Rant: Would It Kill Them To Flush?

Okay, time for me to vent again. I'm so happy I now have a blog with which I can do so.

Sometimes, when you're out and about (at work, at the grocery store, at a restaurant, at the mall), nature calls unexpectedly and you need to use a public restroom. There is nothing worse than stepping into a vacant stall and finding out the person who last used it prior to you hasn't flushed. Notice, I left gas stations off the list because it is a rare thing that one will ever find a gas station restroom that they'll willingly use unless it is a dire emergency; hoping to find a clean stall in one of those is just asking way too much.

Now, I get that a lot of places have gone to those auto-sensor flushing toilets. You know the kind: those direct out of the Jetsons things with the little red sensors that if you move the wrong way can act like a bidet. They're really cool and great for the user to avoid having to touch one more place for germs. I like them (as long as they work and you don't have to push that little manual button when the sensor doesn't trigger - I seem to have an innate talent of finding the ones where the sensors aren't the most reliable).

But, a lot of places don't have these newer toilets. Believe me, I understand the older toilets. My grandfather was a plumber and ran his own plumbing company. The store and the warehouse had a lot of toilets - and this was back in the 70's when they were built to last. Because most places still have older toilets this is why I'm complaining.

Joe Slob needs to pay attention to his surroundings, take a look when he stands up (if he didn't look before he sat down) and realize he needs to push the button/handle/whatever and make his waste do a disappearing act. Don't leave it there for the masses to admire, moron. You aren't five years old any longer; nobody is gonna reward you for making a poopy. Flush the dang toilet!

Oh, and while I'm on this subject (like you don't want me returning to it again in the future), maybe some of these guys are listening too much to the females in their lives about putting the seat down. If you're using the stall and standing to take a leak either a) lift the seat first, b) put some concentrated effort into aiming (you've got a whole big bowl to hit there, cowboy - unlike basketball, rim shots don't count!) or c) wipe the seat when you're done.

Remember the golden rule: do unto others as you'd wish they do unto you. That and what your kindergarten teacher probably tried to school you on too: leave things in the same condition, or better, than when you found them. This simple act can go a long way, my friend, to the betterment of mankind.

I know I'd be much happier if I didn't have to run across this situation at least once a week.