Jaunted

The Beijing authorities appear rather bemused by the issue and promise that some sit-down replacements are on the way:

"As many as we can," says Yao Hui, one of the senior managers for Olympic venues. "Especially those for the key clients, athletes, Olympic family members and the media."

(The Greek historian Herodotus once demonized the Egyptians by claiming their men pissed sitting down and their women went standing up--a messy business if ever there was one. And this was back in the 5th century BC! Then, as now, people's toilet habits are a window to their souls.)

There are allegedly 5,200 public toilets in Beijing, not including back alleyways and buildings sites. That's more public toilets than any other city in the world. But they must be better hidden here than in any other city in the world, as we didn't manage to find any.

The sit-or-squat issue isn't just about toilets, though. Everywhere in the streets of Beijing, you'll see Chinese squatting together in groups, taking a rest or having a bite to eat. To a Westerner--used to resting his or her hard-working buttocks on an actual seat--it looks incredibly uncomfortable. But since there aren't any benches in Beijing, we guess, you have to make do with what you haven't got. Ditto the toilets.

The real eye-opener will come when Europe and America start installing squat toilets in their cities, the telling sign that yes, China really has taken over the world. But we have a better solution: How about some sit-down toilets with handy non-slip footholds built into the seat?

Related Stories:
· Monica Guy's Beijing Field Trip [Jaunted]
· Beijing coverage [Jaunted]