You may have thought about why public bathroom doors and walls have those weird, huge gaps, and they’re not so you can pass toilet paper to a desperate stall neighbour who’s short-handed.
No, in fact, there are a number of reasons behind the decision to design almost every public toilet like this.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t an worldwide toilet stall designer convention where everyone unanimously agreed, but it’s close.
Why do all public restrooms look like this? (Getty Stock Photo)
Here are some of the reasons behind why the gaps are as big as they are:
Safety and cleanliness
It’s a pretty important point to start off with – criminal activity and vandalism can be monitored through bigger gaps, without violating privacy.
Smaller gaps could increase the chances of anti-social behaviours or certain crimes to take place without people knowing.
It also makes it easier to clean.
More affordable
For certain establishments, such as schools, community centres, businesses and other organisations with large amounts of people, private stalls would cost more to install and maintain.
There are ways to install private stalls for less money, though stalls are just easier.
Accessibility
Narrow gaps caused by private stalls could complicate manoeuvring for those that require extra accessibility, which is often easier to do with regular stalls.
Universal accessibility is something that needs to be carefully considered.
Tradition
This might sound weird, but it would be an unwelcome and odd shift if all bathrooms across the country began to integrate private stalls.
It would negatively affect sociability in some bathrooms, as odd as that sounds.
Smaller gaps might be the way forward (Getty Stock Photo)
Arguments to reduce the gaps
But with all of that being said, some people may feel like the gaps ought to be reduced, for a number of reasons:
Improved privacy
Wider doors and smaller gaps would reduce exposure and give some users more space to breath, while parents will be more comfortable helping kids of the opposite gender.
Safety
Larger gaps may make people feel like they are vulnerable to assault, and also allows people to carry out illegal behaviour discretely.
Modesty
Things have changed a lot in the world since the original design was dreamed up, so maybe it’s time to fit to the values of society in the 2020s, where having your own space is important.
At the end of the day, depending on the side you’re on, the best you can hope is for new buildings to feature the public toilet design you prefer, as it’s unlikely that huge establishments will revamp their restrooms overnight.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Photos
Joshua Nair
Real reason behind why public toilet doors don’t go all the way down to the floor
Someone has finally given us an explanation on the design choices in some public restrooms
There’s a very good reason behind why public bathroom doors don’t touch the ground, according to experts.
It turns out that there are several design elements to public restrooms that go over our heads, from why it says ‘WC’ on the door or why some toilet seats are shaped in a U, there really are some mysteries surrounding them.
But we’re here to address one in particular – that being why public bathrooms don’t actually touch the ground, and we can (of course) thank social media for the answer.
There’s a reason behind the length of those doors (Getty Stock Photo)
TikTok content creator @mattypStories decided to take on the responsibility of explaining exactly why public restrooms are designed in this way, giving a range of reasons, which unsurprisingly boil down to practicality, hygiene and cost.
Speaking in an old viral video, he explained: “Here’s why public bathroom doors don’t touch the floor.”
The influencer said most people have ‘probably wondered at one point or another’ as to why this is, and said that the explanations behind it are ‘logical. I would hope so.
“First off, if there’s ever an emergency, it’d be pretty easy to see what happened and get the person some help.
“Secondly, it makes it way easier to clean. Public bathrooms are used quite often, meaning that they need to be cleaned many times throughout the day, and having the space under the door makes it a lot easier.
“And finally, it’s a lot cheaper to buy a door that has part of it cut off than the full door itself.”
Indeed, many of these reasons are echoed on the website of WC Portables, an Essex-based portable toilet hire company, which also lists shorter doors being ‘ideal in cases of emergency’, ‘easier’ to clean and overall much ‘cheaper’.
It all makes sense now (Getty Stock Photo)
But the company also believes there are a few other handy benefits, too – like the ‘faster escape of bad odour’. Urgh.
“Toilet is a natural environment for the release of bad odour,” the website says, adding: “The gap between the door and the floor provides a quick escape of the foul smell that was generated by previous users.
“It helps your toilet experience to become bearable. Without the gap, the odour is sustained in a stall and becomes unbearable to subsequent users.”
