For the guys (and stranger girls)...

[pennypinch]

What is the story with the low urinals? I mean, why, in almost every bathroom, are there a row of regular height ones, and then one midgit sized one? I mean, if a kid wants to pee standing up, can he not just go into a regular toilet? Nope, meanwhile, if all the regular ones are taken, you have to pee into this thing that's like a two foot drop, and meanwhile, the fluids are gaining velocity, until they get so fast, they start the dreaded splash effect. Yuk. Why don't the eliminate the short guy urinal and let the midgits and kids go in the toilets. Alternatively, how about provide, like, footstools or something?

[Booyamos]

HA ha ya I know what you mean, I think it is a conspiracy to get rid of tall people like me, damn those low urinals really hit ya when you are 6'6"... gotta start wearing rain pants in there.

[flyawaydog]

Have you ever considered people in wheelchairs, and yes midgets. If you were a very short person you would appreciate a low urinal. If you are thinking why not just use the stool (crapper), they are raised to accomodated wheelchairs and if you are in a chair you may not want to lift yourself off and over to take a whiz.

All public restrooms and most public places for that matter must comply with ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act. It has all sorts of regulations, like making sidewalks wheelchair accesible.

[This message has been edited by flyawaydog (edited 07-25-2000).]

[Jenny]

LOL Okay, but here's one for you. I am right around 5 feet tall. What's up with those places that ONLY have handicapped toilets? You know the ones--they are 3 feet off the floor? When I sit on those, my feet don't touch the ground! LOL Sometimes, if we are traveling, if I go in someplace to use the bathroom, we may have to leave and go somewhere else cause I can't use it there! LOL I'm thinking of writing a book. "The Best Toilets in the Nation for Short People" What do you guys think?

[pennypinch]

You mean wheelchair people use those low ones? Wow, that'd be hard. I'm sitting in my chair trying to figure out the logistics: I surmise I'd pee on my shoes or something.

[c64user]

I have trained myself to urinate in such a way as to avoid the dreaded splash. Survival is all about adaptation, and sometimes no other bathrooms are near enough to avoid the necessity of a little ingenuity.

But yeah, I don't know how low urinals would help the handicapped.

[tupacboy]

i think the answer is pretty simple... the low urinals are for boys... meaning kids...

[tupacboy]

i forgot to mention that they don't use toilets because those have long lines... especially since for some reason women always just come into the mens room when their restroom is crowded... but how come the opposite never happens... and you know if it does... only chaos will follow... hmm

[pennypinch]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tupacboy:
i think the answer is pretty simple... the low urinals are for boys... meaning kids... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yeah, I think we figured that out, but why are there "boy's" toilets in office buildings (i.e., where no children usually are). Additionally (and not to reiterate the ENTIRE first post) why don't kids and midgits just use regular toilets? They're at about the same height (I measured this morning), and they have less distance to travel, if you know what I mean, thereby negating the spalsh effect for normally sized people. The Low Urinal is simply a wasted stall.

[Doofy]

Think of the low urinals as handicap parking spaces. Sure they can wait for a regular spot (in this case that would be a toilet), but they would have to wait too long cause regular people share them too. But because they are handicapped, sometimes they just can't wait, so the handicap spot (low urinal) is there for them.

I have no problems with there being ammenities just for the under privileged. If I really couldn't hold it, I would use the lower urinal and risk getting my pants wet. Just like if I was in a real hurry, I would use a handicap spot and risk getting a ticket or being towed. (ok, don't slam me for using them at times).

My 2¢

[att]

i just piss on the floor, public bathrooms always have drains-no splash effects this way

[att]

oh yeah, as far as those tall toilets go, i hate those. there's one at work, and one day i was forced to use it, oh man, i could barely go. i like to get my feet planted, i 'm 6 feet tall and i could barely reach the ground.

[tupacboy]

att....hahahaha....

[flyawaydog]

How about fellas in chairs with no legs. they could possibly use the short urinals.

