How Do You Flush This Thing?

I'm here to address the bathroom question that's been on everyone's mind: How the heck do you flush these European toilets, anyway?

Yes, this does have to do with culture. I mean, hygiene is a cultural thing, right? xDDD

So, this post all stems from the encounter I had in the Warsaw airport, when I as waiting in the queue (you like that, huh?) for my turn in the lavatory. And man, was that a tight bathroom. Only three stalls and half a plane full of women who either needed to brush their teeth or wee. Tight squeeze and long line? You bet.

But back to the story, this little girl came out of a stall, and I was next in line, but she told me (in English) that she had no idea how to flush the toilet. Well, good thing I was there to let her know :DD.

You see, Europeans are fond of the button-pushing system (at least Polish people are). There will never be a toilet here that will have our flushing system. So, if you look at the toilet, it looks like only a toilet, with a strange pair of "buttons" on the wall, seemingly disconnected from the bowl itself. How do you flush this thing? Good question. You simply push the larger of the two buttons. I'm pretty sure, but not completely positive, when I write that the smaller button is for when you have a light load, and the larger one for, you know, heavier stuff. But just to be safe, press the larger of the two. Just to be safe.

And there you go, that's how'ya do it. No need to fear.

Oh! I almost forgot two more things:

1. In public lavatories, if you can't open the bathroom stall, don't panic. First, check if you unlocked the stall properly. Then, if you did, and you still can't get out, try pushing the door out, instead of pulling in. I only list this because, yes, it happened to me yesterday at the airport.

2. Sometimes, depending on the "class" of the public restroom, you will find that the toilet paper may be, as one girl called it three years ago on my Polish School trip here, "brown". Don't fret, it's just the kind of paper they sell here. It is difficult to find white t.p. out here, but usually, you won't encounter the rough, "brown" paper. And pray you don't, because it's not pleasant!

There you go, that's all you ever wanted to know about public (and private, I s'pose) restrooms. And now you have the answer to that (age-old) question: How do you flush this thing? I'm putting together a list of come common courtisies that are found here, but since I can only think of one, I will save posting about public transportation, and type up a list of major public and private ettiquete later (in case you wanted to know).

Give me some feedback, or I'll be posting about toilets more often!