Letters — I Get Stacks and Stacks of Letters
Unfortunately I long ago deleted the message about how there was a world-wide trend of disappearing public urinals. It was supposedly due to some sinister cabal of militant feminists, environmentalists, and communists, which were merged into one fuzzy category in the worldview of my rather paranoid correspondant. Now I save all my toilet-related mail, and highlights will appear here.
I must point out that I have slightly edited a few of the messages to replace non-clinical terminology. Not to be a prude, but I feel very strongly that this information is valuable, and needs the widest possible dissemination. Some casual toilet terminology will be blocked by the content-blocking filters, so I have made some minor changes.
I have not kept all the bizarre requests I have received. I heard from Mwalule Chileshe, simu@zamnet.zm, of Simu Ltd, sometimes using e-mail address simu_construction@yahoo.co.uk, No. 42 Chinika Industrial Site, off Mumbwa Road, P.O. Box 50980, Lusaka, Zambia, asking how much I would charge to deliver (by land, no less...) 46 loos worth of stainless steel 1-man and 2-man urinals, WC's, and wash basins, to Lusaka. They even send me updates to their e-mail address, which I modify here.
Or Saeed Kashif, sm.purchase@ittehadchemicals.com and his manager Muhammad Mustafa Gondal, ia.purchase@ittehadchemicals.com of Ittehad Chemicals Ltd, Lahore, Pakistan, who wanted my quote on two dozen teflon-lined cast-iron valves suitable for 80-90% sulphuric acid. They keep in touch — a couple of years later they're asking me if I am ISO-14001 certified. Or Jim Park, bamarketing@sbcglobal.net, who wanted a "costom soap manufacture company [.... or] any company making a soap". Or Robert Smith, smith_98@bellsouth.net, who wanted to purchase "toilets in bulk with no names on them" to then retrofit some odor-removing modification and resell them. Pay attention, people — I have taken a few pictures of foreign toilets, I don't really deliver plumbing supplies worldwide! Then there's "Paula Grulee Designs", pgdesign@fuse.net, an interior decorating company in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, who has "a client that is looking for a toilet incased in wood." Beyond their spelling difficulties, they seem unaware that I DON'T SELL TOILETS despite saying on this page that I DON'T SELL TOILETS. The rest of you, feel free to send these people a note...
Or inventors like John Giamis, itcorputc@rcn.com, who has "just been issued a patent for a toilet design that will revolutionize the industry. It is new and dynamic." Nor do I represent the toilet-manufacturing industry! I have, however, attempted to put Mr Chileshe and Mr Giamis in touch with one another...
In response to the continuing inquiries from Ittehad Chemical Ltd I sent the following. The allusions to dropping rubber-encased stainless steel values from great altitudes is related to my suggested plan when they had asked me for a quote for the delivery (to Pakistan, no less!) of several dozen stainless-steel valves suitable for high-temperature acidic fluids, a plan I dubbed OPERATION PAKISTANI BALL DROP:
To: "M.Imran Sufi" <ia.purchase@ittehadchemicals.com> CC: sm.purchase@ittehadchemicals.com Subject: Re: ISO-14001 CERTIFICATION - ENVIRONMENT Gentlemen — Thank you for your recent inquiry. I must confess that my operation is not currently certified under ISO 14001, although as you certainly may imagine, this is something that could stand immediate rectification. On consideration of the two main lines of operation here, to wit: [1] Digital imaging of sanitary facilities [2] Organization of air-drop missions to deliver sanitary equipment it occurs to me that category #1 is almost entirely without environmental impact — and given the recent switchover to a strict use of rechargeable batteries only, I do believe it would be fair to claim "entirely". It is only operational category #2 where this operation runs the risk of environmental impact. I am mulling over the possibility of spinning off that activity into a separate operating unit. That unit could pursue ISO 14001 certification independently, and until this was achieved, the digital imagery activity could continue unimpeded by any lack of ISO certification. Your inquiry gives me reason to reflect on past operations, and it is certainly amazing how environmental impact issues have rapidly come to affect this field. Long gone is the day when you