Woman nearly falls down the toilet and gets her 'bum wet' after brother leaves the toilet seat up

A woman said she nearly fell down the bog after her younger brother failed to put the lid down.

Writing in the Guardian, Nuala explained that she lives with her brother Niall and their toilet-related tensions came to a dramatic crescendo after she came home one night after some drinks.

She wrote: "We both have our own bathroom, but share the downstairs loo. Whenever I go in there the toilet seat is up. I hate having to constantly put it down – I shouldn’t have to get germs on my hands for something that isn’t my responsibility.

"One night I came home after a few drinks and used the downstairs loo but Niall had left the lid up once again. I nearly fell down the toilet when I sat down. My bum got wet. I got a real shock. It was very annoying. When I challenged him the next day, Niall just said he 'forgot' and that it 'wasn’t a big deal'. I think that’s inconsiderate."

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That's not the only reason it annoys her, she said.

"When Niall leaves the toilet seat up I feel as if he’s making the bathroom look unclean. The downstairs bathroom is also the one that guests use. It’s embarrassing when they come over and I hear them slamming the seat against the loo."

But Niall doesn't agree with her assessment. He wrote: "The toilet seat debacle has bothered men and women for years. But men have never had an issue lifting the seat up – and we do it so we don’t pee on it, making it more hygienic for everyone. We are being considerate of others when we take this action. However, so many women seem to have an issue with us putting it down again. Why? It’s only fair that they do. If I leave the seat up, it really seems to annoy Nuala but really, it’s just not that deep."

He added that Nuala has asked him to try weeing sitting down but he doesn't think that's a "normal" option.

"Sometimes I forget to put the toilet seat down and she will make a point of calling me into the bathroom and telling me off like a kid. But I genuinely forget; I don’t do it deliberately."

Reacting to the sibling's tiff, readers were divided.

Some said Nuala needed to relax. One wrote: "It is annoying to have to put the seat down, but it’s not a big issue and Nuala should relax – sharing space with others requires a bit of compromise. She has her own bathroom that she can keep exactly as she likes."

But others could see why she was annoyed. "Niall needs to be a bit more considerate of other people; putting down the toilet seat after use is common courtesy and not a big ask," one said. "Also, as a man who quite enjoys a sit-down wee, I’d say give it a try – you might be surprised."

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