    • FrodoBongins, on 03/19/2008, -0/+0Step 1 to ruining your day....crapping with your pants on. Step 2 to ruining your day....slipping off the platform while barefoot.
  • citizen782, on 03/19/2008, -10/+11I don't know about you but occasionally I like to spend time on a toilet, not squatting. I can understand this for porta-potties but it would suck to live in Asia if this is the standard in homes and hotels. How the hell are you suppose to read?
    • milye, on 03/19/2008, -5/+9Sorry, I don't know why anyone would want to spend time on a toilet. If you're bowels are that slow then, perhaps you need to eat healthier.
      • xlar54, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Maybe because trying to balance while doing the deed seems a little like a circus act? I really dont care to be that dexterious. (or worse...NOT be)
    • Kanidia, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2No, in hotels and houses, people use normal "western" toilets. However, squat toilets are much more sanitary in public restrooms... I do not want to sit on the seat that someone peed all over.
      • Farnn, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0Actually, most Chinese have squat toilets in their homes. They consider it healthier and they are also so accustomed to squatting that it is a mindless task for them, with their knees fully bent and their feet flat on the ground. If you go to China you will see people squatting on the sidewalks instead of standing.
    • JointVenture, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3People in homes have toilets, but "most" have hoses instead of TP. I hated it at first but now I digg it.
    • bobartig, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1in korea, I ran into "enough" squat toilets like 15 years ago when I visited as a teenager. When I visited last year, all my relatives had fancy heated toilets with buttons and other "features" I didn't quite understand. I think its carry over from Japan, where they truly embrace progress and innovation.
    • CedEx, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3You can't squat and read at the same time? Take the same stance as a catcher in baseball, and instead of holding out a glove, you hold a book. Simple.
    • dancingdeer, on 03/20/2008, -0/+0All hotels to which I went in China had sit down toilets. Also many western restaurants and shopping malls have a sit down toilet for disabled people.
    • corryface, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1You would get serious leg muscles if you were to hold that position for any length of time. i like to chill while having a dump, not go for a gym workout on my legs.
  • webefools, on 03/19/2008, -1/+13i knew this guy... who stayed for a week, and he could not get used to the squat toilets, having to squat and then there the stench... so he just didnt go for a week... caused a lot of git problems for him... if you never used one of these, it is difficult to get used to...
    • bobartig, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2I don't think the squatting is that hard to grasp. Anyone who's been camping can handle that. The part that was harder for me was 'going' in a room bustling with other people, men, women, children, with no partitions or privacy.
      • CedEx, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2Some squat toilets in the more remote regions are just troughs... and you squat in a tandem formation with other people without partitions. Work that out in your head first before you say "eeewww". ;)
      • oyenow, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3*****, that is ***** all the way!
  • meruru, on 03/19/2008, -11/+35I can't believe this is really an issue. Actually us germaphobic westerners should be happy, squat toilets are actually more sanitary since no part of you ever has to touch the thing.
    • ryan899, on 03/19/2008, -1/+18You got to have some great aim though.
      • BossKey, on 03/19/2008, -0/+13yeah. Squat toilet + explosive diarrhea = hose required.
    • Klinky, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5I would have concerns for people who can't aim well, and this isn't a little pee on the seat we're talking about... Also, unless you grew up with a squat toilet you may have troubles "adapting", leading to some unsanitary and embarrassing moments.
    • woohhaa, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5Bombs away...
    • JointVenture, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4No they arent.
      It is much more sanitary to hover over a toilet bowl (just ask your girlfriend...ooops forgot, I mean ask your sister .) than try to ***** squirts in a hole in the ground.
  • tman84, on 03/19/2008, -2/+9Do they not appreciate the quiet time in the bathroom in Asia? no newspaper reading or PSP?
    • offspring06, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2Yeah I can't see me squating and trying to play the DS.
    • dafoe, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2Well it can get uncomfortable at first to read in that position. But believe me, once you get used to it, you can spend as much time reading newspaper as you want while squatting.

      From my own personal experience.
  • porkdanish, on 03/19/2008, -5/+10Maybe I'm just over thinking things here, but how do you avoid crapping into your own pants without losing your balance? Do you take them off?

