Why toilet seats split

Even the weirdest toilets on earth have this seat shape. It turns out there are lots of good reasons and theories to explain why public toilet seats are shaped like a U - it's cheaper, more hygienic, and maybe even more comfortable than the rounded model you have in your bathroom at home.

Just as there are smart explanations for why toilet stalls come up short , there are plenty of excellent answers to the question, "Why are public toilet seats shaped like that? Although you've probably never heard of it, there's an organization called the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials that writes the codes most states adopt as their public restroom laws.

Because the open-front design apparently offers a whole host of hygiene benefits. There's a running theory that some men aren't as careful with their aim at public toilets as they are at their private ones. The U-shaped toilet seat provides a partial solution for this potential misfiring. Thanks to their open-front design, they reduce the chance of urine backsplash at the front of the toilet seat. It really doesn't matter who you are or what you bring to the toilet - if you're a toilet sitter, the U-shaped seat reduces the chances of your privates touching a place where someone else's privates recently rested.

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By Chris Deziel Updated August 23, Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. By: Chris Opfer. The loo. The lavatory. The office. The throne. There are all kinds of different names to describe the place where humans do their dirty work: the toilet. What we all have in common is that sometimes nature calls while we're in a public place, causing us to head for the nearest office, shopping mall, restaurant or even the dreaded port-a-john. The more time you spend in these venues, the more time you have to think about life's biggest mysteries.