[att]

when you have a really big dick, you gotta use the low urinal, otherwise it hangs down in the water. i gotta like unroll mine, and if i use the urinal for some reason i have to have a low one, otherwise i have to stand hella far back

[sillyazn]

i hate splash effect

[Argghman]

You guys are all disgusting! Uhh, by the way, how do u avoid the splash affect? do you aim for the side so most of it goes on the side, or do u aim so it falls as much as possible but avoid the water so that when it won't splash. Or do u do it at a certain angle into the water? Is there some mathmatician or physics guys here who can figure it out? While we're at it, why don't we get an inventor/engineer to make a special splashproff urinal, and this forum can all chip in, and mass market the baby! ....u can decide if i'm kidding or not.

[flyawaydog]

I think that the law, every action has an equal and opposite reaction applies. If you aim low and close to the water then then opposite reaction will deflect the splash to the water, however if the force is too high the water will splash back at you. Also helpful here is gravity, it will pull some of the fluid down instead of its natural path that obeys the "law of pissics" I just mentioned. Now one must also pay attention to the angle the urinal wall has close to the water as well because it often close to 45 degrees here. Try to avoid that area because it will definetly get you wet.

[Argghman]

Here's another idea...you could avoid a splash if you enclose the urinal. Like a reverse funnel. That way the spashes are less likely to spash back out because the area the urine reflects off is less likely to go back out of the small area you aimed in. Of course for drunk and other handicapped people might not be able to aim very well. But it's an idea...or how bout an ordinary toilet that has a air suction system. Any splashes get sucked down the plumbing before or after it hits the walls. Unless you haven't been drinking your milk, you shouldn't have to worry about getting your joe ripped off. Nah...too hazardous...oh well.

[target]

okay, so the midgets get a short urinal because of a genetic disadvantage? and this is pretty well accepted by society because it is for their ease and accomodation? in that case i think that the rest of us mutants at the other end of the spectrum, over 6'3'', should just say screw the urinals and be be able to unzip in front of one of the higher sinks.

[att]

this is where the low urinal comes in handy. you are standing at a greater angle over the water in the bowl. if you aim for just above the water in the back of the urinal, there is barely any splash. you have to exploit the angles.

[Argghman]

An idea, but that brings us back to an earlier concern...partitions. =)

[target]

nevermind. if most restrooms won't put partitions between urinals, we sure as hell won't get any between the sinks. guess they're right, if you're not a pocket scientist with a degree in advanced pissics, you're doomed to splash.

[target]

yes, it's amazing how bored people can develop such complex and signficant topics.

[AJ]

i will avoid going way OT on midgets, but i love talking about them and their uses...

[quest577]

All I can say is that for the past few days I've noticed this topic in this particular forum....i haven't checked it out until today b/c I noticed it had 25 replies. Honestly I can't believe that this particular topic has received so much conversation...it'd mind boggling!!!

[carpenoctem]

Ok, here is how you avoid the splash effect (after years of careful testing):

Stand close to the urinal, and aim for about a 60 degree drop below the horizontal...the urine will follow the law of reflections and bounce of at a 30 degree angle...it will be too low to have any splash effect on you...this works best for the larger urinals, although it will work in some of the smaller ones with careful practice...

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And furthermore, I believe that Carthage should be destroyed.

[pennypinch]

Actually, after extensive research over the last couple of days (I've been drinking like a gallon of water a day just so I can pee 8 times), I've taken your theory one step further. The laws of reflection are correct, but if you have a urinal with a perfindicular sidewall, aim 60 degrees down, and 45 degrees to the right or left, depending on your hand dependance. THis has the effect of the stream sheeting by the time it hits the back wall. Problem solved, people.

[spigidygak]

Oh great now we're taking the law of physics into this. . . guess that's why I'm in college. . . Maybe we should publish a book on "the physics of urinals" or "vector analysis of urinals." Only one problem though, if there are no partitions the guy next to you could still be splashing on you. Hmm where did my hypnosis book go. . .

[This message has been edited by spigidygak (edited 08-03-2000).]

[got apex]

Being a firm-believe in Seinfeld, I think they should make bathroom doors go all the way down to the floor... If I'm clenching my cheeks trying to squeeze out something that's plugging up my butt I don't want anyone seeing my feet flail around.