Bad etiquette taken too far

Bad habits are those acts that create discomfort and triggers anger in other people, or to put it easy, it is one habit that does not conform with the ethics of society. Some of these bad habits could include snoring, not clearing the dishes after eating, speaking too loud on the phone thereby to the […]

Bad habits are those acts that create discomfort and triggers anger in other people, or to put it easy, it is one habit that does not conform with the ethics of society. Some of these bad habits could include snoring, not clearing the dishes after eating, speaking too loud on the phone thereby to the extent of disturbing people around the scene, picking pickles on certain parts of the body, leaving clothes all over the place in the room. There are many. Some are tolerable, others are damn right offensive. Among the most annoying is forgetting to flush after using the toilet.
The bad and uncultured toilet habit is something we mostly experience in offices or even in our homes when we have visitors who come to stay for some time. Unfortunately, the culprits are mostly the men folk. Why this is so remains a puzzle for many to unravel.
We know that some men have bad bathroom habits, some women are guilty of this too. It is common knowledge that a few of these social no-no’s might actually be good for the environment, at least to some degree. But then, the question is, at what point is this lack of etiquette going too far?
Toilet etiquette is a hush subject most of the time, but none-the-less a rather important one. While both men and women have their strengths and defaults when it comes to bathroom etiquette, every few years a new batch of research comes up reminding men of how bad their bathroom habits really are. We are not necessarily talking about taking overly long showers, or brushing their teeth with the water faucet turned on, but rather foregoing the shower and teeth brushing all-together.
While some of their findings may not have been the most socially acceptable, we thought it was interesting to consider the idea of where such a line should be drawn between social acceptability and environmental conservation. Which of these habits could be construed as being environmentally responsible, and which ones are just plain gross? It has been found that somewhere around 40 per cent of men do not flush the toilet after visiting the restroom either. Even when it is required of them to do so, this leaves a question if men are just plain gross or eloquently geniuses, says Mrs. Audu Hannatu.
Listening to some of the tales of unfortunate victims and the trauma they go through staying with some uncultured colleagues, friends or neighbours (for those who share restrooms with other co-tenants) it is something nobody wants to go through.
“It is really a terrible thing to go through and knowing that the culprits are grown up men who look well cultured and mannered but every now and then you have to remind them that they have to flush after using the toilet even if it is just a pee. I say men because most times my co-tenants are mostly men and whoever comes after them is always a man and the whole process of grooming the toilet etiquettes into them starts all over again. It is such an annoying thing that most times before I go into the restroom I say a short prayer not to have an unpleasant parcel delivered right in my face.
“I keep asking how can a grown up guy with all the aura around him neglect such an important aspect of social etiquette? To me, some of them were not cultured right from childhood which has sought of manifested in their adult life. For some, they are just plain lazy and believe that it is the job of the woman to do everything, including flushing the toilet for them!”
Like we say women too have their own faults. For instance, in such ‘United Nations’  homes, some women have the habit of not properly disposing off exhausted menses pad. They are left to the glaring of others to see. How really disgusting that can be.
It is suprising how most men see it as a woman’s job to do everything in the house even in cases where the woman is not your wife or in any way related to you but just a co-tenant like yourself. Really, wonders will never end in this society of ours. “Amazingly one of them even had the courage to tell me to my face that I was the woman of the house as far as he was concerned and had to carry out my duties as a woman wherever and however I find myself. When I confronted him on even having to clean up the toilet after him he said a capital yes, and all I could say to him was, ‘may God save his wife,” says Ms. Anne Ugochukwu who works with a mobile network in Abuja.
“It’s amazing how some of them even display this unacceptable social act in the office environment. I am not saying it is only men that have this uncultured behavior as some women where I work have displayed their uncultured and dirty sides in this aspect. People should try and understand that this bad habit poses a danger to our health. Or is it that they are just ignorant of the fact that this can lead to health risk since it is a general restroom. Even if it is a private one, leaving it unkept poses a dangerous health risk for them,” says Anita Manson, an accountant.
There is the need for everyone to imbibe the basic social etiquettes to make life bearable and comfortable for those around us, and even ourselves. Social tolerance starts with every one of us and we should not be seen as being different from the crowd. Anyone who decides to live a dirty life without imbibing the right restroom manners would find him/herself confronting those who live with or around him/her in the most embarrassing way.