News You Could Do Without

News You Could Do Without

by Carlo Longino




Brits Prefer Phoning Naked, No Word On Toilet Habits

from the put-some-pants-on-when-you're-talking-to-me dept

A survey has found that a third of British people make phone calls while they're naked, while one in ten admit they've simply put the phone down and wandered off from a conversation, leaving the other caller talking to themselves. Sadly, the survey didn't ask how many Brits use the phone in the bathroom, preventing a transatlantic toilet talking comparison with last week's figures that said 40 percent of Americans think chatter from the crapper is okay. Is it any wonder people won't take to video calls?

35 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:39pm
    by STJ

    Doing customer service, I hate talking to someone, then in the middle, a flushing sound. Makes me wanna gag.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 7:25pm

      Re:

      by Whateva

      "Doing customer service, I hate talking to someone, then in the middle, a flushing sound. Makes me wanna gag."

      You know what? They probably hate talking to you too -- you put em on hold long enough, they should be able to do whatever the fuck they want when they're actually connected to somebody.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:44pm
    by Ashley

    I guess naked is better than crapping on the phone...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:44pm
    by Ashley

    I guess naked is better than crapping on the phone...

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:46pm
    by Anonymous Coward

    the best is when your having sex and talking to a telemarketer, they about shit themselves

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 4:32pm

      Re:

      LOL!!! I have actually done that!!! I was working for a telemarketer and called a person who, breathing heavily, admitted he was 'in the middle of something... I did a quick summary of my sales pitch and sold him TWO of the items I was selling (a coupon book)! He paid for both when they were delivered too! As for phoning in the crapper, I want a FART ringtone for my phone. That way, it won't sound out of place when it rings when I'm on the john... :)

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 5:17pm

      Re: telemarketers + sex

      by jacob

      Why would you bother to answer the phone while having sex? Is it really that bad?

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:49pm

    Crapping while on the phone

    by Lee

    I never understood why people think its such a big deal to crap while talking on the phone. Seems to me to be a great way to take care of two things at once.
    Are people aware that pooping is a part of life? And since it doesn't affect the person on the other line (in any REAL way), I say go for it!

    *shrug*

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 2:59pm

    Lee...

    by Mark

    Next time I'm at your place and I ask if I can use your phone, remind me to wash the handset.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 3:02pm

    Put down phone, walk away

    by Mark

    That used to be my remedy for unwanted telephone solicitations: I'd put down the phone as soon as I realized it was a telemarketer and come back a few minutes later. At the time I thought it was fair recompense for their tactic of bombarding me with so many words at once that I couldn't get a word in edgewise to say, "Sorry, not interested." Ultimately, though, I started to feel guilty about it and stopped. Now I have caller ID and just don't answer the phone in the first place.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 3:11pm

    ewww

    by Nello Noma

    Personally, when i hear a toilet flush I instantly begin imagining my friend's hairy sphincter opening and closing around his loose fecal matter, and you could say thats my beef with it.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 9:15pm

      Re: ewww

      by Ralph

      Personally I haven't looked to see what any of my friends assholes look like so I was spared the image until now. Thanks for sharing!

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 3:20pm

    Wow

    by AWooll

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 3:26pm

    ewww

    by Professor HighBrow

    I place all my calls to Customer service on the crapper. By the time I've waded through the endless menus about things that don't apply to me, answered a series of questions by a 'Problem Resolution System with Voice Recognition'....
    and finally get a real peron on the phone, then I wipe 'n flush.

    Feces flies in two directions.
    As an individual wh has been on the recipient's end of the turds flying (answering the phone); I really would rather hear a flush and a fart than someone completely mentallly deficient that doesn't understand basic instructions.

    Poop on, fellow Poopers!!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 5:36pm

    Phoning while Pooping {PWP}

    by Professor HighBrow

    "I want a FART ringtone for my phone. That way, it won't sound out of place when it rings when I'm on the john... :)"

    Finally something to laugh about on techdirt.com! The serious discussion gets tired after a while. Same old poop.

    Common, people, toilet humour is funny whether your a little kid or a 70 year old man with a Depends on!
    You were a kid once, and if we're just so lucky enough we'll be wearing diapers again in a few decades.

    So talking while on the toilet isn't appropriate while calling up your Mom and your Grandma....

    But you might as well get some "Business" done while you are "Doing your Business."

    -ProfHiBrow

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 24th, 2006 @ 9:55pm
    by Paul

    "Why would you bother to answer the phone while having sex? Is it really that bad?"

    I Concur, if you're enjoying yourself at all then why would you bother to answer the phone, especially if you wern't expecting any important calls.