could simply slide pallet loads of stainless steel plumbing fixtures out the rear cargo door of a transport aircraft as it circled above a city! Of course, the political brouhaha surrounding the debacle of the ill-fated 1988 Harare pipe drop far outshadowed any physical damage done, and I must side with those analysts who said that there really was no significant damage done: the defects in the parliament building's roof were pre-existing and due to a long lack of scheduled maintenance. The ironic fact that one of the pipes happened to skewer the corrupt defense minister's limousine like an over-sized martini olive was undoubtedly the sole cause of the ensuing excitement. While it is fortunate that the limousine in question was sitting empty at the time outside the apartment building where the defense minister's mistress lived, one can't help but speculate whether the following spring's border incursion into Malawi might not have happened had the pipe drop gone more smoothly. Well, live and learn. Even in the late 1990's, when the industry had long adopted the now standard encasing of fittings in hard rubber before any air drops, we still saw many drops of sturdy fixtures (e.g., cast-iron bathtubs, thick-walled pipes, and all-stainless-steel urinals) done in the old style, "in the raw", at least in underdeveloped regions and in areas with minimal population. Some industry analysts have argued that the sole negative outcome of the last decade's continuing unsanctioned plumbing drops has been the establishment in New Guinea of a cargo cult now awaiting the return of a great sky-god known as Kohler. And we mustn't overlook the continuing practice in the South Pacific in which fixtures are dropped from aircraft into lagoons where they are recovered by pearl divers. No one seriously claims that there aren't drops where a couple of tons of high-pressure valves go clattering across the beach, or even whiz through the palms sheltering what passes for the towns. In an environment where fully mature coconuts regularly plummit from the treetops, a few stainless steel 90-degree elbows, PVC sewer clean-out fittings, or even cast-iron floor drain fittings are indistinguishable from the hazards of the natural environment. Well, that is neither here nor there. For now I'm afraid I must report that my operation lacks ISO 14001 certification. Bob Cromwell On Wednesday 06 April 2005 03:06, you wrote: > Dear Sirs, > > We are working to get ISO 14001 Certification regarding Environment and in > order to prepare documentation, we need your confirmation of the > certification of your Organization in ISO-14001. > > We shall appreciate if you kindly send us by e.mail/fax No.00-92-42-6365697 > copy of the Certificate if it is obtained. > > Regards > > MUSTAFA GONDAL > ITTEHAD CHEMICALS LIMITED > 39, EMPRESS ROAD, > LAHORE ? PAKISTAN. > PH: 00-92-42-6306586-88 > FAX: 00-92-42-6365697 > WEB: <http://www.ittehadchemicals.com/> >
Now, moving on to what people send me. First, one of the least expected questions, from a girl named Kate:
I visited Italy 3 years ago and had no idea that some restaurants had in-ground toilets. I was just aghast when I went into the john, but eventually figured it out. I just have one question that I couldn't find an answer to: What does one do about a big bowel movement that won't fit the diameter of the pipe?
I replied:
Egads, I don't know what you're eating.... All the squat toilets I have seen have a drain pipe that's 3 to 4 inches in diameter and drop straight into a large-diameter gooseneck. That's going to be FAR larger than anything coming out of a human. Most new US toilet designs have a sort of double-S vapor-lock drain pipe that's maybe 2" in diameter. You can usually see the shape of much of that by looking to the side at the rear of the toilet, at least on many of the newer designs. The US design is going to be much more likely to get stopped up, especially the new "low flow" models. The only ones worse about flushing are the German "inspection shelf" models.
She then responded with far more information than I was looking for:
I am notorious for stopping up toilets. It doesn't happen every day, about once a month. It's almost always after I've eaten a large meal the night before or if I've been constipated. Three weeks ago was the first time I clogged up a commercial toilet at work. I finally got the stool down after 3 tries, but it overflowed. Thank goodnes I didn't have to go no. 2 in Italy.
