What is it with British toilets

Now you've made me think of something else!  Are northern hemisphere hurricanes anticlockwise?  (I know the southern hemisphere ones rotate in the opposite direction.)  Because I thought it was that tornadic activity (funnel clouds) in the northern hemisphere are anticlockwise and the hurricanes are clockwise - or is it that the energy feeds into a hurricane anticlockwise so the winds go clockwise or something?

Maybe I've got it wrong somehow.  I am certain about the tornadic rotation though because we were told to shelter towards the northeast under a building, growing up.  Hedging your bets with tornadoes usually traveling from the south/southwest direction.  Although our storm cellar was separate from the house.  Just like in the Wizard of Oz!

ETA - See I'm giving you more homework!    Where are you going to be working once you've finished your training?

I'm sending you a PM so I don't clog up the thread with hurricane talk

I'm sending you a PM so I don't clog up the thread with hurricane talk

Yes, we wouldn't want to clog up the toilet thread. 

Yes, we wouldn't want to clog up the toilet thread. 

Lol - it was a totally unintentional pun... I posted quickly and it didn't even twig what I'd said until just now !

Toilets here are relatively standard to use, at least to me. What I've always found odd were some public toilets in France and Switzerland which appear to have no way to flush them. There's what looks like a rubber ball bolted to the floor, which you step on to flush. I used those a couple of times and left without flushing until I accidentally discovered the magic flushing properties of the rubber ball 

What is also very odd was at a rest area on a motorway near Geneva, Switzerland they had a newly constructed toilet facility - with squat toilets. I stood and stared and stared and wanted to try, but in the end I left and held it till we got back to Basel.

What is also very odd was at a rest area on a motorway near Geneva, Switzerland they had a newly constructed toilet facility - with squat toilets. I stood and stared and stared and wanted to try, but in the end I left and held it till we got back to Basel.

Those squatties are pretty common around where my in-laws live in Southern France.  I sure remember my surprise the first time I walked into one.  That one looks much nicer.  The old one actually flushed and you had to position yourself pretty carefully when you flushed because the water washed all over the floor.

Those squatties are pretty common around where my in-laws live in Southern France.  I sure remember my surprise the first time I walked into one.  That one looks much nicer.  The old one actually flushed and you had to position yourself pretty carefully when you flushed because the water washed all over the floor.

I'd seen them in Paris before, but always older toilets, never newly constructed ones. I think that's what surprised me the most!

Oh I am a little bit late to the game here but I am so happy to see this thread. I'm not aloooooone!

I always think of flushing here like starting a lawn mower. I have to push down really fast and forcefully and hold my breath. Ugh. I hate having to use public toilets.

Those squatting ones look bizarre!  If I tried to use one I'd need help getting up again - can see the headlines now "silly pregnant woman trapped in toilet"

Thought I'd share this story of a UKC showing his USC wife the ropes of a UK house(he starts talking about toliets about 3:30):
Back to Dagenham, England
The whole thing reminds me of the first day at my in-laws!

Our toilets at work take forever to fill the tank back up after flushing- so if its a busy time, like after lunch and there's a queue, you end up over flushing and waiting and waiting and waiting- or it ends up gross and people just don't flush becaus they don't want to wait 

Our toilets at work take forever to fill the tank back up after flushing- so if its a busy time, like after lunch and there's a queue, you end up over flushing and waiting and waiting and waiting- or it ends up gross and people just don't flush becaus they don't want to wait 

I love my American toilets - except for the 'posh' ones at my office. It's a nice bathroom and the toilets automatically flush, but they flush so hard, they almost always splash the seat. So most people probably think everyone is hovering and peeing on the seats. I did at first but finally realized what was happening.

But bizarrely, despite these powerful flushes, anything other than a small amount of toilet paper needs 2 or more flushes. Fortunately, you can reflush almost immediately, but it's still sooo frustrating!

I hate automatic flushers or anything automatic in the bathroom. We have automatic water taps in our work rest rooms. Which means you can't adjust the temperature and it's also very difficult if you want to brush your teeth. You have to wave your hand around and then quickly stick your toothbrush under. Several of us have commented that we now have become used to this system so when we go into a public rest room or even at home we expect the water to come on automatically and switch itself off!!

Phew I was worried I wouldn't find this thread again (uhh duh try a search)! I saw it way back when I first joined and could totally relate as I can never get my MIL's toilet to flush! Now with the possibility (visa pending) of living there I was so worried about how I was going to deal with the situation! LOL

Will be sure to try all the tips mentioned! 

Glad I'm not the only one! I had this problem when I went to meet my in-laws for the first time! I was mortified. I spent quite awhile at my brother in law's trying to get the toilet to flush and I knew there was someone waiting for it. I told my husband about it and we worked out a system where if we were at anyone's house and I went to use the toilet and couldn't get it to flush properly I'd squeeze his hand when I got back to him and he'd then act like he needed to use the toilet and go flush it for me! Hahaha. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I don't usually have too much trouble now, after I finally realized I could pump the handle and usually have luck that way.

Our toilets at work take forever to fill the tank back up after flushing- so if its a busy time, like after lunch and there's a queue, you end up over flushing and waiting and waiting and waiting- or it ends up gross and people just don't flush becaus they don't want to wait  

This happens at my job (why I started this thread in the first place.) There is a nice passive aggresive note on the door telling "ladies" to be sure to flush before leaving.

The other day I discovered a new flush system. There was a dual push-button, but instead of being on the top of the tank, it was on the side. Took me a while to find it.  It seems like UK toilet builders are in a contest to design the most original way to flush a toilet. Please find some other way to express your creativity.