Why do toilet seats have lids? (smell, plumbing, dogs, vents)

[Hopes]

I'm buying a new toilet seat and started wondering why they have lids since most people don't use the lids.

When I sit down on the toilet, I want to have clean hands. I don't want to lift a potential germy lid prior.

Is it just left over from the outhouse days to keep the smell down in the outhouse?

Lids don't seem necessary with modern plumbing.

[Squirl]

So I can sit down on the seat and talk to my husband while he's taking a bath...or vice versa

[mathjak107]

The lid can be quite annoying if it falls while you are taking a drink.

[Chava61]

If one closes the lid it prevents any water spraying out when the toilet is being flushed.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Many reasons for a toilet seat lid.

The Toilet Lid Must Be Put Down! It's Official and Here's Why

[jasper12]

So dogs can't get a drink.

[kadylady]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

The lid can be quite annoying if it falls while you are taking a drink.

Yeah, I hate when that happens.

[Rubi3]

+Today, there have been several of the "most people don't do this or most people don't do that" and each time the op had no way of knowing what most people do in the situation being discussed. They just dream up something to say and post it. Considering the millions of people who have toilet seats how can you possibly know most people don't use the lids? I like the lid to be down.

If the lid might be temporarily untouchable, a small reach for a piece of tissue fixes that.

[MrWillys]

I thought it was to contain sewer snakes and rats.

[Zenstyle]

Nobody wants to stare into that abyss. PUT IT DOWN.