Toilets of the World (airport, plumbing, train)

[Julian/SWE]

That toilet sign I posted is for real... I just read that they have thoose in Japan.

[Orchardcounty]

Cambodia - a wooden shack outside a roadside restaurant. It is a deep black hole with a plank across it. When one squats down to do the business, you suddenly are greeted with "oink oink" from a couple of pigs below! Needless to say dont eat the pork dishes in that restaurant

[jtur88]

I saw small villages in China, where the latrine was up a few steps on a platform. The collection barrel below was collected every morning, and the contents used for fertilizer on the local farm plots.

Assume a billion people in China, with a half-pound a day of solid waste. That's a quarter of a million tons of fertilizer per day. Nothing is wasted in China.

One of the best meals I had in southwest China was in a country roadhouse, where the bus stopped for lunch. I had a fantastic dish with lots of big chunks of Canadian bacon in it. Using the restroom, I found it to be simply a n enclosure with a cement wall, and a trough next the wall, and an opening under it where the waste emptied behind the wall. There was a strange sound behind the wall, which I didn't pay much attention to. When leaving the roadhouse, I was able to survey the property., and I saw the hog-pen abutting up to the back of the restrooms. My wonderful Canadian bacom was from poop-fed hogs. Nothing is wasted in China.

[BereniceUK]

I could tell you all a disgusting story about a girls' toilet at a school in Staffordshire I used to work at. Best I don't though

On a positive note,below is the women's public restroom in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire. One of the nicest I've ever been in. Oh! and in Nantwich the women's public restroom has a selection of books for sale for charity plus tourist information leaflets - excellent

[BrightonMan84]

When I saw the thread title I thought it was gonna be a thread about the worst towns/cities you've ever been to (using 'toilets' in a more figurative sense)

On topic, my aunt has a book she bought in Australia, that I can't help looking at every time I visit. It's a picture book of all the weird and wonderful toilets from across Oz. Some very interesting pictures indeed.

[gal_in_NEPA]

[quote]I remember those 'WCs' on the Euro trains as well when visiting over there in 1973........./QUOTE]

And in the early '80's... on only some of the older trains, of course by that time I guess. I remember being told not to (do my business) when the train was stopped at one of the stations.

Gee... now I also remember being at a train station in Italy back then. In the bathroom, there wasn't a toilet, but on the women's side, there was a ceramic square on the floor with a hole in the middle, and footprints cast into it to showing where to place your feet. How things have changed!!

[Vichel]

Just so you never get caught short while traveling in Australia, our government provides a handy online guide to all the public toilets in Oz:

National Public Toilet Map

[5chevin5]

I live in Tokyo....

I may never leave this country purely because of the level of toilet comfort....The Toto!!
Its like being in a spa for your buttocks....Oh Toto, how I love thee!

When Im confronted with an ancient "squatty" toilet, I just keep going till I find the throne of Toto!

I hope all of you find the happiness I have.

On a side note I have experienced Thai toilets too, and I think that the article was somewhat out to find the worst potty possible...Those types of horrific scenes can be found anywhere in the world....

5

[jtur88]

Here is something useful to know. In Middle Eastern countries (not sure if this is an Arab or a Muslim tradition), you always eat using only your right hand. You keep your left hand out of view if you can, and certainly never touch food with it or anything that is on the table. The left hand is for cleaning yourself later, with or without toilet paper, and it would be a horrible affront to other diners to see you using your left hand to eat.

[AnInterestingGerman]

In the middle east they use a water tube. It´s cleaner than paper. And you can go to public toilets even if the room is dirty, because you don´t touch the toilet