To Sit Or Squat? That Is The Question.

Are you looking for a public restroom? Is nature calling  you but you have nowhere to go? Not a problem as long as you are wireless and have signal…

Finally, a place to find and record bathrooms all around the world. Seriously.

Okay, I can tell that you have no time for humor. The app for the bathroom is SitOrSquat.com.

Just enter an address, zipcode, city, or intersection in the search bar and you’ll be on your way to finding a public toilet. If you’re mobile that’s not a problem.

The portable way to find a potty will work – iPhone, iPod, or Blackberry. You want to text to find one? No problem. Text message the word “sitorsquat” to DOTCOM (368266) and follow the instructions to find the closest bathroom to you. Click here  for the video and get instructions for SMS/Text Messaging.

What does “sit” and “squat” mean? To “sit” on a toilet bowl means users were generally comfortable enough to expose their bare bottoms to the cold porcelain seats beneath them. To “squat” over a toilet means that most users were not comfortable touching any part of the toilet seat and so they exercised the “squat”. It is recommended that you squat when the toilet is just plain nasty. But, hey that’s your option.

Just for fun let’s cover the proper etymology for the toilet: the can, the john, the throne, bathroom, washroom, lavoratory, latrine,  restroom, potty, outhouse, and commode in the U.S. In Europe one might hear Water Closet (WC), Loo, Khazi, Privy, or Netty. One might say Dunny in Austrailia;  or Comfort Room (CR) in the Philippines.

If you’re in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, France, or Latin America in some parts you’ll most likely be squatting. Oh, here’s the manual for the  Squat Toilet.

And there’s the pro-hose versus the pro-tissue debate. The Asian Toilet  is a whole different ball game. Are you a paper person or a hose person? Or perhaps you use a bidet?