American vs European bathrooms: a comparison study

Oct 16, 2009 19:46


It has become clear to me that Europeans must prefer baths to showers. No person who showers on a regular basis would have designed any of the four hotel showers I´ve used here. First, what is with the showerheads all being pointed straight down? I have to stand on the drain to get any water on me.

But of course, that situation would explain the two showers I´ve had where there is no door or curtain, just a little half-door that only sort of blocks water at the one end of the tub. European Dudes, this is madness! Showering in a breeze is not fun!

Then there´s the towel bar situation. One of three hotels had a reasonable place to put the towel while showering, so that one could then get at it without stepping out of the tub.

And, for people who like to take baths, you all must have skinny little butts. Why are the tubs all so narrow at the bottom? This is some sort of water-conservation measure, isn´t it? But it means I´m taking a shower with my feet squished together, balancing on this giant pegleg on the slippery enamel (hello, bath mats, anyone?), while trying not to block the drain or bump into the water temperature controller which is three nanometers from my bellybutton.

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I will give the Europeans the edge in overall towel size. American hotels have generally gotten better about the concept, but my four hotels have all understood the concept of "bath sheet" or something close to that, thoughtfully providing two of them.

I also give the Europeans the edge on flush technology. I don´t know why, but that deep toilet thing seems to work better, with the water falling from a higher distance and gushing down. American toilets--unless they´re the newer turbo-drive things--sort of swirl water down desultorily, and it´s a crapshoot (ha! pun intended) whether your stuff will actually go down in one try.

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Quality of toilet paper is a draw. So is water pressure.

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Bidets just plain confuse me. Are you supposed to shuffle over with your pants around your ankles, or what? And why is the seat different? It´s like sitting on a toilet rim, not a seat. What´s the purpose of that? And what are you supposed to do afterwards? I would think you wipe yourself dry again, but you can´t flush a bidet. Are you supposed to throw more paper into the toilet and flush again?

vacation, mysteries of life

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