Toilets

There are many varieties of toilets. The most common form is the flush toilet (a toilet that disposes of waste by flushing water through it), although the squat toilet (a low plumbing fixture where the user squats) is seen in restrooms across Europe and Asia. Some toilets have built-in bidets (a low-mounted sink intended for cleansing the genitalia and anus).

In public restrooms, toilets are segregated by gender and are very functional. Toilets are generally partitioned by stalls, as there may not be adequate space for individual toilets in separate rooms. Toilet facilities for men have separate urinals; these could either be wall-mounted fixtures specially made for a single person or a draining basin for communal use. The washing facilities are located in an adjoining room where other people of the same sex, or both sexes, are present.

Some toilets are modified to accommodate people with disabilities. All disabled toilet facilities are unisex so that their partners can assist them if required. These toilets are wide enough to allow the admission of a person confined to a wheelchair and have handholds bolted to the partitions, so that the disabled person can use it to maneuver onto the toilet if necessary.

Toilets can also be found in public transport like airlines, regional railway trains, long-distance buses and ferries, but not in cars, metros, and trams. In trains, there may be a tank, or the urine and feces may simply fall on the tracks, hence the notice, which is often seen in train toilets: “Please do not flush while the train is standing at a station.”

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