to think there is something wrong with Americans?

[TheBloodManCometh]

In Colorado, here for 5 weeks.

Why the HELL is there a half inch gap on either side of the door in all public toilets?? You can see everything going on!!!
This has been the case everywhere I've been in America?
AIBU to be both baffled and embarrassed

lighthearted btw. I don't really think there's something wrong with the Americans

ah so half bath is a separate loo. how funny that despite the name it doesn't actually include the half with a bath in it. but i guess that's because in BrEng the bathroom is more literally "the room with the bath in it"

i was in the USA two weeks ago and i wondered about the gaps in the cubicles - like i was 4yo and couldn't be trusted not to lock myself in and panic . i just got on with it tbh, i assume people aren't desperate to look in at each other

my grannie's downstairs loo literally is in the cloakroom - it's got a loo and sink plus all the wellies, wax jackets, waterproofs and walking boots

These situations come up in other languages. Like in Spanish you most often say bath for toilet room, but they also say "services" or "toilet" or even lavatory depending on local conventions. About as many native Spanish speakers in the world as native English speakers.

i was v. uncomfortable about the gaps, one of the main things i remember.

And i would never say going for a piss (piss is swearing), i would say going for a wee.

Oh I always wondered what a half bath was - I thought they were like small baths for strip washing in or something.

I lived in Germany for a few years as a child's we had a poop shelf and worms. As a young child, it was endlessly fascinating.

The public loos were unremittingly from though - a lot were just holes.

On the raf bases, they had portaloo type things but the bowl is about four times the size of a normal bowl, and it flushes WHEN IT IS FULL ENOUGH.

This seemed to be after about twenty pees or poops. They absolutely stank.

Oh, and 'man about a dog' is going to the pub round our way.

I say I'm of for a piss or a wee. DH goes for a slash or a jimmy riddle.

The thing that disconcerts me about lots of US loos is the funny low flush lever at the back - then I read that most American women use their feet to flush the loo

I hate it when a loo doesn't have a hook to hang up your bag. I never want to put my handbag on the floor so on occasion have had to hold it in my teeth. Ugh!

Well in glasgow we call a spade a spade. 'I'm off to the toilet' 'I need the toilet' are commonplace and not rude to me at all. We all do it.

Now I'm beginning to wonder if I'm weird. I'm English, but I don't like tea, don't like milk OR cream in coffee, and don't care if someone can hear me poo.

I don't want anyone to hear me in the loo.

you can still hear people go to the loo in british public loos surely? they aren't soundproof, just have cubicles that don't have gaps round the edges, and there tends to be smaller spaces under and above the door

you can, but some people refuse to use any loo, if there is anybody else in a 100 mile radius in case superman can hear them

I used to know a woman who was in a strange sort of relationship where they only saw each other about once a month, in a hotel on neutral ground, and she organised things so she would never have to poo while she was with him. I don't just mean she didn't want him to see her poo, she didn't even want to go to the toilet on her own and be gone that long so he might suspect she was pooing. If anything I would have thought he might be a bit puzzled that she didn't ever appear to poo.

Whats with the cloakroom? 4 bed one family bathroom and downstairs cloakroom? Which has a loo on it. And no coat hooks.

Women in the US flushing with their feet? No one I know does this. Of, course, come to think of it, it's not something that would come up in normal conversation, so I suppose . . .

apparently two thirds of americans flush public loos with their feet. not sure that this is unbiased data though

i would happily see more public loos with a foot pedal flush though (provided it were well-signposted for someone not used to them like me!)

Love the loos in USA never feel claustrophobic in them !

Scone you don't flush with your feet? You're doing it wrong!

Yes you're meant to flush with your foot!! I hate having to touch the handles in the loos here. Bleargh.

And thanks awayn for mentioning the claustrophobia factor. Thought it was wierd of me but I don't really like being shut up in a completely airtight toilet.

If I flushed with my foot, then it would be a good thing the gaps are there so that someone could see I had fallen on my ass. But I do thoroughly wash my hands afterwards so no worries.

My toddler DD (14 months) is going to just wear cloth swim diapers on the beach. Unless it's very sunny and then she will wear a rash guard top as well. I know this isn't usually done though...I remember getting a mini Boden catalogue and being surprised that they just had bottoms for baby girls- I'm just not used to it. But then I thought, how silly! Bottoms it is, and lots of sunscreen. :)

What I want to know is, are beans on toast your version of a pb sandwich? Before MN I'd never heard of people eating beans on toast! It's such an odd combination to me. But the arguments for it (cheap, filling protein) are often what people say here about peanut butter sandwiches.

Another vote for Japanese toilets, but be careful with the spray function - if you're sitting too far forward then you'll spray your back instead of your bottom

My friend took her young doc to Disney and was constantly told to cover them up like a spaghetti strap top was too much for a five year old. It happened even with the baby. She still can't fathom out what the problem was.

Our baked beans are slightly different though I think yank. I understand that yours have beef fat on the top.

Beans on toast with a bit of cheese on top is food of the gods though.