    All I know is I'd never get another book read if I had a squat toilet at home.
    • amida, on 03/19/2008, -1/+8You squat low. Your belt is up near your knees.
  • Dinosaur88, on 03/19/2008, -15/+7this is a big issue why? you are fat and can't support your own weight while you take a *****? Suck it up, and stop being so closed minded towards different things and other places.
    • leerayIG88, on 03/19/2008, -7/+7If you said that to my face, I would kick you in the face so hard your teeth fall out.
      • Albo23, on 03/19/2008, -3/+3Shut up fatass.
      • bbear, on 03/19/2008, -2/+4You couldn't lift your leg up past his knee without falling over.
    • breadfred, on 03/19/2008, -1/+7Pfft that is just stupid. I know there are people that are overweight, but is it their fault that the Western society takes this into account with their toilet design? Anyone catering for an international audience needs to look at their requirements. If that means vegetarian food, you make sure their are vegetarian options on the menu. If that means installing western toilets, so be it.
    • worldchanger, on 03/19/2008, -4/+2agreed.
  • wendelgee2, on 03/19/2008, -1/+24Those squat toilets are no joke. I had the ***** in Beijing, and...well...it was a nightmare. Seriously, you have satellites, you can spring for real toilets. Why can't you be more like your brother, Japan?
    • SkippyDoorknob, on 03/19/2008, -0/+22Japan is light years ahead of the rest of the world in toilet technology.
    • JesusHatesYou, on 03/19/2008, -3/+1I heard the squat toilets were actually to accomodate Muslims because that's their cultural way of taking a dump. It's really weird. It's not even a toilet but just a hole in the ground.
      • mdmadph, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1Yeah, that's China for you -- accommodating Muslims. Seriously, think about it for a second.
    • Noein, on 03/19/2008, -2/+3Have you ever been to Japan? Squat toilets are pretty common in public restrooms in Japan.
      • wendelgee2, on 03/19/2008, -0/+4Damn. I knew this was coming.
        My only experience with Japanese toilets has been at the spa where they have the heated seat, and the vibrating seat, and the "cleansing jet."
        So, no...never been.
      • JohnFlux, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3My Japanese wife said that she has never seen a public squat toilet. She remembers her grandfather had one, but that was it.
  • leejae, on 03/19/2008, -1/+51Gotta ***** suck if you're 60+
    • iplen, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2They actually do it better. Especially since a lot of the locals do Tai Chi exercises every morning.
      • Vigacmoe, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1it's so not true, most people here don't do tai chi (太极) at all, it's like most people in texas don't dress like cowboys and ride horses everyday
  • SirGir, on 03/19/2008, -4/+72Westerners also like their cats alive and their Tibets free, whacha going to do China?
    • ubitendo, on 03/19/2008, -7/+14The Tibet part i get, but the cats part I don't. Why is it okay to eat cows and chickens, but not cats and dogs?
      • SirGir, on 03/19/2008, -2/+2See kitty death camps:
        http://digg.com/pets_animals/Inside_Beijing_s_shoc ...
      • Akairenn, on 03/19/2008, -2/+8Dogs, sure, but not cats. Cats are worthy adversaries, and the general fear is that if we start eating them - it's only going to escalate, and they're going to start eating us. Can haz cheezburgr indeed.
      • digitallysick, on 03/19/2008, -3/+7I agree with you, even as a westerner. They are still animals , just because we have them as pets doesn't mean people around the world shouldn't eat them.
      • BabyWookie, on 03/19/2008, -6/+2Might as well eat humans too. Seriously, cats and dogs are special. They have been the humans' animal campanions for thousands of years.
        • tdogg241, on 03/19/2008, -4/+1campanions = negatively charged ions to go camping with?
        • MetalPig, on 03/21/2008, -0/+0I'm sorry you're gettin dugg down. I dugg you up for the unstopable snicker that is attacting so much attention from my neighboring cubicle warriors. Perchance, they are unfamiliar with anions?
      • brianjlowry, on 03/19/2008, -2/+9Cats and dogs don't taste good with A1.
      • gannina, on 03/19/2008, -5/+3Cats are not considered livestock
      • allan17, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4Why isn't it OK to eat humans? Answer that and you'll have the reason why us westerners don't eat cats, dogs, monkeys, etc.
        • iplen, on 03/20/2008, -3/+1Humans have souls. Cats, dogs, etc. do not. Probably a very debatable topic I just stepped all over, but who gives a *****.
        • digitallysick, on 03/20/2008, -1/+1Shouldn't be anything wrong with eating a human, its meat.