What’s more, gaps at the bottom of the doors make it easier to ‘determine availability’, with WC Portables saying: “Nothing beats the eyes test of glancing through the gap for any sign of occupancy.”
Of course, a little discretion is required here, as peeking into a toilet stall doesn’t usually go down too well if it’s occupied… Maybe look for shadows cast outside the cubicle, rather than into the space itself, eh?
The gaps also allow you to hand toilet paper to someone in need (Getty Stock Photo)
Another point is that the shorter doors help ensure ‘the toilet queue flows’.
“Toilets with doors of this nature could negatively impact people’s privacy,” the portable toilet hire firm explains.
“When individuals sense others can listen to their business that easily, they are prone to wrap up quickly.”
And finally, there’s the belief that they reduce bad toilet habits or behaviours – in a similar vein to the previous point, people might ‘refrain from exhibiting poor behaviour’ as the ‘embarrassment of being spotted acting inappropriately will ensure people err on the side of caution’.
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: TikTok, Social Media, Weird, Community, Viral
Joshua Nair
Real reason behind why Brad Pitt ‘fainted’ on track at F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
F1 fans saw Brad Pitt ‘collapse’ at the Las Vegas Grand Prix
All has been explained after F1 fans were shocked to see Brad Pitt ‘faint’ on the track at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
A number of Hollywood A-listers and celebs attended the highly-anticipated showdown on Saturday (23 November), which is a pretty normal thing at big sporting events.
But after George Russel secured the top spot in Vegas, the 60-year-old made his way out on to the track and seemingly fell over.
Viewers thought the father-of-six ‘collapsed’ at the event (Marc Piasecki/WireImage)
However, the actor was indeed only acting for his new F1 movie.
The Fight Club star has attended multiple races this year, taking on the role of fictional driver Sonny Hayes.
APX GP, the fictional team Pitt’s character drives for, even released a statement following the ‘incident’.
“During qualifying, Sonny sustained a significant impact requiring immediate medical evaluation,” it read.
“Incidents of this magnitude are always taken seriously, and Sonny’s health remains our top priority. While Sonny is otherwise stable, he will not participate in tomorrow’s race as he focuses on recovery.
Fans were concerned for the actor (X)
“The entire team stands behind him, and we’ll provide updates when available. Joshua [Pearce, played by Idris] will race solo tomorrow, carrying the team forward.”
The upcoming movie will be led by Joseph Kosinski, known for directing Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick.
Despite having vast experience in the film world, Kosinski has revealed that he’s turned to Lewis Hamilton for advice, to make sure the movie is as accurate as possible.
“Everything that he has brought to this movie, I cannot even express our thanks to him and all the folks from F1 who made this all possible,” Bruckheimer said.
Rip Brad Pitt from another angle. Wtf🤯
“The authenticity that he brings, we just cannot imagine what goes into what a driver does and what the sport brings to an audience.
“Sometimes we do not like to hear some of the things he says, because it costs us more money to fix things, but we are all in, we want to make it great, and he is certainly helping us.”
So far, the F1 movie has been shot on famous tracks like Silverstone, Hungary, Spa, Monza, Zandvoort, Japan, Abu Dhabi, and Mexico City.
Filming began in 2023 as Pitt will be joined by the likes of Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodnia, and Samson Kayo.
So hold on to your seatbelts, as the upcoming F1 movie is set to be released in theatres in June 2025.
Featured Image Credit: Marc Piasecki/WireImage/X
Anish Vij
90s kids finally told truth behind if Alien Egg toys could have babies
Everyone had a friend who swore blind their Alien Egg had given birth
Long before the advent of social media, kids in the 90s had to get inventive if they wanted to stay entertained.
For the younger generation things such as Tamagotchi, Crazy Bones and Stretch Armstrong might not mean much, but for the older readers these toys will bring back fond memories of simpler times when the biggest thing you had to worry about was how much pocket money you’d get that week.
One of the most enigmatic toys of the times was the Alien Egg, with every primary school having a kid who claimed their alien had given birth.
Who had one of these in primary school? (LADBible)
Although no one had any concrete proof that their gooey alien had birthed a little alien we all knew someone who swore blind that they had a pregnant alien.
Theories to how exactly the alien gave birth varied from school to school. One person would claim that putting the alien in the fridge was enough to tigger a pregnancy, while other people were told to let encase their alien in goo every night and hope for the best.
