I realise that there have been a few recipes half-baked already to solve the domestic problem of the toilet seat - "I wish you would stop leaving the toilet seat up you scumbag", but here's my tuppenceworth. A pedal at the base of the toilet which, when depressed will raise the seat into the upright position, when finished, remove your foot from the pedal returning it to it's 'down' position. This also eliminates the need to touch it (the seat).
-- stupop, Aug 06 2001

Intelligent Toilet Seat http://www.halfbake...ent_20Toilet_20Seat
My stab at this, using arse recognition technology [-alx, Aug 06 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Schrodinger's Toilet Seat http://www.halfbake...27s_20Toilet_20Seat
And mine too... [hippo, Aug 06 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]

wow! this is such a great idea... http://www.thefacto...let_seat_lifter.htm
...but it's baked. [mihali, Aug 06 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

for inspain http://www.builders...m/conseattoils.html
the considerate seat [mihali, Aug 06 2001, last modified Oct 21 2004]

The, um, ultimate solution http://www.octanecr...ifimages/toilet.jpg
Duct tape. [DrCurry, Oct 05 2004]

(?) [miciah]'s animation http://www.miciah.com/toilet
[Worldgineer, Jun 20 2005]

Great idea. Far better than my previous attempt at this problem.
-- -alx, Aug 06 2001


Yeah, I like this too, although, there's still the pissing while drunk problem. Not everyone will have the co-ordination to keep one foot on the pedal hard enough to keep the toilet seat further than half-way up while attempting to stay standing upright. How about a one-time tap on a button to raise it, another press to lower it again? This way, even if the guy did forget to lower the seat, as you so rightly say, the woman would still not have to touch the seat to lower it again.
-- CoolerKing, Aug 06 2001


I can barely believe it but this is more practical than my attempt at this problem although arguably it does not pose as many interesting metaphysical questions.
-- hippo, Aug 06 2001


Add my vote. This is a good idea.
-- beauxeault, Aug 06 2001


Pedal positioning is definitely all-important. Last thing I want whilst spewing is a toilet seat bashing me on the chin/back of the head.
-- -alx, Aug 06 2001


Rods - I hope I never need a bath round your place then.

-alx - Good point, not only painful but could also cause major splashing over the back of the toilet as your head is jerked upwards by the flying toilet seat
-- CoolerKing, Aug 06 2001


croissant for the first halfbakery annotations that have actually had me crying with laughter. Silently, but still there were tears.
-- lewisgirl, Aug 06 2001


I don't really understand this kerfuffle over the toilet seat up / toilet seat down thing. Men usually want it to be up so they don't sprinkle over it. Women want it down so they can sit on it. In this age of equality, I don't see any reason why one position should be seen as "correct". If it ain't in the position that you want, change it. You're going to be washing your hands afterwards anyway... I hope.
-- Guy Fox, Aug 07 2001


It's always left down in my house, because as soon as the bathroom door is open sufficiently, the senior cat charges in and uses the seat as stage one for a leap to the sink, where she waits for the tap to be turned on for drinking purposes.
-- angel, Aug 07 2001


angel: I take it you're talking about the lid rather than the seat? This does strike me as an entirely valid reason. Lid down means stink trapped, tidy bathroom, no wet cat, etc. (although the prankster in me had a sudden image of cat leaping into toilet - splosh - and a wee wicked smile came to my face... sorry). Perhaps lid-down should be the resting position and the auto-seat-raising facility should have "male" and "female" positions / buttons?
-- Guy Fox, Aug 07 2001


[GuyFox]: Cat leaping into toilet did actually occur on one occasion, hence the extreme care taken since. Oh, how we laughed! And yes, I am talking about the lid, but if the lid's down, how can the seat be otherwise?
-- angel, Aug 07 2001


This is a good idea in theory, however, I highly suspect it would seldom be used (at least by men) if they can't rememer to put the seat in the politically correct position originally what makes you think this will help. As for using the bath tub, what a thought. I must admit the mental vision of this poor cat going splash certainly gave me a chuckle. In the end, it seems responsibily still lies with ourselves in the joy of relief.
-- inspain, Aug 07 2001


So you weren't really on holiday from the Halfbakery then, [PS], just on a fact-finding mission tracking down baked products...
-- -alx, Aug 18 2001


Are you -really- surprised? <grin>
-- StarChaser, Aug 18 2001


Re: [waugsqueke]'s auto-flush: that would be a half-flush, of course?
-- jabbers, Aug 23 2001


It has been a good 20 years that men have been expected to leave the seat down. Isn't it about time that women leave the seat up for 20 years or so. It is a dignity issue.
-- marineexpediters, Aug 23 2001


Perhaps we can write off the first 10 of those years as a gesture of goodwill, and just alternate each decade.
-- -alx, Aug 23 2001


For the ladies --- Doesn't "Look before you sit" go into the "Look before you leap" category? I spent some time wondering why anyone thinks they can EXPECT the toilet seat to be in a given position. I think guys mostly do look before they sit (and they DO have to sit on occasion), simply because they can never have a particular expectation about it.

But for gals...A woman living alone can easily form the expectation/habit that the seat will be down. If she marries, however, she is presented with the exact same uncertainty that a man deals with routinely. Apparently, she prefers to complain than to replace the habit. I think I won't be offering sympathy, because most habits can be changed in less than a month, if one decides to actually make the change.

The habit of looking before leaping/sitting/whatever is a GOOD habit!
-- Vernon, Aug 23 2001


Why not use holographic technolodgy to make the seat "appear" as it were down however you could still urinate through it?
-- MrBubbles, Aug 23 2001


Methinks that if the pedal were to be replaced by a pull-down handle, then it would be ideal. Pull the handle to lift the seat. Hang on if drunk to form a stable three-point platform (to the handle! two feet plus one hand). The handle would be attached to the ceiling with chain or something, and therefore would offer a decent operating range for those that need to step a forward and those that don't.
-- EngineEar, Aug 27 2001


Electronics is a logical, predictable science. The direction and turbulence of a stream of urine bursting out of your ol' fella is anybody's guess.
-- stupop, Aug 28 2001


//in the politically correct position//im so annoyed by this that im lost for words (other than these words)
-- andrew1, May 12 2005


Rats! I had this idea ages ago. Guess I'm not the only one who thinks along these lines. I suppose if there's a lid present we really ought to use it, but in truth how many of usn non-cat owners do???
-- esperance, Oct 05 2006


Hooray Vernon! I never knew what they (women) were talking about either. It makes no sense. You don't hear men complaining about the seat being down!
-- EdisonsTwin, Oct 05 2006


My thoughts exactly.

I lived in a share household; four guys and one girl. And we were still expected to leave the seat down. Hell, I'll do all sorts of things out of courtesy, but, well, it's the self-righteousness of it all that gets my hackles up. That people will assume a moral high ground over such an arbitrary issue bothers me on an emotional level.

I actually had some silly cow have a go at me the other week for leaving my OWN seat up. At my place. Where I live alone. Gawd. Normally I'm more than happy to make concessions, especially if they are a "planned" guest, but....

-Oh btw I think the idea is great, especailly for "shared" facilities. Just not my place.
-- Custardguts, Oct 05 2006


I don't see why women are so keen on it being down all the time anyway. It's not like they have to struggle, and fight against gravity everytime they want to take a piss...

Besides, most men just leave it down all the time, and hope it dries before the girl goes in. If it's up, it's because we want you to know we're trying to keep the piss off your butts.

I do like the pull handle idea though, since most users will be standing up when they use it with the seat up... but what do people that need to vomit do?
-- ye_river_xiv, Oct 08 2006



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