        • KingGorilla, on 03/20/2008, -2/+1Humans taste terrible while a fine dog steak or kitty nugget is quite delicious
    • Vigacmoe, on 03/20/2008, -2/+1people eating kittens are also blamed in china, some random people have odd habits doesn't necessarily mean all people in the group are odd.
      and you don't know nothing about tibet, so shut the ***** up on that
  • selmer, on 03/19/2008, -2/+103I had to crap bad once in Japan and they only had squat toilets...I will say this, even though it was hard as hell and awkward, I crapped and farted for like 4 minutes straight, and must've lost at least 10 lbs. Something about being in that position man...pretty awesome.
    • digjam, on 03/19/2008, -0/+10Wow you actually counted the minutes...Man! you must be onto something!
    • Punisher2K, on 03/19/2008, -0/+26Ok, I laughed more then I should have
      • selmer, on 03/19/2008, -0/+16I was laughing almost the entire time...in fact, a couple Japanese guys in other stalls were laughing at me too...
    • webefools, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4hahahahahahahaa!!!!
  • frontaxle, on 03/19/2008, -1/+12I hope they don't dump this load of work on some poor loaf who already has a crappy job.
    • unjustend, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1awesome
    • romistrub, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1I think the genius of your comment went thoroughly unappreciated by the general digg-public.
    • MarsSentinel, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1no ROm, we caught it: dump, load, load, crappy. LOL @ potty jokes. /smugness off
  • pandikukka, on 03/19/2008, -9/+11Being from Asia, I can tell you that you will not have a problem ***** in squatting style.
    • secrity, on 03/19/2008, -0/+6Being a westerner, but living in Asia for a year, I can guarantee that bomb sight toilets are not easy (or sometimes even possible) for westerners to use.
    • AndreiOttawa, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2"squatting" and "style" should never be used in the same sentence...unless you are a "squatting professional"
    • Zindrix, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1Explain to me this, how to you keep your ***** away from your pants if they are around your ankles? Honestly I just tried this "squat method" just to see what it would be like and if there was any such "splatter-age" I would end up with brown pants.
  • camilos007, on 03/19/2008, -5/+61Squat Toilets are a horrible idea. This will make it harder for republican senators to tap their feet.
    • worldchanger, on 03/19/2008, -0/+13ZING!
    • Cattywampus, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5Maybe they can whistle or something to signal their willingness to hook up, since their feet are occupied with staying balanced.
      I wonder how you take a dump on a squat toilet if you have a "wide stance"?
  • swrostmore, on 03/19/2008, -3/+12Beijing's other issue - human rights abuses and cultural genocide in Tibet
    • allan17, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3This is much more important OK? People are actually going to have to use these ***** holes. What's a Tibet?
    • iplen, on 03/20/2008, -2/+1Jesus ***** Christ, how many more times are you people going to remind us of this? Continue to annoy me with the whole ***** 'Tibet tibet tibet tibet CHINA GENOCIDE' ***** and I'm going to start supporting human genocide.
  • ausfahrt, on 03/19/2008, -8/+5Get over it people squat toilets are better for your digestive tract anyways. They even have them on trains ... now give that a try on a rickety old track, just deal with it.
  • rzrshrp, on 03/19/2008, -1/+41I googled to educate myself about squat toilets and stumbled upon this website. I'm sure the disgusting factor was drummed up a bit for comedic value but it doesn't sound appealing nevertheless. http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000348.html
    • alpha94, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3I keep trying to think of how to describe the rant on that page...and I just can't do it. It's entirely too descriptive :)
    • ceruleanocte, on 03/19/2008, -0/+7I am proud to say that I am penised.
    • offspring06, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1There is no way I could that toilet without falling down.
    • RunnyBabbit, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1I lost it at "penised."
  • linkerjpatrick, on 03/19/2008, -7/+7I don't think China should be allowed to host the Olympics anyway but then again I've also grown sick of the stupid avant guard shows during the ceremonies and the fact pros can participate that it has no meaning anymore. I'm boycotting the China Olympics.
  • weister42, on 03/19/2008, -3/+4I've heard that squatting is a healthier way to poop than sitting, something to do with freeing the intestines from getting cramped.

