Another Olympic problem — squat toilets

Yahoo/AP ^ | 3/19/08 | STEPHEN WADE

[cowtowney]

BEIJING - Among all the protests, pollution concerns and talk of boycotts surrounding the Beijing Olympics, a more basic problem has arisen for organizers: the toilets.

At the more than 30 test events held by organizers, the presence of squat toilets at many of the new and renovated venues has drawn frequent complaints.

"We have asked the venues to improve on this, to increase the number to sit-down toilets," Yao Hui, deputy director of venue management for the Beijing organizers, said Wednesday. "Many people have raised the question of toilets."

[susannah59]

I think I’m convinced I don’t want to visit any third-world countries!

[VanShuyten]

I was also impressed that when there WERE public toilets, they often didn’t have doors. “There’s a big nose trying to take a dump in stall three. Let’s go look!”

[Palladin]

There will be a rude awakening for many Olympics attendees when they find out that China’s sanitary facilities do not follow the Western model!

[VanShuyten]

AAHHH! The old “hole and a hose” of my nightmares is back!

[Palladin]

OMG!!!

Remind me never to go to China!

[JenB]

Never encountered anything like that anywhere in Tokyo or Kyoto.

[Allegra]

I hate these things. I have used one exactly once and it was because I was in a (two hour long) meeting in a building that had no other options. They were serving chai and they kept refilling my glass.

I hope I never have to do that again.

What are the Chinese thinking? I would have thought that their proposal would have covered things like this and that the Olympic Committee would have insisted on western toilets in their Statement of Work.

[Palladin]

If I did, I would sure enough burn all my shoes before I went home!

[Allegra]

How big is the hole?

Looks something like this. Lovely, isn't it?

[GSWarrior]

[WakeUpAndVote]

Looks like someone had the Peking Duck too.

[AppyPappy]

Iraqi toilet?

[TexasRepublic]

they have to have a cleaning lady frequently enter the stalls and empty the waste paper baskets

And I thought my job sucked.

[Allegra]

Iraqi toilet?

Yep. I actually took the picture. LOL

[AppyPappy]

I’ve had worse

[TontoKowalski]

I don’t know where you went, but Japanese public toilets are notorious for being unmopped, and it’s a good idea to take those free packets of tissues advertising loan sharks and pachinko parlors because many toilets don’t provide paper.

Jen, Van beat me to it.

You obviously didn't hang out at the same sailor bars that I did if you're enthused about how clean Japanese public restrooms are. Ha!

If you've had a few your aim can go awry, even if standing up. Any sit-down business just had to wait if at all possible.

[Joe Boucher]

1st time was at O Bs Tavern in Down Town Seoul.
Walked around one of three in the middle of a room and went out and asked my buddies.
Went back in and squatted and a lttle old lady about 70 came in and squatted next to me.
Welcome to Asia, Culture shock.
When I got back to Frisco I got on my hands and knees and kissed the ground and thanked GOD.

[GnL]

Here's a picture of one I snapped at Simatai, near the Great Wall about 10 years ago. This one didn't even have foot treads to help you guide your aim:

[Skenderbej]

Here's our $10 makeshift toilet when I was living in Albania. Notice the great flushing mechanism (the green bucket)!

[GnL]

That’s very luxurious! Nice job. What these photos fail to convey is the horrid stench emitted by these toilet “facilities.” One has to have a serious case of the trots to force oneself into the immediate vicinity, let alone to “commence action.”