It’s also worth noting that no one you know has actually seen an Alien Egg birth with their own eyes, but that doesn’t mean the myth doesn’t continue to remain part of our childhood mythology.
But can an Alien Egg toy actually give birth? Time to turn to science for the answer.
Back in 2018, LADBible decided to conduct a thorough investigation into whether or not the aliens could give birth, putting the little gooey creatures into the fridge, rubbing them together and even popping them in the microwave (we don’t recommend you try this at home) to see if they could procreate.
Why were we all so fascinated by these creatures? (LADBible)
Following several failed attempts to create gooey children, one of the aliens was sacrificed to answer the question once and for all.
Following an autopsy with a pair of scissors it was revealed that no, the Alien Egg toys could not give birth.
As to where did the rumour of alien pregnancy originally came from then?
None of us are quite sure, however, it could’ve even been a very clever marketing ploy to sell us the eggs. After all, the aliens didn’t actually have much function beyond gathering all sorts of dust and dander if it was left outside of the egg.
The company behind the Alien Eggs would later capitalise off the myth by creating special birth pods containing mini aliens. However, we’re sorry to inform you that this does not count as an alien birth.
Or maybe the the rumour just demonstrates the lengths of our creativity in a world without TikTok?
Guess we’ll never know.
Featured Image Credit: LADbible
Brenna Cooper
Doctor shares real reason behind why people have ‘ghost poos’ and what they really mean
We’ve all experienced them, but we finally have an explanation behind the weird and satisfying phenomenon
The reasons behind ghost poops have been explained by a doctor, so it might be time to stop worrying.
We’ve all had them before, you sit down on the throne, do your business, wipe and see nothing on the toilet paper – it’s a great feeling but one that only comes around every so often.
You’d usually check again, and if it’s clean, then you’re in luck and you can go about your day with a big smile plastered across your face for that weird, yet rewarding, outcome.
The famous ‘ghost poo’ has an explanation. (Getty Stock Photo)
Over the last few months though, the ghost poop trend has been going viral on social media platforms, as several people share their own takes on what it feels like to have a ghost poop.
Content creators, specifically on TikTok, have been covering the phenomenon, which is basically when you take a dump and don’t see any residue when you wipe.
Some others have also used the term to describe a time when they’ve felt like they’ve done a number two, but find nothing in the toilet.
It turns out that hundreds of people have experienced the odd phenomenon, prompting the hashtag #Ghostpoop to make the rounds on TikTok.
But ever since the first Ghost poop video went viral in 2021, we have been left confused as to why it happens, so medical professionals have decided to step in and explain what it means.
Dr. Rabia De Latour, gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health, and Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, gastroenterologist and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, spoke to the Today show about the weird occurrence, and how it is fairly common.
A ghost poop could make your day – it is about the little things, after all. (Getty Stock Photos)
The doctors explained that a number of factors could cause them, with one being that your poop is so ‘well-formed’ and ‘firm’ that it didn’t leave anything on your behind to clean up.
But the publication also explained what determines it: “The texture of stool and how much you need to wipe can depend on a few factors: Fibre intake, gut health, the amount of water and other nutrients absorbed from stool in the large intestine, and how well the anal sphincter muscles function.”
Lovely.
Some people use the term for when they feel like they’ve pooped but actually see nothing in the bowl.
The medical experts explained that there’s nothing to worry about if this happens, as your poo was probably extremely ‘dense’ and went ‘straight down the toilet’.
Apparently, this is ‘perfectly normal’ and means that you have a ‘very healthy bowel movement’. Don’t we all aspire to that?
What to do, what to do, what to do for a ghost poo? (Getty Stock Photo)
But another explanation for this is that you’ve just farted instead of pooped, so it might be worth keeping tabs on that – maybe a wipe will help you determine the outcome.
“The sphincters get stimulated, and you do pass something, but it’s just air,” Dr. Felice explained.
However, if you keep feeling like you need to poop but nothing comes out, it could be something more serious, and you should speak to your doctor, say Dr. Rabia and Dr. Felice.
The publication also state that this could be an early symptom of inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s, colorectal polyps, or anal cancer.
