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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not be able to come up with a good reason for why someone would shit on the floor of a public toilet.

33 replies

KellySeveride · 23/07/2026 20:46

Probably not BU to be fair.

During an outpatients visit today to a large city hospital I went to use the facilities only to be greeted by a large steaming pile of shit on the floor next to the toilet.

Obviously backed out disgusted and reported it to the nearest staff member. Have spent most of the day trying to bleach my brain (unsuccessfully) but every so often the rational side of me has tried to come up with a reasonable argument for why someone might do this. This has also been unsuccessful.

Even if there does turn out to be a good reason, why wouldn’t you report it? The staff member was horrified and scuttled off so I think I was the first to raise it.

OP posts:
StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind1 · 23/07/2026 20:49

I'd assume they're on drugs.
My nearest hospital has those blue lights in the loos ti stop people injecting.

CaptainMyCaptain · 23/07/2026 20:50

StrawberryLipstickStateOfMind1 · 23/07/2026 20:49

I'd assume they're on drugs.
My nearest hospital has those blue lights in the loos ti stop people injecting.

They don"t actually work because users mark their veins with biro before going in.

Secretseverywhere · 23/07/2026 20:51

I think a really small proportion of people are just disgusting. It’s called a dirty protest and some people also smear on walls, door and toilet seat.

Secretseverywhere · 23/07/2026 20:59

I’d say it’s not just drugs I knew someone who worked in Tesco (cleaning) and the male staff loo was frequently smeared in poo. He quit partially as disgusting but also the knowledge that this was one of his colleagues possibly someone who chatted to him at break and was really nice to his face knowing he was literally cleaning up their shit.

KellySeveride · 23/07/2026 20:59

Secretseverywhere · 23/07/2026 20:51

I think a really small proportion of people are just disgusting. It’s called a dirty protest and some people also smear on walls, door and toilet seat.

Just seems so alien to me that they’d get as far as the toilet and then well…not use it.

OP posts:
BillieWiper · 23/07/2026 21:01

MH crisis, fetishism, extremely bad bowel issues, dirty protest?

XenoBitch · 23/07/2026 21:11

I used to clean the offices of a branch of Hargreaves Lansdown, and we had a floor shitter there too.

hugasaurus · 23/07/2026 21:12

I’ve told this story on here before but years ago at somewhere I worked the women’s toilet had a phantom shit smearer. It turned out to be this woman in middle management, she left the company abruptly. It was bizarre. I didn’t really know her as I was just entry level in one of my first jobs and in a different department, but from what I’d seen of her she seemed pretty normal.

People do weird stuff with poo.

Littlerockflo · 23/07/2026 21:13

I would assume someone who mentally wasn't very well.

When I was younger I worked in a cafe in a shopping centre. We had our own toilets for customers but sometimes other shopping centre users would try to sneak in. There was a period where every single day someone was shitting on the floor or toilet seat or bin, basically anywhere but in the toilet itself. We had no idea who it was so the manager started staking out the toilets and going in after every single customer to check, it turned out to be this wee posh old lady who was going to Mark's and Spencers every day and then going to do a shit in some random location of our cafe toilets. It was so bizarre and random but when the manager spoke to her it was clear she wasnt mentall well (with her age I assume she must have had dementia or alzheimers but could be wrong).

NeverDropYourMooncup · 23/07/2026 21:15

Littlerockflo · 23/07/2026 21:13

I would assume someone who mentally wasn't very well.

When I was younger I worked in a cafe in a shopping centre. We had our own toilets for customers but sometimes other shopping centre users would try to sneak in. There was a period where every single day someone was shitting on the floor or toilet seat or bin, basically anywhere but in the toilet itself. We had no idea who it was so the manager started staking out the toilets and going in after every single customer to check, it turned out to be this wee posh old lady who was going to Mark's and Spencers every day and then going to do a shit in some random location of our cafe toilets. It was so bizarre and random but when the manager spoke to her it was clear she wasnt mentall well (with her age I assume she must have had dementia or alzheimers but could be wrong).

I've seen it happen with vascular dementia in particular.

PoppieCock · 23/07/2026 21:15

I’d assume a child did it and didn’t tell her parent.

Plump82 · 23/07/2026 21:18

I work in a large office and this happens regularly.

Matildatoldsuchdreadfullies · 23/07/2026 21:30

Years ago I temped in a very prestigious management consultancy firm. In one of the loos someone smeared, on a regular basis. It was incomprehensible to me then. And is even less comprehensible to me now.

KellySeveride · 23/07/2026 21:32

PoppieCock · 23/07/2026 21:15

I’d assume a child did it and didn’t tell her parent.

This was no child size poo!

OP posts:
Deadleaves77 · 23/07/2026 21:39

I dont think rational people are shitting on the floor? Presumably it's drugs or dementia or very mentally unwell

DieSchottin93 · 23/07/2026 21:40

When I worked in a hotel my friend in housekeeping found a turd one Sunday morning in the small swing lid bin in one of the ladies cubicles. Still baffled to this day.

Twinkylightsg · 23/07/2026 21:42

KellySeveride · 23/07/2026 21:32

This was no child size poo!

You would be amazed at the size of children's poo.

SereneReader · 23/07/2026 21:45

One of my DH's colleagues is a poo smearer, they are trying to work out who.

And the school i teach at, the children often throw toilet roll with poo on, at each other.

Iceplanet · 23/07/2026 21:48

Littlerockflo · 23/07/2026 21:13

I would assume someone who mentally wasn't very well.

When I was younger I worked in a cafe in a shopping centre. We had our own toilets for customers but sometimes other shopping centre users would try to sneak in. There was a period where every single day someone was shitting on the floor or toilet seat or bin, basically anywhere but in the toilet itself. We had no idea who it was so the manager started staking out the toilets and going in after every single customer to check, it turned out to be this wee posh old lady who was going to Mark's and Spencers every day and then going to do a shit in some random location of our cafe toilets. It was so bizarre and random but when the manager spoke to her it was clear she wasnt mentall well (with her age I assume she must have had dementia or alzheimers but could be wrong).

Did they stop her using the toilet thereafter or challenge her on it?

BeanNaGealai · 23/07/2026 21:50

I was in a hospital recently and needed to use the loo, which was unisex. It absolutely stank. There was piss all over the seat and the floor and the toilet wasn't flushed. I'm not talking about a little bit of wee on the floor. it looked like most of it went on the floor and a bit in the toilet.

Some people are just disgusting. Yes, it's possible it was an elderly person with poor bladder control but there is no way they didn't notice what they did. They could have told someone. Even if they didn't notice, they still left the toilet unflushed so it would stink regardless.

I told one of the nurses who organised some poor cleaner to clean it up.

Pistachiocake · 23/07/2026 21:51

Seriously ill and too embarrassed to report their accident? Dementia? MH problems? Those are the only good reasons (maybe). And obviously not all dementia/MH sufferers do this.

ChaToilLeam · 23/07/2026 21:53

There was a phantom poo smearer at my ex's workplace. They did find out who it was and he seemed to be a completely normal chap. Must have harboured some kind of weird simmering resentment though.

ilbehonest · 23/07/2026 21:54

you should watch "the turd burglar"

user1476613140 · 23/07/2026 21:56

Common with dementia patients. No need to be shocked. They often are not aware of what they're doing when toileting.

Happyjoe · 23/07/2026 21:57

There isn't a good reason. In a hotel in Manchester once, someone pooped in the lift. Left me flummoxed too.
My brother years ago worked at a station in Sussex, I think his eyes were opened how vile people were, especially in the women's loo. Used Tampax smeared on the walls, poop in places other than the toilet. People are just vile.