Ass gaskets - yea or nay?

[Rebo]

If available, do you use the paper ass gasket before you sit down? Are you male or female?

We have the dispensers installed in the stalls where I work, but I never use them. From what I can hear, most of the women do.

Just a curiosity poll...

[Hi, Neighbor!]

I can honestly say I have no idea what an "ass gasket" is. Or, maybe it's slang for something I know of, but have never heard it referred to as an "ass gasket." BRB to google..

[cowgirl]

After years of mildly intensive research (consisting of idly contemplating the question, and asking whoever is nearby when I do), I have not found a single example of a disease whose transmission could be prevented by using one (or by hovering over the seat), or indeed any benefit other than relieving the user's irrational sense of ickiness.

As I prefer not to use up planetary resources on products which serve no purpose, I don't use them.

[FirstAndMain]

Originally Posted by cowgirl

After years of mildly intensive research (consisting of idly contemplating the question, and asking whoever is nearby when I do), I have not found a single example of a disease whose transmission could be prevented by using one (or by hovering over the seat), or indeed any benefit other than relieving the user's irrational sense of ickiness.

As I prefer not to use up planetary resources on products which serve no purpose, I don't use them.

You would not believe the stuff I have seen on our office toilet seat. There is no damn way I am sitting on that seat without a layer of protection.

[Rebo]

It's the paper thing you put down on the toilet seat so you don't actually touch it.

[Sinfai]

I've heard of them but have never seen them in the UK. I don't recall seeing them when I visited New York a year or so ago either. I'm sure I'd have tried one out for the novelty factor if I had.

[Ferret Herder]

Female, and sometimes - only if I'd had to wipe urine off the seat from some precious princess who thinks her bottom is far too delicate to sit on a public toilet seat with or without gasket, and thus hovers over the seat, sprays urine on it, and doesn't have the common decency to at least wipe up her pee. I figure if I haven't done a good enough job of cleaning up after this pig, I don't want to be doubly punished by not only having to wipe up the urine of a stranger, but also get it on my own skin. (No, I don't think that it probably harbors some kind of germs, though it's only sterile so long as it's in the body - I just don't happen to be into getting someone else's urine on me.)

Sometimes I even toss one down on the ground to shield my pants cuffs if the filthy beast managed to whiz on the floor too.

I really don't get how it is that someone managed to pee on the back (behind the seat, no tank there) of the toilet. Did she just lean way forward while hovering and manage to backspray?

Jesus Christ on a pogostick, I work in a clinic, and the restrooms are cleaned at least four times a day (besides seeing the cleaning staff all the time, there's a cleaning time and date log inside the bathroom door). They're spotless until these too-good-for-sitting-on-paper types get in there and muck them up.

[Hi, Neighbor!]

The bathroom here at work is surprisingly clean. We have a unisex bathroom upstairs, so it gets a lot of use. There is no option for the ass gasket, but even if they were available, I wouldn't be compelled to use them.

I have been to some run-down gas station bathrooms where I'll use a makeshift ass gasket out of the TP. These are the toilets that you can tell have not been cleaned in months.

[Darmund]

I usually use them in public restrooms, especially if the place looks funky. We don't have them at work, and I doubt I'd bother with them if we did.

[Hi, Neighbor!]

Is there a more formal term for ass gaskets? Or is that the scientific, technical name?

[Elyanna]

I think they're stupid.

[Doyle]

I'll double over in pain before I'll take a seat in a public restroom.

[Monstera deliciosa]

I'm not particularly squeamish, but if the bathroom looks iffy, I'll use 'em. I absolutely will not hover.

[pbbth]

I have no need of them unless the bathroom looks really gross. We don't have them here in our office and I found one partially flushed the other day. That means some woman bought a box and brought them from home because she is that afraid of germs. Some people are weirdos.

[Uthrecht]

If the seat doesn't look clean, I'll generally clean down the seat with toilet paper. If it looks like that won't help, I'll pick another stall or another restroom. I don't feel worry about disease transmittal from rear to rear; the concern to me is more of liquids or worse - in which case a cleaning is better than just putting a layer of paper down to get wet, then sitting on that.

[ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness]

At work, hell yeah, because the stalls are extremely cold and the seats are like ice. The gasket works as insulation.
In a public restroom, I'll wipe down the seat with TP, but forgo the gasket unless the seat is really questionable. Mentally I know I'm not going to catch anything, but that doesn't mean I'm OK with someone else's skid mark touching my skin.

[einmon]

I've never used one. I don't really see the benefit of additionally having to peel wet paper off your behind - wouldn't they get sticky if you actually NEEDED to use one because of an urine stained seat?

ETA: Uthrecht and I obviously see eye to eye on wet paper. Not in the same stall, though.

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by einmon

I've never used one. I don't really see the benefit of additionally having to peel wet paper off your behind - wouldn't they get sticky if you actually NEEDED to use one because of an urine stained seat?

ETA: Uthrecht and I obviously see eye to eye on wet paper. Not in the same stall, though.

Typically I clean off a seat by grabbing a big clump of toilet paper, dipping a bit into the (clean-ish) toilet water, and rubbing down areas of the seat that appear dirty/urine-soaked. That goes in the toilet, then a new dry wad of TP to dry the seat, and then I lay a gasket over top in case I've missed a spot or not fully dried the seat off. You'd have to have a significant amount of wetness on the seat to get a wet gasket.

The way I figure it, I'm not going to call the cleaning staff just to clean off a seat in the washroom, and I'm not going to leave that for one of our patients to find. (Worse problems definitely make me call for the staff - they're the ones with the cleaning supplies and the gloves/plungers.) So I might as well make sure I do a decent job and don't get wet spots on my butt.

[hajario]

How do I put this delicately?

I do use them. It's not because I'm concerned with the seat touching my thighs and butt. It's because of the flappy part that hangs down to prevent another part of my anatomy from touching the inside of the bowl.

[Morgenstern]

Originally Posted by hajario

How do I put this delicately?

I do use them. It's not because I'm concerned with the seat touching my thighs and butt. It's because of the flappy part that hangs down to prevent another part of my anatomy from touching the inside of the bowl.

Damn hemorrhoids.

[Ramsey]

I had a coworker who called them "Nixon party hats". I found it uproarious but I really don't know what she meant. I normally use them if they are available.

[Yorikke]

Originally Posted by Ferret Herder

Typically I clean off a seat by grabbing a big clump of toilet paper, dipping a bit into the (clean-ish) toilet water, and rubbing down areas of the seat that appear dirty/urine-soaked.

Dude, that's fucked up right there. I know for a fact that the toilet where works flushes incompletely, but not so you can tell by looking at the water. Just a heads-up...

Joe

[Ferret Herder]

Originally Posted by Wheresgeorge04

Dude, that's fucked up right there. I know for a fact that the toilet where works flushes incompletely, but not so you can tell by looking at the water. Just a heads-up...

My workplace's toilets do a majorly loud and powerful suction-down whirlpool. I'd trust a little bit of water from the bowl a lot more than urine sprayed on the seat.

[cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Ferret Herder

My workplace's toilets do a majorly loud and powerful suction-down whirlpool. I'd trust a little bit of water from the bowl a lot more than urine sprayed on the seat.

It may be that the drops on the seat are not urine, but are spray from the enthusiastic flush. I have seen this happen.

[happiness]

I'll use them if the restroom looks kind of skanky. Or, of course if someone else has left urine on the seat before me. In that case, I'll wipe off any remaining liquid with toilet paper, then put the paper down. That way I don't have the wet paper stuck to my behind problem.

For me, it's not a sense of protecting from germs, just that putting my bare skin where other people have kind of grosses me out. I still use public restrooms and everything, I'm just a little bit uneasy about it.

[mlerose]

I'll wipe off a seat that looks spotty but won't use a gasket.

I'll hover in a super grimy bathroom (like a toilet on a train in Italy) and clean up any mess I make afterward.

[teela brown]

The very few times I've used them, I noticed that the center halfway-punched-out big tab doesn't really pop out and hang down; it stays mostly attached and your pee just sort of slides along the top of it until it finds an outlet to drip out.

So how does this work if you need to poop?

[Geobabe]

Originally Posted by teela brown

The very few times I've used them, I noticed that the center halfway-punched-out big tab doesn't really pop out and hang down; it stays mostly attached and your pee just sort of slides along the top of it until it finds an outlet to drip out.

