flushing toilet paper not allowed mexico?

[Thalassamania]

Man, some of you guys (and gals) are awful squeamish. Try the public toilet in downtown Hong Kong near the market ... a huge pit with a grate over it and stalls ... no seats, you just hunker down and you need to strive to miss the gratings, and you can throw just about anything you want in.

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, the public toilets in Japan were . . . something else. We got VERY fond of Starbucks, because we could guarantee there would be a Western type toilet, with toilet paper, there. And there were Starbucks everywhere.

 

[Thalassamania]

I liked the toilets in most of Japan, it took a while to get the hunkering down thing but they were almost always very clean and very neat, it was China that blew me away.

I remember a big fuss on one of the bases in Vietnam, it seems that they kept finding footprints on the the toilet seats in the Officers Latrine (I'd guess they were in the Enlisted Latrine as well, but no one fussed), you can guess the reason ... the local cleaners using the facility. I guess they wondered why the crazy Americans balanced up on a pedestal.

 

[ReefHound]

There is a modern and effective sewage treatment plant in Cozumel and I don't know of ANY main line hotels that suggest that you place the TP in the trash. Some inland small hotels and even some restaurants might ask that due to poorly equipped plumbing, or culture.

I know Hotel Barracuda has such a sign.

I read the links posted earlier and the reasons make sense. But I think hotels and restaurants are doomed to failure if they think they are going to modify the long established Western customs of their guests with a simple sign. Therefore, it would be in their own best interests to design and install a system that can accomodate the needs of their guests rather than expecting their guests to accomodate the limits of their design.

Some guests may follow the signs and try to be polite guests but enough won't that such an approach will simply be ineffective. Many may try initially but will eventually forget and flush some paper. Then when nothing really bad happens, they will just flush the paper all the time. By the time they leave they will be convinced the sign is a bunch of BS and they will ignore it on all future visits.

 

[Blastman4444]

Japan is very clean I spent one night there on the way to China. China was not clean at least in 1985 I got really sick it took almost 2 weeks to clear up what ever I ate. Today I ran into one of our copier techs who is from Mexico he said no one in his family puts TP in waste basket it all goes down the drain. He said that includes his family still living in Mexico he said it's disgusting to do that. He said only people that are uneducated advocate this old habit in Mexico.

 

[Dave Dillehay]

Sorry about that, I thought for sure my statement would be recognized as "tongue in cheek", or "butt on bowel" or something like that. We have no restrictions on TP down our toilets as we are connected to the main sewer system in Cozumel and we make sure our pipes are big and clear. Indeed I would be very surprised if the Barracuda was not as well, given the strict laws here now. If you see such a sign it must be cultural or lousy plumbing.


Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers
Villa Aldora

Dave Dillehay
Aldora Divers

 

[DandyDon]

I've only actually seen a sign at the Blue Angel after the new owners took over, but they told me to ignore it if I wanted to. After this informative thread, I think I will.

Trying to remember from other dive trips around the CALA region, I think maybe a resort on Utila might have had the sign, but I can't recall any others?

BTW, if you're interested in my Baking Soda idea, it's not in the baking section. See toiletries, in personal deodorants I think. We had to have a guide show us.

 

[driftwood]

About 5 years ago 5th Ave in PDC was being repaved. At first I thought the new flexible gray pipes where electrical conduits. Turns out those were the sewer lines. Probably 4" in diameter with lots of twists and turns. Easy for me to see how they could clog easily.

 

[jayjoans]

I've stayed at El Cantil probably 8 times, 6 of which were in the same condo. 2 visits ago a NO TP sign appeared above the toilet, then was gone on the next visit. I'm sure as hell not going to stay in a luxury condo that requires me and my guests to put our used TP in the cute little trash can next to the commode. I figure that as long as I'm staying on the 7th floor I have nothing to worry about. If I frequented a 1st floor condo, I might feel differently about the whole matter..:mooner:

 

[firstdive2005]

Man what a crappy subject. This topic just stinks. Wipe a smile right off a guy. Can't hold it back any longer. To toss or not to toss-this is the question!