Toilet
From Freepedia
A toilet is a plumbing fixture and a disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes urine and feces. In addition to this primary purpose, it is frequently used to dispose of other bodily wastes such as menses, semen, and vomit, small items such as cigarette ash, cockroaches, dead fish and other small pets, and in a pinch, contraband.
The connection thus made between toilets and dirt, or distasteful items, has led to them being also used to dispose of wedding rings, letters or critical reviews with which one disagrees (cf. Goethe's example). In this case the use is partly (and in many cultures very strongly) symbolic, as in most human cultures the places used to dispose of feces and urine have some connotation related to dirtiness or rejection.
The word toilet can be used to refer to the fixture itself or the room containing it; the latter predominates mainly in British and Commonwealth usage.
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Etymology
The word toilet came to be used in English along with other French fashions (first noted 1681), and originally referred to the whole complex of operations of hairdressing and body care that centered on a dressing table covered to the floor with cloth (toile) and lace, on which stood a dressing glass, which might also be draped in lace: the ensemble was a toilette. Alexander Pope in The Rape of the Lock (1717) described the intricacies of a lady's preparation:
- ‘And now, unveil'd, the toilet stands display'd
- Each silver vase in mystic order laid.’
Through the 18th century, everywhere in the English-speaking world, a toilet remained a lady's draped dressing-table. The word was adapted as a genteel euphemism for water-closet, perhaps following the French usage cabinet de toilette, much as powder-room may be coyly used today, and this has been linked to the introduction of public toilets, for example on railway trains, which required a plaque on the door. The original usage has become indelicate and largely replaced by dressing-table.
Vestiges of the original meaning continue to be reflected in terms such as toiletries and eau de toilette. This seemingly contradictory terminology has served as the basis for various parodies ranging from Jeff Foxworthy's routine ("If you think that "toilet water" is in fact toilet water, you just might be a redneck!") to Cosmopolitan magazine ("If it doesn't say 'eau de toilette' on the label, it most likely doesn't come from the famed region of Eau de Toilette en France and might not even come from toilets at all.")
The word toilet itself may be considered an impolite word in the United States, whilst elsewhere the word is used without any embarrassment. When referring to the room or the actual piece of equipment, the word toilet is often substituted with other euphemisms (and dysphemisms) such as:
|
bathroom |
the head or heads (originally from naval usage) |
poop-house |
As old euphemisms have become accepted, they have been progressively replaced by newer ones, an example of the euphemism treadmill at work.
Loo
The origin of the (chiefly British) term loo is unknown, but one theory is that it derives from a corruption of the French phrase gardez l'eau loosely translated as “watch out for the water!” The phrase served as a warning to passers-by when chamber pots were emptied from a window onto the street.
A much more plausible theory comes from nautical terminology; loo being an old fashioned word for lee. Early ships were not fitted with toilets but the crew would urinate over the side of the vessel. However it was important to use the leeward side. Using the windward side would result in the urine blown back on board. Even on modern yachts, most (male) yachtsmen, whilst at sea, find it more convenient to go to the loo, than to use the heads.
Types of toilets
Image:French Squatter Toilet.jpg
There are many different types of toilets around the world. There are also many different ways to clean yourself after you are finished using the toilet. A lot depends on national mores and local resources. The most common choice in the Western world is toilet paper, sometimes used in conjunction with the bidet; see toilet paper for a discussion of the many alternatives used through history and in different cultures. In most of Asia the custom is to use water rather than paper, traditionally the left hand is used for this for which reason that hand is considered impolite or polluted in many eastern countries.
Some toilet areas are specially adapted for people with disabilities. These are wide enough to allow the entry by a person in a wheelchair and often feature hand-holds bolted to the wall, enabling the person to maneuver onto the toilet if necessary.
The most common type of toilet in the West is the flush toilet, although the squat toilet is still somewhat common in public restrooms in southern and eastern Europe (including parts of France, Greece, Italy, and the Balkans) as well as East Asia (China and Japan) and other places. However, there are many different types of toilets:
- Main designs
- Flush toilet
- Squat toilet
- Urinal
- Wall-hung urinal
- Floor-length urinal
- Gutter type urinal
- Female urinal
- Specialty
- Toilet with built-in bidet
- Chemical toilet
- Dry toilet
- Pit toilet: very commonly in camping grounds in the United States. Also known as an outhouse in the U.S.