So how does this work if you need to poop?

Just detach it manually. Some brands have that piece fully cut out and some don't; I imagine it's easier to handle during the manufacturing and packaging process if the paper is still sort of in one piece.

I occasionally use seat covers if the bathroom is dirty and they're available, but most of the time I just sit on the seat, wiping it with TP if a delicate flower has pissed on it, cursing under my breath all the while, because godDAMN, that's rude. The only time I ever hover is in porta-potties, because it's usually impossible to get those dry enough to sit on, since the seat is almost flush with the surface and there's always urine lurking beneath.

[timbicile]

"The only time I ever hover is in porta-potties, because it's usually impossible to get those dry enough to sit on, since the seat is almost flush with the surface and there's always urine lurking beneath."

That is beautiful. Almost poetry.

Brought a tear to my eye.

Geobabe.

[takowasakun]

In the US, if the toilet seat was noticeably dirty and there were no alternatives available, I'd do as Uthrect and wipe the seat down. I won't bother with ass gaskets as they are just unwieldy (and I just hold my junk to keep it out of the water and off the sides of the bowl, same as I do at home).

Now I can just use the Japanese-style toilets which don't involve any contact whatsoever. Even if the particular toilet is gross and uncleaned at all, at least I don't have to touch any of it.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by seodoa

Now I can just use the Japanese-style toilets which don't involve any contact whatsoever. Even if the particular toilet is gross and uncleaned at all, at least I don't have to touch any of it.

I really do prefer squat toilets. Especially the indoor ones. The lack of flies is a clear advantage.

[Salambo]

Pfft. That thin tissue paper? That's complimentary gift wrap. I take it home and tuck birthday presents into it, then throw it into a festive bag. I only wish it came in purple.

No, I don't use them. If the bathroom is that suspect, I'll wait.

[Seeker of Truth & Beauty]

Originally Posted by seodoa

Now I can just use the Japanese-style toilets which don't involve any contact whatsoever. Even if the particular toilet is gross and uncleaned at all, at least I don't have to touch any of it.

How does one go about defecating in something like that?

I never use ass-gaskets. I wipe the seat. I figure I'm going to die someday anyway, and if I get some disease, well, it'll make it more interesting that way.


Also, I love threads like these where the guys get to talk about their genitals.

[Yorikke]

Originally Posted by Seeker of Truth & Beauty

How does one go about defecating in something like that?

[/SIZE]

You're supposed to squat over it. I'll never visit Japan. I have MD, but am not in a wheelchair. I could never get up from a squat over that without getting shit all over. No railings for help, either. Fuck 'em.

Joe

[takowasakun]

Originally Posted by Seeker of Truth & Beauty

How does one go about defecating in something like that?

Basically what Wheresgeorge04 said, you stand on either side of it, facing the hood, drop your pants to somewhere between your knees and arse, then you squat and make your deposit.

Originally Posted by Wheresgeorge04

You're supposed to squat over it. I'll never visit Japan. I have MD, but am not in a wheelchair. I could never get up from a squat over that without getting shit all over. No railings for help, either. Fuck 'em.

Joe

The squat toilets in public places usually do have railings, my school's do as well. Tons of people with MD and other disabilities poop just fine. Also, most every public restroom in Japan has at least one you-shiki, or Western-style crapper available. In Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other larger cities the public restrooms are almost entirely western-style, with only a single Japanese-style toilet for the diehard squatters.

Interesting story: When my professor in university first came to America, it was his first experience with a Western-style toilet. He had grown up in rural Japan before Western-style toilets had caught on. The very idea of putting his butt where somebody else's butt had been poopin' disgusted him to no end, so he instead would always try to use it like he would a Japanese toilet, squatting over it.

[sinjin]

Originally Posted by seodoa

Basically what Wheresgeorge04 said, you stand on either side of it, facing the hood, drop your pants to somewhere between your knees and arse, then you squat and make your deposit.



The squat toilets in public places usually do have railings, my school's do as well. Tons of people with MD and other disabilities poop just fine. Also, most every public restroom in Japan has at least one you-shiki, or Western-style crapper available. In Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other larger cities the public restrooms are almost entirely western-style, with only a single Japanese-style toilet for the diehard squatters.

