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:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—Hugh O’Neill (20th century)
“do not sleep
he wants to climb out of the toilet when you sit on it
and make a home in the embarrassed hair do not sleep
he wants you to walk into him as into a dark fire.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? All the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry.”
—John Lennon (1940–1980)