Embarrassing travel culture shocks

[WildBalonz]

Since it’s summer and holiday season I thought it might be fun to share some silly or funny or embarrassing cultural shocks we’ve all had when travelling!

I’ll start with an incident that is both funny and embarrassing depending how you look at it. A few years ago me, my brother, his wife and her brother (my brother and sister in law) went on a trip all through China. We were on a tour bus traveling through some rural areas outside Guangzhou. We had a pit stop to stretch our legs and use the toilet etc and our driver proudly told us that the public loos we had stopped at had western toilets which were very uncommon in these areas. Great we all thought, however what he didn’t mention is that instead of individual cubicals they had very small almost like shower screens separating each toilet. Not much privacy at all! It made for a very embarrassing poo for me my sister in law and two other ladies on our tour 😂. I laugh at it now but at the time it was probably the most awkward and embarrassing experience our lives. Luckily she’s a good sport and we joke about it these days!

Same in Mexico! I can’t fathom why. Poor person having to clean it and changing the liners…

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Takoneko
Am puzzled by your second paragraph.
Is it not normal to call the waiter in UK?? or are you from somewhere else?
I don't often go to places with waiters now but I'm quite old and have seen waiters being called in multiple places in UK.
Never struck me as out of place?

🇮🇹?

What if you needed a poo when away from home?

What are people supposed to do if they need a poo?

I have a gut disorder. When I gotta go I gotta go. I do sometimes feel sorry for whoever is next though (I don't leave a mess btw).

This makes no sense at all! I don't particularly enjoy using a public toilet either, but surely if you gotta go, you gotta go! It sounds like you only have a problem with pooing in a public loo rather than weeing but from a hygiene perspective, I can't see much difference ...you're still touching the same urine-smeared door lock, sitting on the same seat, using the same loo paper...

As an aside, did you know its very unhealthy to ignore the call to stool? Sure, the urge will probably go away, but next time it comes back (hopefully when you're safely home), the stool will be drier and harder. It's a sure fire recipe for constipation!

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius the poop
stories we could scare @TwinklyRoseTurtle with.

My favourite is when I was in Asda and 5 mins from my house. I felt the urge coming on, quickly ran to the tills (didn’t finish my shop as i knew I wouldn’t make it in time). Drove home and yep didn’t make it home, actually shat myself in the car.

At 17 in the 1990s I stayed in a motel in Szczecin. It was like nothing anyone in the youth group I was with had seen before. You had to queue at a window to get your bedding which was like army blankets and then make the bed (bunks) yourself. There were cockroaches in the (shared) toilets and "page 3" style pictures on the walls in the room. The diner was also closed. A very strange place that would not meet UK standards. But a hotel we stayed at later was the total opposite and lovely so I know this was not a national characteristic or anything, just surprising that such a place could exist.

Mine also involves a toilet on a school trip when I was 17/18. I was waiting my turn in the ladies loo in Germany, one other woman came in and stood there while I was waiting.
When someone came out of a cubicle other lady just pushed straight past me and went in. Was then informed queuing is a very British concept by my teacher. I'm still not sure if they dont queue in Germany? or if that particular lady was just rude/desperate for a wee.

Years later I culture shocked someone else from Brazil visiting the UK when I put reigns on my toddler before a walk. They thought it was terrible 🤣

🤣

The bum gun question - I have one in my toilet in UK (I have Crohn's) but only use it in summer. Just poke the gun down between you bum cheeks and press the trigger. I then pat dry with a small towel which goes in a small lidded bin.
My friend has a similar toilet to Japanese ones (not as sophisticated) which was provided by S.S due to her disability.

As a child I remember UK train toilets emptied straight onto the railway line. There used to be a notice in the toilets requesting they were not used while the train was stopped at a station. It must have been really unpleasant for the railway track repairers.

Surprisingly this heavily poop based thread has made me want to buck my ideas up and get dd travelling! 😭

In the UK I might make eye contact or raise a palm up to indicate I wanted a waiter to come over. They generally look out for eye contact here. I’ve never called out “EXCUSE ME” loudly in a restaurant in the UK to get their attention. I also don’t generally need to flag them down to come and take my order, they come and do that automatically.

In some places we went to in Japan the waiting staff hovered nearby but studiously avoid any eye contact and they don’t come over to your table to take your food order unless you call out “SUMIMASEN” loudly enough to be heard. In one restaurant we got split onto separate tables on a trip with family and I had to text my sister to tell her to call out because her table was just sitting waiting for someone to come and take their order, awkwardly trying to make eye contact.

It took a few texts to convince her. We already had our food by the time they ordered and we had to go and wait in a park for them to finish their meal.

Not Italy, Eastern Europe..

Yes this really soured my one and only trip to Greece!

On holiday in Africa, not many Europeans visited. Small local children crowding round wanting to touch my skin as they thought white skin felt different to theirs.

I’ve often queued for loos in Germany and Austria!

Just carry Lysol wipes to clean the facilities before use and Wet Ones anti-bac for your hands after. I've found lots of dodgy loos in S Korea, Japan, Philippines and Greece. Philippines was probably the worst, but being prepared goes a long way.

I have a stoma bag now yes but again that needs emptying with very short notice so back to needing to poo in public places again

I did it once in the disabled loos in Sainsbury’s but hadn’t got my trousers down in time - I was on my lunch break so had to leave my trousers and underwear in the bin wrap my suit jacket around my waist like a punk inspired skirt and drive home. I’m sure people think we have a choice to do this but often had seconds warning time. I have a stoma bag now which is easier

Honestly for me it's how religious some places are. Not many people in the UK give a shit. Places like the bible belt in the US are mind blowing to me. Or strictly Islamic countries.

Not read the whole thread but naked public bathing in Japanese onsens takes a bit of getting used to….

During a trip to Peru we did a homestay on an island in Lake Titicaca. We were met off the ferry by our hosts, and the (older) ladies took the overnight bags and parcelled them inside big shawls and carried on their backs up steep slopes to the houses. The men of the community stood by, not helping.

There were several of us in the group but a couple of us carried our own rucksacks, even though it was hard due to the effects of altitude, because it was so alien watching the women struggling along loaded down like pack horses.