- Composting toilet: Very commonly found in camping grounds in Europe, and large climbing parks. Also found in some modern ecologically designed buildings.
- Urine-diverting, dry composting: a source-separation toilet that keeps urine and feces separate and simplifies the composting process. Can also be called an ecosan (from ecological sanitation) toilet, and is a viable alternative to flush sanitation in urban areas [1].
- Head: a toilet on a boat, which often has a pump to bring cleaning sea water in and move waste outside the hull
Toilets in private residences
In the developed world almost all residences have at least one toilet. In the home, a toilet may or may not be in the same room as a shower, bathtub, and/or wash basin. Recent suggestions in India would make the ownership of a toilet compulsory for all politicians. [2].
Public toilets
Image:Portable-toilet-Netherlands.jpg Public facilities often have many toilets partitioned by stalls, with the washing facilities in a separate area where other people of the same sex are present. The washing area may be common to both sexes. Facilities for men often also have separate urinals, either wall-mounted fixtures designed for a single user, or a constantly-draining basin or trough for collective use. Wall-mounted urinals are sometimes separated by small partitions or other obstructions for privacy, i.e., to keep the user's genitals hidden from public view.
Outdoor public toilets (in the street, around parks, etc.) are a form of street furniture. For mixed sex arrangements, there are cubicles varying from simple devices with little or no plumbing to more luxurious versions that automatically clean themselves after every use. Facilities without walls all around are typically for urination only, and for men only; although passers-by can see the urinating men from the back, they cannot see the genitals.
Some facilities are mobile and can thus be put in place where and when needed, e.g., for a weekend at an entertainment venue. Additionally, some can be sunk into the ground (and thereby made inoperational) for the periods that they are less needed. The idea behind this is that some people do not like the sight of a public toilet in the street, and they are more easily hidden than repeatedly moved. This type is typically installed in entertainment areas and made operational during weekend evenings and nights. People tend to be less shy about using it at these times, generally, because they are drunk.
A Port-a-john is an outdoor public toilet with walls which can either be connected to the local sewage system or store the waste and be emptied from time to time. Many toilets can be cleaned on the spot, or at a central location in the case of a mobile toilet or urinal. In Europe public toilets are also set up for cities as a compensation for advertising permits. They are part of a street furniture contract between the out-of-home advertising company and the city council. The reason for this combination is the shortage in city budgets.
Pay toilets
Main article: pay toilet
Some public toilets may be used free of charge, but others require payment. Payment can be accomplished by :
- putting money on an unattended plate
- putting money in a box with a slot
- putting money in the slot of a turnstile or spring-door
- giving the money to an attendant (who is usually also in charge of the cleaning)
The practice of charging for use of public toilets is the origin of the British euphemism for urination, to spend a penny.
Many train stations and bus terminals have installed pay toilets during the 1950s and 1960s. Most of these have since been removed because of vandalism on the pay lock mechanisms.
The use of pay toilets has been made illegal by some municipalities. In other locations, public restrooms must have one free toilet for every 4 to 5 pay toilets. In the United States of America it is illegal to charge for toilet use for any reason. The Supreme Court in a decision stated that you cannot charge a person a fee, because relieving oneself is a biological necessity. In the past some businesses used the payment system to limit access to toilets and this is still accomplished by use of a key system for patrons only or outright denying access to all of the public. In most areas this is illegal for public (stadiums for example) and government buildings.
Gender and public toilets
Separation by sex is characteristic of public toilets to the extent that pictograms of a man or a woman are used to indicate where the respective toilets are. These pictograms are sometimes (e.g., in California) enclosed within standard geometric forms to reinforce this information, with a circle representing a women's toilet and a triangle representing a men's facility. Pictograms such as those shown at the right (from the D.O.T.) have been criticized for perpetuating gender stereotypes; however, there may be no practical alternatives.