She didn't have a bowel movement the entire time she was in Italy?? I think I have an idea about the cause of her problem! And wherever she went next, their national plumbing was probably defeated.
Next, pointless attempts to engage me in business:
From: DsEsfOuRyoU@aol.com Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 19:16:48 -0400 Subject: Toilet Seat Vaccum My name is Daniel Murillo.representing Hector and Alba Penagos,inventors of the toilet seat vacuum,who are offering you the opportunity to manufacture this new product.For more information or if interested in a license,please reply to this E-mail address.Thank you.
From: Rowena Zande rowenazande@bigpond.com Date: Wed, 14 Apr 2004 13:50:42 +1000 Subject: Toilets of the World My name is Rowena Zande and I'm curious to know if you can help me with some research I'm doing for a short film called "My Dad Victor" The script takes place in Queensland Australia during the 1970's and 1980's and rotates around a immigrant (Victor Tang) who's first job in Australia is working for a plastics manufacturing company that produces plastic toilet flush buttons... Over all it's a lovely little script but one major problem we've discovered is, PLASTIC TOILET FLUSH BUTTONS (which are primary to the script as it stands) didn't come out until approx the 1990's! Secondary to the TOILET FLUSH BUTTON it is imperative that our hero (Victor Tang) at very least work in a factory that produces some form of toilet plastic item (ie plastic seat covers etc) Now having said that - my question is - do you have any info (and/or photo's) on and/or of toilets from the 1970's, 1980's & 1990's preferable in the Queensland, Australia area.... as it's becoming apparent to me we will need to do a re-write on the script to make it historically accurate...but I am hoping to keep the story set in the 1970's & 1980's as that is part of the films charm..... OK - I hope this e-mail makes sense and it's my sincere hope that you can help, as any and all assistance will be greatly appreciated... kindest regards Rowena
From: csszcodx@public.wh.hb.cn Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2002 14:26:16 +0000 Subject: 12 main items ( 9B ) THE GATOSON (HOLDINGS) LIMITED E-mail : csszcodx@public.wh.hb.cn Our Ref.: 12 main items (9B) 13th Oct. 2002 Dear Sir, We can get the follow good quality products which made in China at the SPECIAL LOWEST PRICES. [ All but the more amusing items deleted from the long ranting spam... ] A01 man garment A02 lady garment C02 foodstuff machine D02 traveling bus D05 carring truck D06 saloon car D11 fire truck series D14 drumper E01 yacht and speed boat E02 oil tanker E04 submarine vessel E08 treading boat L04 F-series triplex mud pumps M02 Aerospace equipment
From: "P.Malik" pmalik.melican@mantraonline.com Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 15:00:01 +0530 Subject: Toilets of the World Dear Bob, We are a company based in India and manufacture stainless steel toilet = pans,if you would be interested please do let us know. Waiting for your reply. Thanking you, Payal For MELICAN PROFILES F-15,Sector 6, Noida India #91-4422196,91-4422449,fax-91-4422393 [ Attached image of "Wall Mounted Toilet Pan - Model MP 101" deleted. No, but I can think of some Zambians you might contact... ]
From: "javaid miya" javaidmiya@hotmail.com Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 21:42:49 +0000 Subject: toilet information Dear Sir, I am working with services provider and rental of mobile office/accomadation company. it will be of your great help if you can pass me few of far east (china,taiwan,thailand etc) toilets manufacture company. it is Bcoz of their low cost product. our most intrest are those toilets which can be assemble on requriment and disassemble when the need is over. your help and assistance will be highly appreciated in this regards. thanking you in advance. Javaid Miya. Business Co-ordinator. Al Umara Trad. & Real Estate Est. P.O.Box # 9819. Doha Qatar. Tel: - 00974 4355055. Fax: - 00974 4411476. Mob: - 00974 5807467.
