Does a toilet seat really need a lid?
Toilet seats traditionally have two parts - the toilets seat itself and the lid. It's worth wondering whether a toilet really needs a lid.
Let's look at the advantages of a toilet seat also having a lid. Firstly, toilets are horrible, yucky things that you should never have to look inside. Wait a minute... Surely if your toilet isn't good enough to look inside then it's because it's not clean. So the function of the lid is to conceal a dirty toilet? I don't like the sound of that!
OK, still looking for a use for the toilet seat's lid... Ah ha! It gives the toilet a smooth, finished-off appearance. OK, that can't be denied. Without the lid, the toilet is a purely functional item, reminding us of functions we probably don't want to be reminded about. Yet with the lid, the toilet is as sleek as an ocean liner, it's a rounded, curvy work of art. Whoops, there's a note of sarcasm creeping in here.
Right, this surely is the clincher - the lid attached to the toilet seat stops anything falling in the toilet. Yup, that's finally a good use for the lid. As far as I'm concerned, if anything fell into my toilet - even my spotlessly clean toilet - then I'm afraid when it's gone, it's gone.
You just have to remember to put the lid down as well as the toilet seat.
Let's imagine a world filled with toilets without lids. What difference would there be? Well firstly, I suppose we would have to get used to the idea of holding on tight to our stuff. Secondly, toilets would always have to be clean, since their insides are now always on view. That's a good point. And when approaching a strange toilet for the first time, you wouldn't have to lift the lid just an inch and peer inside, wondering what lurks within. You would just see straight away.
So, opinion is divided. There are good points and bad points to toilet seat also incorporating lids. Next question... why do toilets have seats anyway?