Interesting story: When my professor in university first came to America, it was his first experience with a Western-style toilet. He had grown up in rural Japan before Western-style toilets had caught on. The very idea of putting his butt where somebody else's butt had been poopin' disgusted him to no end, so he instead would always try to use it like he would a Japanese toilet, squatting over it.

Heh, I was good friends with a couple of guys in grad school, twins, who were from Indonesia. One of them related that when they first came to the US someone in their dorm said: "Cheng and Eng, where are your feet?"

I subsequently went to Indonesia and a few surrounding countries and found that standing on the rim was not as hard as it might seem at first. I am still annoyed at people who stand on the seat. That's just wrong. And don't even get me going on the women that hover and piss all over the seat and don't wipe it up. Bitches are the same ones that don't flush. If I ever catch one of those coming out I swear to god I'm going to frog-step them back in and make them lick the seat clean.

[Yorikke]

Never use it - it's worthless. I just spit on some tp, wipe the seat down, and do it to it.

Joe

[CrazyCatLady]

I, for one, am appalled that none of the options in the poll were "You've got to be shitting me."

[SoylentPopTart]

meh, I have to sit in a public bathroom so infrequently that I don't feel like I'm killing the planet by using a paper cowboy hat.
And our work bathrooms are nasty. I doubt it does anything but it can't hurt either.

[Borborygmi]

Male; use one if offered. I'm surprised by the results of this poll so far.

Generally I manage to avoid public bathroom stalls altogether. There's no throne like the home throne. When I gotta, though, sure... I'll use one of the paper thingies if they're there.

On the other hand, I hate using paper towels after washing up... something about the feel and even the smell. So, I recoup the paper I'm wasting on my ass by not drying my hands before I leave.

[Khampelf]

Originally Posted by SoylentPopTart

meh, I have to sit in a public bathroom so infrequently that I don't feel like I'm killing the planet by using a paper cowboy hat.
And our work bathrooms are nasty. I doubt it does anything but it can't hurt either.

You and Ramsey used up the 'hat' jokes, damn your eyes. Though I'd never heard the 'Nixon party hats' variation. The only time I've ever vandalized a bathroom was to write "Free Cowboy Hats, Take One!!" above the ass gasket dispenser. This was in a truck stop in Wyoming.

[SoylentPopTart]

Originally Posted by Khampelf

You and Ramsey used up the 'hat' jokes, damn your eyes. Though I'd never heard the 'Nixon party hats' variation. The only time I've ever vandalized a bathroom was to write "Free Cowboy Hats, Take One!!" above the ass gasket dispenser. This was in a truck stop in Wyoming.

Not all the jokes. When I said I used the paper cowboy hat, I didn't necessarily mean as a seal between my arse and the seat. In fact, in the privacy of the stall, sometimes I just like to wear the hat.


because it makes me look cool


don't judge me

[Uthrecht]

Originally Posted by SoylentPopTart

In fact, in the privacy of the stall, sometimes I just like to wear the hat.

As a loincloth?

[Khampelf]

Originally Posted by SoylentPopTart

because it makes me look cool

Well, if by 'cool' you mean 'totally demented and probably a danger to society', then yes, that's way cool.

And that's not a judgment, it's personal experience talking.

[Control-Z]

I'm going to say "yes", but I've never used one. Generally I never do #2 in a public toilet. The very few times I've had to, the fancy little paper things weren't available, I just used TP to to a makeshift cleanup. Bleh.

[Doyle]

Originally Posted by Control-Z

I'm going to say "yes", but I've never used one. Generally I never do #2 in a public toilet. The very few times I've had to, the fancy little paper things weren't available, I just used TP to to a makeshift cleanup. Bleh.

I'm the same. Never, never except in extreme emergencies. However, my last emergency led me to the Macy's in Baton Rouge and I must say,turned out to be a very pleasant experience.

[welby]

I don't mainly because I try to avoid #2 in public. I also tend to have handy a squeeze bottle of the germ killer stuff, so I'll use that and some TP/paper towels to wipe the seat down before use. If I don't have my germ killer, I'll still use towels/soap to give it a wipe.

[Rebo]

Amazing (almost) ties in this poll.

Hmm.

Thanks for playing!