From: "Clifford McIlwain" c_mcilwain@msn.com Subject: Art Toilets Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 21:40:07 -0600 Noticed on travel channel some companies producing art covered toilets. Thought you might know some web sites I could go to & order from..thanks, Cliff.
From: "ramesh anand satav" ramesh_satav@rediffmail.com Date: 2 Jan 2003 19:38:42 -0000 Subject: Request for catalogue Dear Sir, We are planning for developing Amusement & Water park with boating in India (PUNE). When we visited your web side we came to now that you provide all WC Block & toilet cabins. We would be very glad to you if you can forward your catalogue and all details of toilet accessories as soon as possible so it will be helpful to us in decision making. So with this letter I request you to send me detail catalogue with latest designs and innovative Toilets. Pls. send your details on this address as soon as possible: Mr. Ramesh A Satav, Mohan nagar, Chinchwad, Pune 411019. Maharashtra. India Tel No. : +91 020 7185156 E-mail : ramesh_satav@rediffmail.com Your assistance in any way in appreciable, and your guidelines will open a new ways to our future expansion plans Thanking you and waiting eagerly for your reply. Yours truly, Ramesh
Slightly less useless mail:
From mackenzie@parrett.net Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2002 22:30:32 +0000 Subject: Toilets of the World Hi there. I have an extreme fear of toilets and have since I was a child. Weird? Well, sure, but I have it nevertheless. Do you by chance know what this phobia is called? Elaine McKenzie
From: "Alexander Short" panther777cat@hotmail.co.uk Date: Tue Mar 21 11:48:25 2006 Subject: Toilets of the World Hi there, I was just on your website and wondered if you could possibly help me with a question? Ever since childhood I have had a phobia of toilets, but not all toilets. The toilets that have a horseshoe shaped toilet seat specifically. I was wondering if you knew whether or not there was an actual name for somone who has a phobia of toilets and what the technical term for the "horseshoe" shaped seats were. Any searches I have done before just describe them as openfronted. Also I was wondering if you have come accross this phobia before as I have never met anyone else with this phobia. It is particularly bad as I want to travel abroad to see different countries but feel that I couldn't incase the toilets are "horseshoe" shaped. Specifically I would love to go to New York, but I have heard that theses toilet seats are quite common there. I would be grateful for any answers you would be able to give me. Thanks
I did, of course, immediately refer him to the above similiarly toiletophobic Elaine McKenzie, and recommended that he stay out of North America as public codes generally require the U-shaped seats.
From: '12' 11deceptions@perthmail.com Date: Tue, 22 Oct 2002 22:09:07 -0700 (PDT) Subject: toilet man and toilet lady query hello, i was wondering if you could hook me up with pictures on the door to the toilets of the man and the lady? if that's possilbe that would be great. thanks, larry
From: Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 15:35:32 +0000 Organization: COLORS magazine Subject: toilets Dear Mr Cromwell, I've just visited your Toilets of the World website. I'm doing some research into public toilets, both the pay kind and the free kind. Perhaps you have some interesting titbits about cities or countries in which public toilets were hard/easy to find or were cheap/expensive etc. What people use rather than toilet paper in the places you've visited etc. Please get back to me if you think of anything. Regards Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it [ Actually it's "Dr Cromwell", as I have a Ph.D., although not in this particular area of expertise, but whatever.... ]