Many European toilet doors used to be (and still sometimes are) only marked "WC", which can cause confusion to non-Europeans. Similarly, in the Philippines the label "CR" (comfort room) is common, which is equally unintuitive to overseas visitors.
Sex-separated public toilets are a source of difficulty for some people. For example, people with children of the opposite sex must choose between bringing the child into a toilet not designated for the child's gender, or entering a toilet not designated for one's own. Men caring for babies often find that only the women's washroom has been fitted with a change table.
Sex-separated public toilets are often difficult to negotiate for transgendered or androgynous people, who are often subject to embarrassment, harassment, or even assault or arrest by others offended by the presence of a person they interpret as being of the other gender (whether due to their outward presentation or their genital status). Transgendered people have been arrested for using not only bathrooms that correspond to their gender of identification, but also ones that correspond to the gender they were assigned at birth.
Many existing public toilets are gender-neutral. Additionally, some public places (such as facilities targeted to the transgendered or homosexual communities, and a few universities and offices) provide individual washrooms that are not gender-specified, specifically in order to respond to the concerns of gender-variant people; but this remains very rare and often controversial. [3] Various courts have ruled on whether transgendered people have the right to use the washroom of their gender of identification. [4]
A significant number of facilities have additional gender-neutral public toilets for a different reason — they are marked not for being for females or males, but as being accessible to persons with disabilities, and are adequately equipped to allow a person using a wheelchair and/or with mobility concerns to use them.
Another recent development in public toilets is the "family restroom". Family restrooms are unisex but unlike other unisex bathrooms that allow only one user at a time, the family restroom contains multiple stalls designed for maximum privacy and communal washing area for use by both genders. The family restroom is designed so that a parent with a young child of the opposite gender can bring the child into the restroom with them without the concerns associated with single-gender restrooms. Family restrooms have started appearing newly-built sports stadiums, amusement parks, shopping malls, and major museums.
Toilets in private homes are almost never separated by sex. However, the size of a home or facility bears on the availability of options . Small establishments are limited by their space to the toilet options they can offer; it is more common to find a higher number of choices in a large facility. The same is true for homes; in more affluent households, where the homes are usually larger, bathrooms are also often more spacious than average, and more numerous. In such homes, bathrooms (especially master bathrooms) are increasingly being designed with an small adjoining room exclusively for the toilet, as well as separate washing basins. This makes it easier for couples who share a bathroom to maintain their desired level of privacy and personal space.
Toilets in public transport
There are usually toilets in airlines, regional rail trains, and often in long-distance buses and ferries, but not in metros, trams, and other buses. In trains they may have a reservoir, or the urine and feces may simply fall on the tracks, hence the notice which appears in many train toilets: "Please do not flush while the train is standing at a station".
- See also: Passenger train human waste disposal
"High-tech" toilets
Advanced technology is being to design toilets with more functions, especially in Japan. The biggest maker of these toilets is Toto. Such toilets can cost from US$2,000 to $4,000. The features are operated by control pads (sometimes with bilingual labels), and even hand-held remote control devices. Some of these features are:
- Water jets, or "bottom washers" like a bidet, as an alternative to toilet paper
- The "Washlet," Toto's portable hand-held bottom washer
- Blow dryers, to dry the body after use of water jets
- Artificial flush sounds, to mask noises such as body functions
- Urine and stool analysis, for medical monitoring. Matsushita's "Smart Toilet" checks blood pressure, temperature, and blood sugar.
- Digital clock, to monitor time spent in the bathroom
- Automatic lid operation, to open and close the lid
- Heated seats
- Deodorizing fans
History
Toilets appeared early in history. In the year 2500 BCE, the people of Harappa in India had water borne toilets in each house that were linked with drains covered with burnt clay bricks. There were also toilets in ancient Egypt and China. In Roman civilization, toilets were sometimes part of public bath houses where men and women were together in mixed company.
The invention of the flush toilet is credited to Sir John Harington in 1596, though it took improvements in the Victorian era (likely spearheaded by Alexander Cummings rather than Thomas Crapper as is commonly stated) for flushing toilets to become widely used. Before and during this transitional period (which extended well into the 20th century in some regions), many people used outdoor outhouses instead, particularly in rural areas.
