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Why don’t men sit down to pee?

(62 Posts)
Esspee Wed 11-May-22 07:18:20

Just that really.

Surely it is anatomically OK for them to urinate in a sitting position?
The distance to the pan makes spray and splash back somewhat inevitable from a standing position, and don’t start me off on night time peeing in the dark!
My two boys were taught by me to pee standing but why?
Can anyone enlighten me?

BigBertha1 Wed 11-May-22 07:19:31

And why can't they put the lid down?

Katie59 Wed 11-May-22 07:23:25

Because they have a spout and don’t need to sit, women have no choice.

grumppa Wed 11-May-22 07:26:37

We need to keep our eye in for urinating against walls after closing time!

Esspee Wed 11-May-22 07:28:24

grumppa

We need to keep our eye in for urinating against walls after closing time!

???

Kim19 Wed 11-May-22 07:32:04

I imagine it's much more convenient to stand than sit but I daresay many males break the mould and do what suits them.

silverlining48 Wed 11-May-22 07:42:53

I heard that men sit down in Germany, maybe it’s common in Other European countries and seems sensible to me,

Galaxy Wed 11-May-22 07:45:16

Why would it be more convenient to stand? I take every opportunity I can to sit down!

Petera Wed 11-May-22 07:51:03

Galaxy

Why would it be more convenient to stand? I take every opportunity I can to sit down!

I guess because to do it sitting you have to take your trousers down instead of just unzipping.

Also the toilet seat thing - why do we assume that closed is the 'correct' position? I've never had a man say to me 'why do you always leave the toilet seat down?'

Kim19 Wed 11-May-22 08:08:32

I was taught that the flushing process could generate 'germs' into the air and it was safer to keep the lid closed to limit this. Factual? No idea.

FannyCornforth Wed 11-May-22 08:10:00

Some do. A very close relative of mine does

Anrol Wed 11-May-22 08:14:40

My 2 x DS from a very early age, have been taught by the housekeeper, yours truly, splashes, drips or marks must be cleaned up and seat down after any use of loo and OH gets the wrath of the said HK if he breaks the common decency rules. If they stand or sit there’s no splash for me to see.
It’s up to parents to educate boys.
I presume men stand because it’s just easier to unzip.

M0nica Wed 11-May-22 08:36:13

Because loos are a very recent invention when measured against the time that hominids have existed. squatting to defecate is common to both sexes. Once people started wearing clothes it became easier for women to sit.

I expect before much clothing was worn - and women's underwear was always split at the crotch, until the mid-19th century, Queen Victoria wore split drawers all her life, women, also could just stand still, legs well apart and pee.

Mollygo Wed 11-May-22 08:51:37

1. Because they’d have to queue as long as we do to get a cubicle. So much more convenient to stand and point.
I heard a rumour that many famous men use cubicles because fellow pee-ers would splash them, when turning their heads and saying, “Aren’t you XXXX?”
2. My grandsons were potty trained sitting down so it could have continued, but once using a toilet, one DGS always managed to wet the waistband of his trousers by peeing between the bowl and the seat.

Grannynannywanny Wed 11-May-22 09:31:31

So much more convenient to stand and point

It’s often the point stage that lets them down.

lemsip Wed 11-May-22 09:36:49

because the pee hits the front edge of the seat and discolours of course!!

M0nica Wed 11-May-22 09:39:44

I once attended a conference where I was the only female attendee.

Oh the pleasure of whisking past the long queue of men waiting to get to the loo, while I was always able to access the loo at any time with no queues, no waiting and everything impeccably clean, because apart from me the facility was entirely unused.

lixy Wed 11-May-22 09:39:47

Anrol 'It's up to parents to educate boys.'

If only that were true!
As a reception teacher I spent many hours teaching small boys to use the urinal the school provided in the boys' loo. I had a small male doll which could demonstrate peeing. We had plastic targets to help them refine their aim. Ofsted thought it was hilarious!

You can't sit down to use a urinal.

Septimia Wed 11-May-22 09:42:40

My grandmother told the tale of a woman she saw, in London I think, and when GM was young so a long time ago. Said woman was wearing a long skirt and just stood over a drain to pee. Clearly it's possible for a woman to pee standing up but I wonder about the level of accuracy!

GagaJo Wed 11-May-22 09:44:04

My DGS was excited when he learned he could wee standing up. But I've noticed that sometimes, at home, he still sits down (he's 4). I think it depends if he's tired or not!

Ladyleftfieldlover Wed 11-May-22 09:45:25

Putting the lid down before flushing is SO important! Apparently the spray can reach things like toothbrushes on the window sill. Eek!

Baggs Wed 11-May-22 09:46:02

If they sat they'd have to pull their trousers down. As it is they only need to unzip/unbutton their "codpieces". In short, it's easier.

BlueSky Wed 11-May-22 09:56:45

Well said Septimia!

PrettyNancy Wed 11-May-22 10:07:15

Septimia

My grandmother told the tale of a woman she saw, in London I think, and when GM was young so a long time ago. Said woman was wearing a long skirt and just stood over a drain to pee. Clearly it's possible for a woman to pee standing up but I wonder about the level of accuracy!

Knowing me it would dribble all the way down my leg!!!

An ex partner of mine, lovely chap, used to sit to pee, I don't know why but his ex-wife was German, so perhaps she nagged him into it... It did keep the loo cleaner!

Luckygirl3 Wed 11-May-22 10:20:22

My Mum took my brother onto the Isle of Wight ferry when he was small and he needed a wee. Mum stood outside the gents and ushered him in - moments later he came out and said there were no toilets - she ushered him in again, saying that there must be - out he came again and said there are only sinks (presumbaly urinals) - Mum sent him in again saying he must wee in those. Time passed, then out he came - are you OK, have you finished? - No, they are too high!