From: Bob Cromwell Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 12:17:33 -0500 (EST) To: jules@colors.it Subject: Re: toilets Cc: cromwell Guiliana — I was delighted that you found my web page helpful. I hope that if you can use any of my images or anecdotes, that I can get a copy of the article. As for finding public toilets, Russia can be rather difficult. There are usually public toilets in parks, but see my web page for comments on their quality. Russian park toilets are very grim. Sometimes there will be one along a major downtown street, like along Nevsky Prospekt in Sankt Peterburg. Generally speaking, they are not too common. If you can find a cafe, or a train station, they will probably have one. However, the Soviets built things on grand scales, so it is quite possible to be in an area completely dedicated to factories, or to apartment blocks, for several kilometers in all directions. As for toilet paper alternative, once you cross into Asia on your way into the Middle East, toilet paper completely disappears (outside some places obviously catering to western tourists). Water is the prefered method. If toilet paper exists it is a luxury for drying your hands afterward. In Turkey, a small valve on the wall leads to a copper tube. This tube snakes into the toilet bowl, then points up from below the rear of the seat. Kind of a combined toilet and bidet system. In Syria, you'll find a faucet with a small bucket below it. In the Middle East, toilets may be very simple by western standards, but they are far more plentiful. Once out into the desert, there are no formalized facilities as such. The standard method there involves your hand, and sand. Really. Bob
From: Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 10:27:03 +0000 Subject: hello again Dear Bob Thank you for your prompt response to my message. We're publishing a small book actually. Colors usually publishes a bi-monthly magazine. I can send you some back issues if you're interested but you'll have to send me your mailing address. As for the book, I'm not sure exactly how it's going to work with courtesy copies yet but I will definately send you the piece on public toilets and wiping (I will try to send you the book though). [....] Warm regards Giuliana Rando jules@colors.it
From: zola@halcyon.com Date: Thu, 9 Jul 1998 23:19:44 -0700 (PDT) Subject: turkey, poop, not turkey poop... Hi there, Yes of course I have found your Toilets of the World page. It's been linked (immediately) on my travel page... I ended up on your pages because of your writings on Turkey (I leave two weeks from today!)... and wanted to write you because we are some sort of wacky distant relatives... My mother's maiden name is Crowell, and the story goes something like "the descendents of Cromwell changed their name when they came to America so as not to be associated with Ollie"... So, I am still working my way through the Turkey and Travel info :) Thanks for the fun read :) Rebecca Oh, if you're curious: http://www.halcyon.com/zola/travel.html (more junk on the main page).... Cheers!
From: "m.craig" m.craig@MCI2000.com Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 18:58:36 -0800 Subject: Toilets, RE: Your webpage has been a primary source for information I am using to create a project, but do you have a webpage I could visit that tells me the past of the toilet? Thankyou, M. Craig
From: r.egan@mcauley.acu.edu.au Date: Wed, 3 Feb 1999 14:15:09 +1000 Subject: Toilets It is good to see other people interested in what kind of toilets exist in the world!!!! Another guy here at work was thinking of doing the same thing as you without even knowing that your site existed!!! Rachael
From: Scott Swanberry sswanberry@freewwweb.com" Date: Wed, 07 Jul 1999 19:25:00 -0400 Organization: Lunar Lite, Inc. Subject: toilets Hey, you don't have any toilets from the Far East. I lived a short time in communist China and can tell you horror stories. For example, i was at a printing plant about 4 hours east of Hong Kong. The toilet was a long trough running thru about a half dozen waist high stalls. They are only waist high because Chinese squat to pee and defecate. Anyway you defecate into the trough. At the end of the trough there is a bucket on a pivot. The bucket is slowly filled by a water source. Once full, its weight causes it to fall over into the trough. This sends a literal wave of feces flying down the trough. My first time in this toilet, luckily I was at the furthest end of trough. I was able to move out of the way in time before the "wave" came spewing by!!! Best regards, Scott Swanbery [ My first visit to the "Peoples" Republic of China happened after receiving this message. I was only in Guangzhou for four days, and was not "fortunate" enough to see such a system. — Bob ]
