Open Front Toilet Seats
In the United States, Uniform Plumbing Code Section 409.2.2 requires an open front seat: "All water closet seats, except those within dwelling units or for private use, shall be of the open front type."
One school of thought believes the gap in the open front reduces the amount of urine that lands on the seat if it is not lifted, as most of the urine will land in the gap. Another thought is that the gap exists so that the genitalia of one user cannot contact the seat and therefore possibly spread syphilis to a subsequent user if their genitals contact the same area. A third, and more progressive school of thought, concludes that the "U" Shape of public toilet seats can be attributed to ergonomical concerns of seated users.
Toilet seats found in homes and homelike settings generally have fully circular seats with no gap (closed front).
Read more about this topic: Toilet Seat
Famous quotes containing the words open, front, toilet and/or seats:
“I not deny
The jury, passing on the prisoner’s life,
May in the sworn twelve have a thief or two
Guiltier than him they try. What’s open made to justice,
That justice seizes.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“I got it: Man Without Head Kills Rich Jeweler. What an eight- column spread that’d be on the front page. Why that’s the greatest story since Lindbergh flew to Paris. Oh boy, if only it was true.”
—P. J. Wolfson, John L. Balderston (1899–1954)
“Mothers born on relief have their babies on relief. Nothingness, truly, seems to be the condition of these New York people.... They are nomads going from one rooming house to another, looking for a toilet that functions.”
—Elizabeth Hardwick (b. 1916)
“It has always been thought perfectly womanly to be a scrub- woman in the Legislature and to take care of the spittoons; that is entirely within the charmed circle of woman’s sphere; but for women to occupy any of those official seats would be degrading.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)