"Why can't we do that here?"

[Reed John]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Nightclubs are a public nuisance. Everytime a professional athlete or actor gets shot or into a fight or whatever it's almost always described as "outside a [fill in city where he plays]-area nightclub."

[Ginger Yellow]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Professional athletes and actors are a public nuisance. Every time a nightclub gets in the news it's almost always described as "an actor got shot outside a nightclub"

[Reed John]

"Why can't we do that here?"

I never thought of it that way.

"Nightclub" is a bit of an anachronism, isn't it? Nobody calls them that anymore in real life, do they?

[Er Liquidatore]

"Why can't we do that here?"

I call them 'da cluub'.

[ursus arctos]

"Why can't we do that here?"

And soon you will be calling them "nights" (one of the more bizarre current Italianisms).

[Tubby Isaacs]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Bruno, America is very well off for public art collections. No need for Europe-envy there.

TonTon, Singapore is your place for discouraging cars.

[Guest]

"Why can't we do that here?"

WornOldMotorbike wrote:

Hold on now. I use stalls to take a leak, but I put the seat up. Nothing wrong with that, I don't think--takes a shorter amount of time than sitting down and doing your business. If all the urinals are taken, and there's an open stall, I'm taking it. If there aren't urinals, but just a trough, I'm sure as hell only using a stall.

Bah, I've encountered all these stall-pee straw men before.
a) Never in the history of mankind have all the urinals been taken - except at sporting events.
b) You stall-pee types may lift the seat, but you piss all over the floor or the wall or the paper roll.
c) Notwithstanding a) and b), the stall is for people who have to crap so badly that they'd brave a public washroom to do it, and the last thing they need is to wait another minute or two while a stall-pee indulges his personal insecurities instead of braving a urinal.
d) I'll give you the trough exemption.

I hate to sound sanctimonious, but there is a good proportion of men out there who can't use urinals at all. This is due to a genuine Social Anxiety Disorder known as Avoidant Paruresis. I know because I am a sufferer in recovery.

This condition affects both men and women, and in the worst cases sufferers cannot use a public toliet at all. You can imagine how this affects quality of life. I have heard an estimate that one in ten people suffers from AP to some degree.

AP is certainly not just a question of "personal insecurities" or indeed "wussiness." I met a guy who suffered from the condition who was 6'4'', a builder and weightlifter, a proverbial brick shithouse, who suffered terribly from the condition.

The causes of AP are debated - childhood trauma is one cause - but it can be treated. Sufferers should check out this website for help.

[/rant]

Ahh that's better. Ooh what a lovely day...

[WOM]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Fine. Just be sure to lift the seat. The women have us dead to rights on that topic.

[Reed John]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Avoidant Paruresis.

I have that, I think. I can usually use a public urinal with no trouble but I have a very hard time getting the urine to come up if there are people queuing up behind me to use the urinal, no matter how hard I try to relax. In that case, the only solution for me is to go into the stall and close the door.

[Guest]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Like I said, it's pretty common, but sadly it's an area few people, especially guys, open up about. The ukpt site had some useful links and advice.

Anyway, back on topic, being able to buy fresh bread from a bakery five minutes walk away for a decent price every morning. French bread that's actually French.

[San Bernardhinault]

"Why can't we do that here?"

I wish there were walls in the UK that were square and straight, so you could fit shelves to them that didn't have huge gaps behind at one end or another.

[Incandenza]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Whaaat?

[Ginger Yellow]

"Why can't we do that here?"

hate to sound sanctimonious, but there is a good proportion of men out there who can't use urinals at all... This condition affects both men and women

It's true. A lot of women can't use urinals at all.

[Guest]

"Why can't we do that here?"

La Lanterne Rouge wrote:

I really wish we could do tolerable hotels at non-extortionate prices. On the rare occasions I'm forced to stay at British hotels I feel a mixture of deep discomfort just because they're so crap, and spectacular embarassment because foreigners come here, get told by British Tourist Agencies how friendly and excellent British hotels and hoteliers are, and then pay £200 a night to stay in a decade old cheap bed covered in polyester chintz, and take a shower which has two modes - superheated dribble and cold dribble. And then get served the greasiest, most cardboardy fried breakfast, get charged another £20 for it, and be made to feel grateful that they got that much.

Immediately thought of this thread when I saw this earlier today.

[Jimski]

"Why can't we do that here?"

It would be nice if British towns and cities could provide a lot more places to sit down. There's a dreadful shortage of seats in most town centres.

[Er Liquidatore]

"Why can't we do that here?"

Free running water for all in public places, like what they do here. That's one really great thing Rome has, public service wise.