    Aside from that, is your sex so boring that you have to introduce telemarketers to it to make it any interesting? Talk about rock bottom.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 10:25am

    mainly women?

    by jim piccard

    I'm surprised that no one has made the comment or observation....that in my experience most of the people (like, maybe 90%?) who keep on yacking while on the john, are women. So there is a demographic...or, maybe, a biologic-- angle to all this .

    jp

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • May 4th, 2006 @ 2:19pm

      Re: mainly women?

      by JerseyRich

      "I'm surprised that no one has made the comment or observation....that in my experience most of the people (like, maybe 90%?) who keep on yacking while on the john, are women. So there is a demographic...or, maybe, a biologic-- angle to all this"


      Do (actually, did) you work at Harvard? :P

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • May 4th, 2006 @ 2:20pm

      Re: mainly women?

      by JerseyRich

      "I'm surprised that no one has made the comment or observation....that in my experience most of the people (like, maybe 90%?) who keep on yacking while on the john, are women. So there is a demographic...or, maybe, a biologic-- angle to all this"

      Do (actually, did) you work at Harvard? :P

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 11:20am

    Try this for office bathroon fun

    by Dave

    It's amazing how much you can do while naked. Or if we're talking about England, "whilst" naked. Good for them!

    I will not talk to someone while on the crapper, but people in my office do. It's just SO important to get every call, that bodily functions must be interrupted! They would probably even pick up a call even after being stabbed or run over.

    When someone is talking on the phone while sitting on the crapper, I just flush the other toilets, sometimes many times in a row, to make sure that the person they're talking to has a fair shot at knowing what they are up to. Loud toilets increase the fun.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 1:02pm

    toilets

    by yoadrienne

    i dont think that talking on the phone while naked is a bad thing but i think that if you have a cell phone and are on the john then people will respect you when you say that you were in the bathroom and couldnt answer. maybe there's something to be said about phone etiquette nowadays

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 1:22pm

    When I'm in the middle of a long phone call...

    When I'm in the middle of a 3 or 4 hour phone call and gotta use the john, I just set it on speakerphone, stick it on the table, and walk away and do what I gotta do. That way IF they hear the flush it'll sound distant anyways, and I can still hear if they happen to say something. But seriously, during a 3 hour phone call, there's gonna be a place where no one says anything for a half hour or so... :-P

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 3:36pm
    by Anonymous Coward

    if no one says anything for half an hour, maybe that is the right time to end the first call and wait until something needs to be said to start another?

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 25th, 2006 @ 9:12pm
    by marcus

    I used to put up with Qwest (like at the time I had a choice). Giving Customer Diservice the flush was the civilest way of giving them what they deserved.. I now have trouble-free Internet phone thru Comcast and don"t find it necessary to take the phone to the crapper so often.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 26th, 2006 @ 11:29am

    Scientific Study

    by awwtbone

    Why don't they just do a test and based on the average phone see how dirty they really are? They tested a toilet seat and found out that it's not as dirty as we all think. Why doesn't someone just test a phone.

    One thing... As long as you don't give yourself away that your on the crapper, i don't see why you can't... I use a headset with voice answer so I don't need to touch the phone. When you flush, MUTE THE FREAKING PHONE UNTIL YOU WALK OUT! A Simple Hold On is a hell of alot better than a nice flushing sound.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 27th, 2006 @ 1:47am
    by A Brit

    What you don't realise is that we don't use our mobiles whilst naked: we actually get naked to use them!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 27th, 2006 @ 8:00am

    Using mobile phone with on the toilet

    by Anonymous Coward

    I've just invented the smellephone. Enjoy!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 27th, 2006 @ 9:32am
    by Anonymous Coward

    Brits have manners that would make a horny camel embarrassed.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Mar 28th, 2006 @ 6:52am

    Ok...

    by Zero

    I really dont find anything wrong with talking on the phone while on the toilette. I actually have a wirless phone hooked to the wall in my bathroom. When I do go poop, I like to relax and enjoy myself. If the phone rings of course I'll answer it. It doesn't bother me. In my opinion, it's just like playing a handheld game, listening to music, or reading a book while on the toilette. This doesn't phase me at all!


    My Blog

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Jun 16th, 2006 @ 3:05am

      Re: Please help me out!

      by Oscar

      Hi,

      Sorry but am not in the same path asmost of you all, mine is different... I have this question asked to me a few days ago. it goes says, 66% of americans who admit reading while in the toilet prefer to read what?
      and i have tried figuring out the answer but i just do not seem to be making headway, can anyone please assist me. Thanks - Oscar.

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 25th, 2006 @ 11:09pm

    toilet reading

    by joy andera

    66% americans read while in the toilet please tell me what there preferred reading material is.

    thanks

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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