Why open-ended seats?

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Macman

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Here's a change-of-pace question. Why are commercial toilet seats open-ended, while home seats are a full closed loop? We've been trying to figure this out but haven't come up with anything. I know, I need to get a life. :D

Dave M.
 

MI-Roger

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Sanitation codes....

Too many supposedly adult men pee on the seat, thus sanitation codes were written making open front seats madatory in public restrooms.

Aren't you glad you asked?
 

Macman

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Haha...okay, I suppose that's true. Thanks for the answers. And yes, I'm glad I asked. It's been bugging me for a while.
 

Leejosepho

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No, you are not weird or strange, just out of today's norm!

My dad taught me to always sit, so I have to wipe them first.

Have you ever seen footprints on a toilet seat?

I used to live in a park where some folks thought *that* was the sanitary way to use a public toilet!
 

SteveW

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Here's a change-of-pace question. Why are commercial toilet seats open-ended, while home seats are a full closed loop? We've been trying to figure this out but haven't come up with anything. I know, I need to get a life. :D

Dave M.


The generally accepted answer is to prevent certain hanging parts from contacting the front of the seat...
 

Kordts

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Like the previous poster said, it's to prevent your private parts from coming into contact with the seat. An open ended seat will fit any elongated toilet for home or commercial. Illinois code doesn't mandate open ended seats.
 
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Frenchie

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No, you are not weird or strange, just out of today's norm!

My dad taught me to always sit, so I have to wipe them first.

Have you ever seen footprints on a toilet seat?

I used to live in a park where some folks thought *that* was the sanitary way to use a public toilet!

In some public bathrooms, it is the sanitary way. Either that, or carry a bottle of bleach in with you...
 

rett

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Open ended seats and "hovering"

I, too have wondered about the open front seat. As it happens, an additonal function they serve when installed in a well designed outhouse or "Dry" Urine Diverting Toilet is to allow a small aperture for clean air to be sucked down the toilet riser by the pressure created by air moving through the larger diameter vent pipe. But I realize this is a forum on toilets that employ water.

More suprising and frankly, disheartening, is the apparent prevalence of "hovering" in public toilets by women, either straddling the bowl or standing on the seat or bowl rim in order to avoid contact with the seat. This obviously makes for more mess in public restrooms which only increases the degree to which the next people treat the facility with disregard and encourages further "hovering".

I learned about "hovering" when interviewing a college student who was a member of Engineers without Borders, and we were discussing the challenges they faced installing rural sanitation in Africa. She confessed that she and every woman she knew "hovered". When pressed, and mind you, this is a senior in college studying in science, she said she was concerned about STD's. Some notions die hard.
 
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