    If you look at most other land mammals they always seem to squat when they poop, but from a sanitary standpoint seeing your own feces coming out is kinda weird.
    • camilos007, on 03/19/2008, -2/+7Don't most women sort of squat when using public toilets anyway? That's what an ex once told me. Don't know if its true though. If any peeping toms know, feel free to share this vital information with us.
      • diggduggDOOM, on 03/19/2008, -0/+5Hover. Like squatting, but not as low.
        • satanswetnipple, on 03/19/2008, -5/+1but only for anal retentive women with serious mental problems.
          • reticent1, on 03/20/2008, -1/+2honey, I don't know how many public washrooms you've actually seen - but i can tell you that at least 1/4 of the time I use a public toilet I hover because of unidentified liquids on the seat - which is much more of a problem in unisex washrooms by the way.
        • pcore, on 03/19/2008, -1/+4@satanswetnipple

          Yeah I'm sure women caring about their health is a serious mental problem.
          • satanswetnipple, on 03/19/2008, -3/+1How many times to bacterial experts need to test home and public toilet seats for communicable diseases, and coming up with NEGATIVE results, before you and your kind stop believing your old wives tales?
    • xlar54, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1Millions of people use toilets every day... I dont think its any more "healthy" than the other. And youre less likely to fall in.
  • ubitendo, on 03/19/2008, -9/+3Why do diggers care about such a pointless issue -- anything to promote some kind of faux "cultural superiority" I suppose.
  • Bloodwine, on 03/19/2008, -1/+23Squat toilets do look like they force you into a more natural position for defecating.

    However, I don't understand the sanitary claims. Wouldn't you occasionally get fecal matter on your feet/ankles depending on the type of crap being taken?
    • geekswife, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1No, you squat low, with your knees almost up to your chin and your bum almost to the ground. People seem to get the idea that you squat as if you're in a chair and let the fecal matter just fall that distance. THAT would cause messy problems.
    • down4twenty, on 03/20/2008, -0/+4plus theres usually handles so you can use that to hold your self while you bring your feet forward away from your ass if you know your hot pepper rice is going to splatter out of your ass
  • worldchanger, on 03/19/2008, -8/+2holy crap. [no pun intended.]
    what a tragedy!!!

    suck it up and squat, you pansies. it's REALLY not that bad.
  • miloez, on 03/19/2008, -0/+17what happens on a squat toilet if you have explosive diahrea? (serious question)
    • worldchanger, on 03/19/2008, -1/+6you don't hang you butt at waist level... you squat it down by your ankles.
    • shuffle, on 03/19/2008, -0/+10***** happens.
    • MarsSentinel, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1duh, ***** goes everywhere. like the lady with the pointy nose said: "What a world"
    • iplen, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2Happened to me. Twice. In such cases, it's imperative that you aim CORRECTLY, else teeter home with spotted underwear.
  • Zadernet, on 03/19/2008, -1/+10You guys know they installed a bunch of western toilets in the Olymphic village?

    Its ILLEGAL for locals to use them. Ha!
  • hokie47, on 03/19/2008, -1/+6So a squat toilet is like taking upper decker dump. I am set!
    • unjustend, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1you urban guerrilla you!
    • LanceUppercut, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1That is the only way to dump...at open houses.
  • oneredeye, on 03/19/2008, -1/+14Squat toilets may be more sanitary, but I don't want to risk even the slightest chance of ***** on my own feet.
    • sleepycoder, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3That's when a wide stance comes in handy...
    • satanswetnipple, on 03/19/2008, -5/+4They are only more sanitary in the minds of "Expert Teens" who have never experienced them. The "Expert Teens" that heard it from a friend who was an "Expert Teen" while they were watching an kung fu movie... so it must be true.