From: Paul Galanti pgalanti@opal.iupui.edu Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 10:35:20 -0500 Subject: P.R.C.WCs As a middle age male (with all that entails) I travel through China with one eye out for the magic letters "WC." I think a picture of a Chinese "funnel and jug" urinal or a picture of the "accident you don't want to see" - a tricycle carrying 10 or so of the 5 gallon jugs would be a great addition. Or a picture footprint squatter in one of the Buddhist monasteries in Lhasa, Tibet. I suspect that I am one of the few westerners ever to see that one. Sort of like seeing the Pope's throne. Paul J. Galanti Professor of Law Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis 735 W. New York Street Indianapolis, IN 46202-5194 pgalanti@iupui.edu. Phone: (317) 274-4995 Fax: (317) 278-3326 [ I kept an eye out for just such a tricycle while in Guanzhao, but didn't spot one. — Bob ]
From: Dave Drinnan drinnan@techmail.gdc.com Date: Thu, 12 Aug 1999 13:38:08 -0400 Subject: Toilets! Wow. What more can I say? I've glanced at your page on toilets of the world, and I have to commend you for your "pictorial" !! It probably has more "meaning" to those of us who have traveled internationally, and actually had to use some like these! HOWEVER! I propose that you're missing at least one picture that would truly rival anything you've shown on your page. And it's domestic, too! You NEED to add a picture of one of the port-o-johns from Woodstock '99!! I don't have a photograph, otherwise I'd forward it to you. But I *DO* have the image burned in my memory, of that first port-o-potty I opened on Friday morning... the "contents" piled higher than the seat! 8-( And it didn't get a lot better over the next few [hot] days... -dave
From: "john c. dekas" jd@hamptons.com Subject: RE: Turkey Toilets Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 18:53:19 -0400 Just one question. Although I fully agree with your analysis on toilet facilities and you quite obviously did your deed with some earnest and flair, why did you do it? It's funny that you were so adept at describing such facilities. Did you try each facility for accurateness? [ Other than the Imperial, Ottoman, Crusader, and New Testament categories, yes, I tested them all, and that does include the Old Testament one. — Bob ] All kidding aside, it was a good presentation. Although I found the most scary facility in a small village (supposedly the village of Mary, the mother of Jesus) just outside the city of Ephesus in Turkey. [ The village is Maryemana, up the mountain south of Selcuk — Bob ] The facility consisted of a large room with an approximate 18" deep slot in the floor. Footprints, made of a black stone and embedded in the floor on both sides of the "ditch", were guides as to where your feet went, while you went. The facility was coed and there were no wash pipes anywhere to be seen. Believe me, it was not easy to straddle that "ditch." Folks kind of waited until the room, which was approximately 10' X 20', until it was empty before using it. There was a fountain, outside, in a courtyard which doubled as a pipe wash. Also, in the "new" apartment buildings, there was a TP holder built into the walls of the bathroom; But, no spindle. There was a pipe wash which ran from the back of the toilet to the front. The valve was on the right side, of course. Spent 2 years in Turkey, and loved it. Aside from a few amenities, the people were nice and the country was great (including the donar kabob).
From: trev@thevortex.com Subject: Squatters! Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2000 23:24:40 -0800 Hi Mr Cromwell, I love your toilet web site ! I'm looking for a manufacturer of floor-mounted squatter toilets in Europe. (Here's the history) I was a traveller in my youth, going to the woods every day, then after a spell in India I returned to Ireland and settled down to build a house. In the house I wanted to have a squat toilet but couldnt find one for love nor money ! In desperation I eventually made one from an old bday. It served us well for the 5 years we lived there, but now we have a new house and would like a real squatter ! Can you help point me in the direction of a supplier? Thanks, Trev.
