Jan 29 2007
Big Flush, Little Flush
Most of the public toilets in the Western Cape had this odd two-button flush mechanism. Despite my fixation with toilets, I hadn’t given them any serious thought. I’ve seen levers, sensors, floor pedals and buttons and as long as something happens to ready the toilet for the next customer, I didn’t wonder at the workings. Whenever I was presented with one of these 2 button flushes, I just pushed one of them. Water rushed in, stuff rushed out and if all went well, so could I.
Here’s an example of toilet, taken at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. Note the 2-button flush mechanism above it.
The Waterfront is a big Cape Town attraction. It receives high marks for clean public restrooms. The ones in the Information Centre were especially pristine.
I’m sure you’re wondering at whether the water swirled clockwise or counterclockwise in the bowl.
It did neither. All the toilets I encountered in South Africa just gushed from the rim into the bowl. There was no swirling.
The premise that the twisting effect of the Coriolis force will have toilet water swirling counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern hemisphere is false.
The Coriolis Effect produces a measurable effect over huge distances and long periods of time, neither which occur in your toilet bowl.
Swirling Action is determined by Bowl Design and Flush Design. Bowl Design is the shape of the bowl: round, oval, square, etc.
Flush Design is the manner in which water is transported into the bowl. In the case of the Western Cape public toilets, water gushed out from under a covered rim and the contents of the bowl were transported away with force and speed.
Such was the force and speed that a four-foot-ten-and-three-quarter-inches person like myself was in danger of “backwash” while watching to insure that nothing was left behind for the next customer.
Speaking of leaving items behind, that is what the two-button mechanism was for. The little button was for Little Flushes. The big button was for Big Flushes.
I dig the bathroom stories/shots. It’s not that I dig potty humor, but there is something doubly foreign about your posts on this subject. Firstly, ladies rooms (foreign to me), and then foreign ladies rooms (doubly foreign).
Thanks for the funny info.
DigitalRich
Hi, Rich! I’m glad you’re enjoying my bathroom “series.” My “interest” started years ago, when I went to Italy. Our hotel room had a bidet and we had to take a photo of it. Then we thought it would be funny to take a photo of the bathroom in whatever hotel we stayed in. I don’t do this in the US. Not yet, anyway!
I know I am not the only one that takes photos of foreign toilets. People will admit they have taken photos of toilets only after hearing that I have. And everyone seems to know someone who has taken a photo of a toilet, especially if they’ve gone to a country that uses the squat types.
OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s just like the Israeli toilets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just now posted about that!!!!!!!!!!!!
“People will admit they have taken photos of toilets only after hearing that I have. And everyone seems to know someone who has taken a photo of a toilet, especially if they’ve gone to a country that uses the squat types.”
That’s sort of like that “One out of six families is affected by Alzheimer’s”. Or is it one out of six families effected? I can never remember. What I do know is that they don’t define “family”…at any rate, one out of six people are affected by people who take pictures of toilets…
Jill: I’ll have to check out your post! I figgered you’d post more toilet photos.
Inneresting how your mind works. I likes how your mind works. Also, were you intentionally stating you couldn’t remember about Alzheimer statistics? If so, extra funny!!
Actually, it’s more funny if you didn’t write that on purpose.
I think it’s more than one out of six people who are affected - maybe 1 in 4. Lotsa people have either taken photos of toilets or really want to. Prior to digital cameras and my interest in taking photos of toilets, I went to Costa Rica and their toilets did not have seats! Just the bowl. The seats and the covers cost extra. I had to remember than when using the toilet in the middle of the night - haven’t you ever sleepily attempted to use the toilet and someone had left the seat up and you kinda sorta fell in a bit? Yeeks!
I totally didn’t write that on purpose!
Must be early onset. :-0
So between the two of us we at least have -
Africa - high & low flush
Israel - high & low flush
Costa Rica - bring your own seat
Korea - squat
Guatemala - No significant difference from US toilets
Mexico - No difference
Canada - No difference
Do you have any more? That’s all the places I’ve been.
Yes & hate that! Luckily it’s very rare.
Jill:
Singapore (at least at the airport): both squat and bowl w/cover
Italy: squat (old train station, older buildings), bowl w/cover with a side of bidet.
France: bowl w/cover with a side of bidet
Cruise Ships: similar to airplanes - vacuum. Make sure to put down the cover. The vacuum is STRONG.
Ok, so I’ve never had a burning desire to experience a cruise - I mean, I would do it but it’s never made even near high on my list of priorities. Now it sinks a little lower on the “stuff I need to try out in my life” list, ’cause I hate airplane bathrooms!
Jill: Going on a cruise wasn’t high on my list but it was a family thing and affordable and some regular “cruisers” as they call themselves pointed out the benefits - like a longer cruises where the ship docks for a couple of days so you don’t have to rush back and you can just be a tourist in several cities and not have to do all that packing and unpacking!
Be that as it may, I have to burning desire to go on another cruise. I do have photos of the bathroom. Maybe I’ll post ‘em. If I have nothing else to post about! hahaha!