Culture
Graffiti
For thousands of years, public toilets have been associated with graffiti, often of a transgressive, gossipy, or lowbrow humorous nature (cf. toilet humour). Examples were found in the ruins of Pompeii. Here are a couple of well-known modern specimens:
- He who writes on bathroom walls
- Rolls his shit in little balls
- And he who reads these words of wit
- Eats those little balls of shit!
- Here I sit
- Broken-hearted
- Came to shit
- But only farted
Furtive Sexual Relations
Similarly, toilets have long been associated with furtive sexual relations. These includes assignations ("for a good time call..." messages, note-passing between stalls) as well as the acts themselves, for which dalliances toilets provide a convenient (though not necessarily sanitary or romantic) venue.
For many years gay men have used them for cruising, i.e. for anonymous sexual contact. When used for such purposes, public toilets are often referred to as "Roman tea rooms". The playwright Joe Orton made reference to this practice in his plays. Particularly associated with toilets is the use of glory holes for peeping, or anonymous fellatio. Another example, equally open to heterosexual participation, would be sex in airplane lavatories, which is reflected in the phrase "Mile High Club".
Social Bonding
Additionally, toilets are important arenas of male as well as female social bonding. Boys may use the facilities to smoke, gamble, deal drugs, give one another "swirlies", or experiment with low-grade fireworks. Girls and women may share gossip and make-up advice. Often, boys will sneak into the girls' restroom as an intentional act of boundary-transgression.
In many cultures, each gender has its own distinct "toilet etiquette." American women may invite one another to go to the toilet together, and once inside, chat with abandon. Men tend to be more reticent (perhaps out of nervousness at being perceived as gay), and may even experience pee shyness; yet they too may feel a certain cameraderie (though this is often more easily felt during outdoor, toilet-less urination).
Sex- or Caste-Based Cleaning Roles
Toilets are important locations where sex- or caste-based division of labor may be observed. In Western tradition, cleaning toilets is considered women's work; in India, such tasks are allocated to the scheduled castes or "untouchables." Such mores may be changing in the wake of modernity; however, progress is slow.
Unusual Uses
American President Lyndon Johnson was occasionally wont to received staff members while he sat on the toilet.
In the wake of the cartoon film Finding Nemo, a number of children sought to help their tropical fish "escape" captivity by means of the toilet. Many sewage treatment plants responded by announcing that live animals in the sewer are almost certainly killed by the treatment process.
Several movies include comic scenes involving eruptions of water and/or sewage while a character is sitting on the toilet. (E.g. Weird Science). See also Toilet humour.
The "Great Equalizer"
Symbolically, the toilet — like death — is a great equalizer: even kings must bow, and queens curtsey, before this humble receptacle — this "gleaming white throne".
Bibliography
- Temples of Convenience - And Chambers of Delight by Lucinda Lambton
- Thunder, Flush and Thomas Crapper by Adam Hart-Davis
See also
- Washroom architecture
- World Toilet Organization (organizers of the annual "World Toilet Summit")
- Bidet, Domestic water system
- Toilet paper
- Hygiene
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Excretion, Urination, Defecation
- Japanese toilet
- Jonathan Routh, for his publications The Good Loo Guide (to London), Guide Porcelaine to the Loos of Paris, and The Better John Guide (to New York).
- New Scientist magazine has had over the years articles on non-smelling, fly-less pit toilets.
External links
- Australian National Public Toilet Map
- History of Public Toilets
- http://www.worldtoilet.org - official website of the World Toilet Organisation
- Long outdoor urinal
- Four-sided transportable street urinal
- UK law against sex in a public toilet
- Survey on transgender and gendered washrooms, including discussion of transgendered experience in using public washrooms
- Toilets of the World - photo gallery and other resources.
- All About Toilets - A resource site providing general information about toilets
- A Brief history of Wells and Toilets -A short history of wells and toilets, book (2005),free pdf-file
- About family restrooms.
