Trinity had a comment about public toilets recently, so I thought I might point out a recent observation of my own.

The hospital floor where eldest son was recovering from his surgery had two toilets available to visitors. Both unisex. One was across the hall from the small waiting room, which got most of the use, and the other just around the corner by the windows, which received little use at all.

Obviously, the wife and I most frequently used the second one.

Not to imply the hospital was unclean. I sat in the waiting room for many hours, (why sit in the hard-backed chairs with the son when he's asleep, or druggedly watching television?)

[interrupted... wife came home for lunch, we just fed the nighthawk]

Anyway, on the cleanliness of the hospital toilets... I saw the gal with her cleaning cart come by about every two hours, sometimes more often, to clean the facilities. So they are much cleaner than most public facilities.

But they still got used a lot, especially during visiting hours. (Which did not, apparently apply to us. I have concluded "visiting hours" are just used to get rid of loud, pesky visitors, or large families. Those of us who are quiet and help take care of patient's needs are pretty much allowed and welcomed all day long.)

Anyway, the point of all this?

On one of our bathroom breaks, the wife gently chided me on leaving the toilet seat up in the unisex bathroom. Something that never happens at home.

But I stood my ground. In a unisex environment, leaving the seat up is the courteous thing to do for females.

You see, I've looked at that toilet seat when it's down. And, based upon the small circles of splatter marks, I can tell you that at least some males are not bothering to lift the seat at all.

They are simply aiming for the smaller hole.

And sometimes missing.

Ewww.

So, to protect the female users from some less considerate male users, I consider it my duty to leave the seat up, and out of harm's way. And did so religiously.

And after my explanation, so did the wife.

Which might have gotten some women to wondering, if they happened to enter the toilet after watching this apparent female leave.