To ask if squatting on the toilet to do your business is really a thing?

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I visited a suppliers office for work (a major British company with a swank Central London head office). I used one of the loos in the lobby (there was 3 unisex loos, each with their own separate door and sink inside completely separate from the next).

On the back of the door was a sign showing a person squatting with their feet on the seat and a line drawn through it to indicate no squatting. Like this was a common problem they were dealing with? Do people actually squat with both feet on the seat to do their business on a western style toilet?! I know squatting toilets are common in parts of Asia, but they are on the ground. If I tried to squat on a western toilet I would no doubt fall in and break my ankle

This brought my thoughts back to about 15 years ago when I dated an Asian guy. We went to his mums house to visit her and his sister. His dad was away on business so it was just the mum and sister at home. I went to use the toilet and the seat was up which I thought was a bit weird since there were no men in the house. Anyway, I put it down, did my business and came back and we visited and ate lunch. I went back to the loo again before we left and the seat was up again. My boyfriend at the time hadn't been to the toilet the entire time we were there. So why was the seat up again??

I didn't have the confidence to ask him, but the first scenario about the signs in the office loos got me thinking about this situation as well.

I think it is an Arabic custom

Yes, you can get a toilet seat which tilts your body into this position. It's meant to help you void your bowels more efficiently. But merely aiming while squatting over a western-style bowl toilet from a height is going to end badly. God help the cleaners.

I used to work in a large factory in quite a multicultural town in the north of England. Broken toilet seats due to people squatting on them was a constant issue so signs went up there and there were mentions about it in staff meetings. This was about 20 years ago.

Not me. I plonk.my lard ass on the seat. My knees couldn't take it🤣

We have these at our head office in London. The lower floors are generally for IT and most of the IT teams are from the east, where squatting toilets are more common.

The signs don't go above these floors.

Similarly, we often find half filled cups of water in these toilets. Especially in the men's. They are using them to wash their penises, I'm told.

Ours is not to reason why.

Interesting, whereabouts in Eastern Europe?

I work and socialise with a lot of Romanian and Polish folk and unless they're extremely stealth about it none of them are squatters. The Romanian girls particularly would be utterly horrified at the idea.

I know I’m meant to eat 5 vegetables a day and not drink Coke but that hasn’t stopped me. I also don’t exercise as much as I should. Why is knowing something but not doing it so strange to you?

Yes. I taught in a college in Luton, it's a thing.

I know someone who did this on Western toilets. It was when I was travelling in India, and said person was finding it difficult to do their business so naturally went into their usual position and apparently had no problems. Maybe people in the office do it for that reason? I couldn’t though and to think I’d have to use the toilet after this!

Also OP, I know someone, also Asian who lifts the toilet seat up. They are not squatting on their but they find it dirty that sometimes drops/little sprays of urine can be left (and not seen) below the seat and for that reason believe it is cleaner to lift the seat up. They are very adamant about this and implement it in their household, all kids have been brought up doing this. I assume this is the same thing with the people you mention in your op.

Even traditional public toilets in France can be holes in the floor.

Squatting is more natural, especially if you can do the Asian/Slavic squat or what ever it's called and have been brought up to use the toilet that way. I guess some people must end up a bit constipated with UK toilets which are generally quite high. But when in Rome....

Bit dismayed by the prejudice against other cultures in some of the posts here. Squat toilets and the people who prefer them are not "uncivilised" ffs.

And the obvious solution is to install squat toilets in premises with a lot of visitors/staff who prefer these. Just like many eg Asian establishments install sitty toilets for the comfort of western visitors. As an occasional constipation sufferer I might well use them myself.

LOL at all the virtue signalling posts desperately saying squatting is better and loo seats are only for racists who don't understand science

I squat sometimes - seems to get the poo out and leave my prolapses inside my body better than sitting on the seat 🤷‍♀️. Really only poo at home though so I’m not out and about putting my shoes on public toilet seats. And wouldn’t wee squatting on a western toilet - that way wet messy chaos lies.

Found one!

We had similar, massive office buildings, we had an influx of foreign nationals, brought into work on some accounts.
It became a major issue for a while.
Also much talk about why non EU foreign nationals were brought in on special visas at the time, but that’s a whole new thread.

Seriously? Shoes that have been potentially walking through mud, animal poo, vomit, spit etc as opposed to a bum that has been washed that morning and encased in clean pants ever since?

People on here can be so weird sometimes.

These signs are all over the place in Australia and New Zealand too.

The toilets in Japan are cool. I definitely tried all the buttons. They aren’t the same on all toilets, but there’s usually always some to clean you and one to clean the toilet. Other toilets have extra buttons to play music and another to warm the toilet seat.

The most disgusting toilet habit I’ve came across was by Malaysians I used to live with. They didn’t flush used toilet roll down the toilet but would put it in the tiny bin beside the toilet. I would find that ok if they emptied the bin after, but they would generally leave it for a few days until the bag was full.

I've seen those signs in malls in the middle east and some public toilets such as motorway services have a mixture of squat and regular cubicles.

Yes. China for example. The seats are gross so everyone stands on them.

And lots of Middle Eastern countries

The most disgusting toilet habit I’ve came across was by Malaysians I used to live with. They didn’t flush used toilet roll down the toilet but would put it in the tiny bin beside the toilet. I would find that ok if they emptied the bin after, but they would generally leave it for a few days until the bag was full.

Have been in many toilets in Greece where there were signs asking you not to flush toilet paper but put it in the bin provided.

Was just about to mention Greece.

Apparently travel broadens the mind but I guess these days you can broaden your mind by staying put.

The signs here in NZ are predominately aimed at Asian tourists.

If I had to squat I'd need to take a friend to pull me up again 🙈😂

My previous company was a very prestigious firm. We definitely had this problem!! Dirty shoe prints on the actual toilet seat. How the fuck someone didn’t break their neck with their toilet gymnastics, I’ll never know. My main issue was the fact that shit and piss were regularly cascaded down the toilet bowl and onto the floor 😠 Revolting!!