      The reality is that you stand in pools of piss and *****, and hover your arse inches over a revolting hole that turns most westerners stomachs. Avoiding ***** on your pants, dress, skirt, or ankles is difficult. Asians are moving to Western toilets over time for good reason, most of them do not like the squat toilets. Just like Europeans switched to sit down flush toilets from their squat holes and communal rag on a stick for wiping everyone's arse.
      • whyufail, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3"Expertteens:"= "I'm a self righteous douchebag"
    • nycmac247, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1you really didn't grow up with bunk beds, did you?
  • akatherder, on 03/19/2008, -0/+9Do they have stalls or are there just a bunch of holes in the floor? I wouldn't have any issues with this if I had a bit of privacy in a stall.
    • insomniacal, on 03/19/2008, -0/+9When I biked across western China I came across more than one public restroom where I was knee-to-knee with the guy next to me.
      • offspring06, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1Really?
        • insomniacal, on 03/20/2008, -0/+2Really. And let me tell you it was MOST distracting, which is exactly what you don't want to happen when the one thing you're screaming to do is get out of there.
    • annnnex, on 03/19/2008, -0/+2In public places, it's almost always a stall. Same thing as a toilet here except there's a porcelain hole instead of a seat.
    • Noein, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3Most restrooms in the cities should have stalls, in the country side the worst I've seen is just a mud hut with a ditch inside lol.
      • insomniacal, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1Yup -- been there, done that too.
  • david532, on 03/19/2008, -1/+11Anybody actually want to sit down on a toilet in Beijing?
  • Birukun, on 03/19/2008, -1/+11Not only is it good for you, but the legs on girls that grew up with sqatters..... let's say cellulite don't hit until they are 50.
  • DryMaltExtract, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3The squatting is no problem, for the first ten seconds. My knees can't take that. I'm underweight as well, so it's not a girth thing.
  • BlackJackJester, on 03/19/2008, -6/+5I find it interesting that China needs to "catch up" on infrastructure to appear modern and up to European and American standards. I don't recall this being an issue with previous Olympics held in European countries.
    • EtherGnat, on 03/19/2008, -1/+5So you're claiming European countries meet European standards? You're really going out on a limb there. European and Chinese standards are different, but different doesn't necessarily mean worse.
  • Danial, on 03/19/2008, -3/+10Westerners are pussies. Squat toilets takes skill.
    • JohnFlux, on 03/19/2008, -2/+1Do you really want to go to a toilet that requires skill where hundreds of people have tried to use it for probably their first time?
  • insomniacal, on 03/19/2008, -1/+3Squatting gets it out quicker. It's quite efficacious -- a much more natural position.
  • aaapples, on 03/19/2008, -0/+16Everyone invest in Magic Cone now!

    http://magic-cone.com/animation1.htm
  • Injeanious, on 03/19/2008, -1/+1If there portable how often are they cleaned out i mean a "western toilet" has more room under it for poo deposits squats your speaking about 2 inches depth there gonna clog up pretty quick and a nice hole for the smell to come out of. Maybe their gonna put them over manhole covers all over the city, in the road if they have to, it would follow the trend set by this Olympics.
    • groberts1980, on 03/20/2008, -0/+1Look out! Run-on sentence is coming right for us!!!
  • socketman, on 03/19/2008, -2/+3There is no way visiting Americans will have the leg strength needed to use these. Then those asians do all that martial arts stuff, so they are set. Oh well hopefully not many people fall in
  • CannedMango, on 03/19/2008, -1/+14Since when is the spirit of the Olympics forcing other countries to adapt to *your* cultural standards as opposed to experiencing *theirs*?

    Anyhow, after saying that... in this case, ***** China... they have no respect for anyone and I support a boycott of these Olympics based on their treatment of Tibet and Taiwan.
    • CannedMango, on 03/19/2008, -3/+2Rereading this I realize that my statement was ambiguous. What I meant to say was that since this Olympics is in China, we should be going in expecting to experience *their* culture and not expecting them to change themselves to appease those who are closed-minded. (For example, How many Americans embrace foreigners who refuse to learn English?)

      But again, ***** China. I hope everyone boycotts this Olympics and it is the greatest failure in the history of the games.
      • wizzroom, on 03/19/2008, -0/+0I'm Chinese but of Taiwanese origins. Let's not simply say '***** China' as even that can be interpreted in the wrong way. It's the government of China that we should *****. Many of the students who came out of the 1989 Tianamen Square massacre have grown older and their resentment and anger towards the government still boils. I'm sure they would like the world to know that they aren't in agreement with the government. Hell, I'm willing to bet that the majority of Chinese citizens, if allowed to voice their opinions on the subject, would be in favor of dismantling the party.
    • JohnFlux, on 03/19/2008, -0/+0I think there's a limit to how much I would want to embrace any culture. I'll stick to drinking bottled water for example :)
  • andydumi, on 03/19/2008, -0/+3The article says they expect half a million foreigners. Is that it? I would imagine a huge event like this would attract a lot more.
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/19/2008, -1/+2Usually, yes, but this is China. And who the ***** wants to go there?
    • EtherGnat, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1it's accurate, and I actually think that's kind of impressive especially when combined with the 2 million Chinese that are expected to attend. That's roughly one for every 11,000 foreigners worldwide, the vast majority of whom are far too poor to make such a journey. Hell, if more people did go what would they do? With 2.5 million visitors tickets must be scarce already.
  • fxu1989, on 03/19/2008, -0/+1Ohhh I remember using squat toilets when I was a little kid.

    I was always afraid I was gonna fall ;_; ... if I have a choice between sitting and squatting ... I rather sit .... but if not, I don't mind the squat toilets. Just, give me some hand bars.
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