From: "Neil Pharazyn" manager@isc.co.nz Subject: Toilets of the World Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 10:23:31 +1200 Can you help. I am surfing the web to find how exactly to clean myself after going to the toilet in India. We are visiting there later this year and I thought it would be a good idea to know the precise technique in advance. Can you advise - or direct me to a web site that does so? Most sites seem to be humourous. I know that most/many toilets are a "hole in the floor". I understand that I place my feet either side and suspend myself (Are their hand supports?). When I clean up do I pour water from a bottle over my backside then reach around and rub my anus with my fingers until it feels clean? Is it obvious that it is clean? Do I need to pour water several times? It seems to me that my hand [esp. under fingernails] must get very filthy, visibly or invisibly so. So presumably there is a wash basin, soap and towel. For fat people the above must be a real balancing trick. I imagine that poor Indians don't have a washbasin, soap and towel. I wonder how clean the hands are of staff preparing food in the hotel where I stay. Thanks in advance Neil Pharazyn New Zealand [ I'm sure this is exactly what Al Gore had in mind when he invented the Internet. Explanation to non-Yanks: We've got a career politician who's so full of, ah, toilet contents that his eyes are brown. He recently claimed that he invented the Internet. Really. — Bob ]
From: default default@lmco.com
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 15:38:51 -0700
Subject: Toilets of the World
Dear Dr. Cromwell,
Greetings! After reviewing your Toilets Of The World website
I feel compelled to inform you of the toilet with the best view that
I have ever experienced. It is located at the elevation of 14,496 ft
above sea level on the top of Mount Whitney in California. I encourage
you to experience it first hand.
Due to the number of visitors to the top of Mount Whitney in
Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park the Park Service saw fit to place a
pit toilet there, thankfully. The toilet itself is standard US
National Park Service stainless steel type pit toilet. It was built a
number of years ago (10? 20? I don't know) with plywood walls in the
usual outhouse style. However the weather being what it is on the very
top of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the wood walls have since been blown
down. So when one uses this toilet one has a breathtaking 360 degree
view of the highest, most picturesque snow capped peaks in the Sierras!
So, what is lacking in privacy is more than made up for by the view.
I strongly recommend you make the trek to see it for yourself.
Unfortunately, the only means to get there is by foot usually starting
at the Whitney Portal trailhead (elev 9,200 ft) and climbs steeply up
more than 5,000 ft over about 15 miles to the top of the peak. There is
a limit to the number of permits issued to enter the Mt. Whitney area so
plan accordingly ( I can send you info for the wilderness permits if you
like).
The peak itself is rather flat on top (for a Sierra Mountain) so the
toilet is a good 300 feet from the very highest part of the mountain,
maybe 5 or 10 feet below the official summit elevation of 14,496.399
ft. Toilet paper must be provided by the user but that is really not a
problem because most backpackers here carry their own roll of paper
while on the trail. The peak can be visited in a one day hike but this
is a very strenuous choice. Most visitors wisely choose to break up
their climb into at least two days.
When I visited it was the last leg of an 8 day 95 mile hike starting
at Kennedy Meadows to the south and spent the last night of the hike
sleeping on the top of Mt Whitney. This was in June of 1999 and the
weather was perfect. Other seasons don't allow for any but the most
experienced mountaineers to climb Mt Whitney.
There is reportedly another very picturesque toilet without walls
view in Idaho in the Hell's Canyon region of the Snake River but I
myself have not had the pleasure of using that one. I am told one must
float or hike several days down the river to reach the bluff that this
toilet sits on but the spectacular view makes it well worth the effort.
Of course, being a backpacker I have had many choice views while
performing toilet ablutions, but toilets were not a part of the
process. That however, is another subject entirely.
