Why are the toliet seats in public bathrooms usually split open in the front?

paperhat76

It reduces the amount of "spatter" and makes the toilet easier to clean, according to Wikipedia. Aug 22 10, 2:17 PM

serpa

This site offers two theories. I think the first one is poppycock. There are a few theories as to the actual purpose of the split, and according to the Toilet Museum, both pertain to sanitary reasons. The first idea is that the split offers a standing male the opportunity to lift the seat and expose the rim without having to interrupt his stream. The second hypothesis claims that the actual reason for the split is so that if a man does not lift the seat at all, any subsequent urine or splash will not land directly on the seat itself but on the lip of the rim. Toilet seats that have a split in the front are called open front seats and are also supposed to offer a more comfortable seating option. http://www.ehow.com/about_5539686_toilet-seats-split-front.html Aug 22 10, 5:52 PM

star_gazer

The crescent model is commonly known as a "public restroom seat." In most washrooms in the US and Canada, toilet seats have the gap in the center. While this is to prevent male urination from spattering on the seat, these seats are seen in both male and female washrooms because they are sturdier and the seat with a gap is more stable in the lifted position. http://www.experienceproject.com/question-answer/Why-Are-Some-Toilet-Seats-Solid-But-Others-Are-Split-Into-2-Crescents-Is-There-A-Reason-For-This/6362 Aug 22 10, 7:38 PM

Baloo55th

I can't see a C shaped thing being sturdier than a ring shape - it's just going to be cheaper to buy only one type of seat. Also, the stability is not related to the shape - it's down to the angle when raised. Some public loos have seats that will not stay raised - worst are some British train ones where you need three hands in order to perform and stay upright and hold the **** seat. (No, worst of all are the stainless steel ones with NO seat - in Mikado fashion, the designers and purchasers of these should be condemned to spend their working day seated on them.) (Baloo has little knowledge of female loos, apart from having had to extract a suspected appendicitis case from one - with the help of a young female colleague. He does travel widely and regards the public loo as an endangered species.)) Aug 23 10, 4:36 AM