Prepare to be grossed out. I was. We’ve probably all experienced this, most of us more than once, but that doesn’t make it any less unpleasant.
Yesterday, I had to use the toilet in a public restroom, as people my age often do. When I opened the stall door, I discovered that the last person who used it left me a wonderful present. Having gone number two, he left without flushing. Eeeewww! Both the visual and the odor were gross.
What kind of person does this? You might expect a toddler to behave in this manner, but how many toddlers go into public restrooms without parental supervision? Especially when the door requires someone to come enter a combination just to let you in? No, I don’t think the culprit here was a toddler.
So was this some teenager who thought it would be cute to do this? Could it have been someone so uncouth he didn’t know any better? I have trouble imagining that either of these could be the case.
Why anyone would do this is completely beyond me. I guess someone who grew up using an outhouse and wasn’t aware toilets could be flushed might do it, but are there really any such people in the United States today? I doubt it.
Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve ever come upon this situation, but that makes it no less disgusting. I’m glad it wasn’t in a restaurant. I don’t think I could have eaten after that, and if I’d just finished eating I might have lost whatever I ate.
What do you think of people who do such things? Can you think of anything to do about it—other than flush? I can’t. Please share your thoughts on this sorry subject.
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David N Walker 
I’ve seen this way too often in public restrooms. I don’t understand why it happens. It takes 2 seconds to check and make sure everything flushed before you exit a restroom stall. Basic courtesy.
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Absolutely, Kourtney.
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Unfortunately I have heard that some teenagers do that “out of fun”, just to gross out people. But you’re right, it is disgusting. And the ones doing this, teenagers or not are the first ones to complain loudly about things like this, once it happens to them.
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Thanks, Aurora. If their aim is to gross people out, they certainly succeed with me.
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Unfortunately, I see this more often than I need to. I try really hard to only use public restrooms in clean places, but sometimes you can’t help it. And sometimes, even the best establishments have unflushed toilets. That’s almost worse, because you’re expecting more.
I wish I could provide an answer, but the only thing I can come up with is that someone is so much of a germaphobe they don’t want to touch the handle to flush.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
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Thanks, Patricia. I don’t usually touch the handle either, but the bottom of my shoe won’t be hurt by it. That’s how I usually flush public toilets.
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Sometimes a toilet with a sensor will flush before one is finished. Perhaps the person doesn’t know how to manually flush the toilet, but there generally is a discreet button to press. Most of the time, however, I imagine the waste disposal problem is caused by an inconsiderate slob.
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Think you got it with your last sentence, Sharon.
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I always wonder what their house must look like. I mean, my house could use a good cleaning, I’m sure, but at least I know to flush the toilet! Some people don’t even flush it at home. D-i-s-g-u-s-t-i-n-g! Bacteria and germs just a-floating through the air!
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Did they not have parents to raise them?
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