Thanks for an informative website,
Sincerely,
Chris Barrett
From: SquadX squadx@yahoo.com Date: Tue, 15 Aug 2000 17:34:10 -0700 (PDT) Subject: Toilets in China... "Chi so hi bin doe a?" (That's Cantonese for "Where is the toilet?"!) I totally empathize with your toilet experiences! :) I've been on 2 missions trips so far- one to West Africa and one to Hong Kong/ China. In West Africa, I had the funniest experience. We were out in the middle of nowhere on our way home from a village trip and I REALLY had to go so our bus driver finally stopped in this small village that hadn't changed in centuries. I got off the bus and the nationals led me down a "road" in their village to this little hut with walls made of grass that stood about 4 feet high. I stepped inside and closed the flimsy wooden door only to find a slanted concrete floor with a hole in the wall greet me. By now most of the village had gathered to watch and I could see them quite easily over the tops of the walls. They were only staring because I'm white, but still... Well, at least I can laugh about it now! :):):) By the way, I've included a picture of my friend modeling a squatty potty (as we affectionatly called them) in Macau. Don't worry, the pic is clean- and suprisingly, so is the toilet! ~squadx
From: SomeOne SomeOne@FOSTER.com Subject: Toilets of the World Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 08:53:55 -0700 How come you haven't any pictures of that most beloved of all devices in the most anal retentive of all societies, the German toilet? Have you seen the shelf that catches the poop on them? Sure would love to have a comparative analysis and commentary. Great page, by the way. Thanks muchly! XXX XXXXXXXX Assistant to attorneys XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC Suite 3400 1111 Third Avenue Seattle, WA 98136 [ Ah yes, the curious Teutonic inspection shelf! Haven't been to Germany since before I started this project, so no personal pics (and, except for the exploding toilet, my criteria is toilets i've seen, and preferably, used). The Soviets built this same questionable technology into their commodes, with their own unique flair. Seems that the height of the inspection shelf on a Soviet commode is almost always a local minimum — that is, the shelf does not drain. it provides for a much quicker build-up of the rank stink so closely associated with those porcelain nightmares. Of course, Russian flooring is seldom level, so there's a slight possibility that a toilet will be installed with an overall forward tilt, thus accidentally negating this feature. See http://www.banterist.com/archivefiles/000212.html for a picture and detailed discussion. According to toiletological correspondant Jan Engelhardt, "[...] this is useful as to inspect the excrement for medical tracking. Certain illnesses or diseases only change the color of your urine or excrements and can be a useful hint on illnesses that otherwise do not reflect "in you" (like blood component changes). BTW, since Soviets had taken over part of Germany after WW2, these inspection-shelf-style toilets can often be found in East Germany, but only exist to a very limited degree in West Germany, if at all. I know that since I was born in East Germany ;-) New building in "East Germany" of course get the "standard" style without a shelf." Hmmm. Sigmund Freud was Germanic. Sigmund Freud was concerned with matters anal retentive and anal expulsive. A connection? ]
From: mkiddle mkiddle@idx.com.au Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 23:13:27 +1100 Subject: Squat toilet manufacturers Dear Mr Cromwell, You have created a marvelous store of information about toilets, which I found very interesting. I am on a school council that has a very "multi-cultural" population. We are currently investigating constructing part squat toilets in new buildings, because they would be easier to clean, use less water, paper, and be more hygenic to use, etc, etc. However I am unable to locate any squat toilet manufacturers in Sydney. I do remember travelling in Italy back in 1981, and using many well-crafted squat toilets there. However, Yahoo and other searches all favour manufacturers of thrones ... Would you know of any Asian or Italian or other manufacturers ? Thanks Mike K
From: David Amundson nbfarmer@evenlink.com Date: Fri Sep 5 16:10:36 2003 Did you ever find a US source for Turkish toilets? I have a very large dog, and I think he could be trained to use one if I used it too. I used tohave a cat who peed in the bathtub, and that was handy--just run some water now and then--but this dog needs a Real toilet with plenty of space around it and the capacity to deal with large dog stools. Thanks--I hope this query isn't too weird.... David Amundson
From: John.Wendt@halliburton.com Date: Thu Dec 16 04:45:43 2004 Subject: Toilet issue in Iraq Sir, I am currently working in Iraq. Of course we are dealing with a cross stream of cultures at the base I am employed. We are having issues with the local nationals using our western toilets. To your knowledge, is there a toilet that can accommodate both eastern and western cultures? Regards, John Wendt East Site Management Camp Anaconda Balad, Iraq
I referred him to the Latvian railway toilets....
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