Why newspapers or magazine rack in the toilet?

If you have trouble going or it’s taking longer than planned, a little reading can help pass the time. Or perhaps it provides a distraction for some long enough to finish the job.

For some busy parents, it’s their only alone time. Best to catch up on some reading.

I tend to go in, do what I need to do and leave. However, there are times when things take longer than usual, and then I’ll read a book. My husband has crohns, so he spends a lot of time in the loo. He uses the time to read news/political magazines. At least the time is being spent productively (in more ways than one).

@Hypocrisy_Central It’s everything you said. I don’t get it. If I sit too long my legs fall asleep. Lol. I didn’t know people kept reading material in their bathroom until I started dating. I think it’s more of a man thing.

@JLeslie “I think it’s more of a man thing”’

I see a lot more reading material available in bathrooms under the control of women than men. It’s the only place I ever read a People.

Oh, @Hypocrisy_Central, the snide and mocking tone of your details would indicate that you are an obnoxious 8 year old boy.
“Do those who do figure their stuff don’t stink, they like the smell of it they want to linger longer in it, how do they keep the ”cling-ons” from drying out and being as tenacious as Klingons, or are they so constipated they have to sit in there long enough to read an article or most of it before they can do a download with paperwork?”
My daughter has UC, and spends a lot of time in the bathroom. (@Earthbound_Misfit, I have much sympathy for your husband). I have had digestive issues since radiation treatments to my abdomen, so I also spend more time. I would answer seriously if you had asked seriously, but I tend to think that you are more interested in giggling about your Klingon remark than in finding a real answer.

@JLeslie: You don’t get it either? Really? Geez

@canidmajor I’m not talking about people with UC. I don’t think the OP is either. It’s completely understandable that it takes your daughter more time. It’s not like we are complaining about waiting to use the lou, because someone is taking too long. My answer is considering everyone is healthy, why do they sit on the pot for such a long time and have reading material in the bathroom.

I call my husband’s bathroom the library. He doesn’t have UC, or any other ailment.

Maybe one reason he was able to sit longer and dawdle as a child was because he had a bathroom in his room, and I was sharing 1.5 bathrooms with my whole family.

@zenvelo Really? I find that surprising. I honestly wouldn’t be very aware of what reading material is in a bathroom, because I don’t read it. Moreover, usually reading material is in the master bathroom, isn’t it? I don’t usually use the master bathroom at someone’s house. I do know plenty of people with just one bathroom in their apartment, but I can’t recall seeing reading material in those apartments. It’s just my personal experience.

There are lots of reasons why one might need to spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Constipation being probably the most common, UC and Crohn’s being another like @canidmajor pointed out. I spend a good half hour to 45 minutes on the toilet in total each day so I make sure to always have my phone. Over the course of my life that’s going to be an incredible amount of wasted time, which I hate, so I try to make the most of it.

@JLeslie: “It’s everything you said. I don’t get it. If I sit too long my legs fall asleep. Lol. I didn’t know people kept reading material in their bathroom until I started dating. I think it’s more of a man thing.”
That ^ would indicate otherwise.

@canidmajor Well, now you know the assumptions I was making in my answer. I’m glad you asked. No need for you to repeat my answer twice, once was enough. I have clarified my response. I still stick to my response assuming the given is people have no medical condition. I’ve had plenty of medical shit (no pun intended) that at times has caused me to take a while in the bathroom. I certainly have sympathy for anyone who needs extra time.

I was reminded by Mariah’s answer that my husband paid extra to have a phone jack put in the toilet room in our master bath in our second, third, and fourth house. As I said, he has no physical problems.

Not everyone has a master bathroom. So the single bathroom would also be the library in a lot of homes.

Not a rack, a little rolling table, which holds a stack of crossword puzzle books and several sharp pencils. For me, it’s the only way to go.

BTW, I’ve always called my bathroom the “Porcelain Library.”

What? No pen or pencil to do crosswords and sudoku? Actually, the toilet is the one place one shouldn’t spend too much time sitting. Get your business done and get off! So, no. No newspapers or magazines. (Although I do keep the crosswords and sudoku in my bathroom for my entertainment while going.)

@chyna Are you talking to me? I said I know a lot of people with only one bathroom. My sister, aunt, my grandmother when she was alive, a couple former work friends, my SIL, all one bathroom. My parents have 1.5 bathrooms, and none of the bathrooms are in the master bedroom. In fact, growing up, most of the houses where I lived didn’t have master bathrooms. I don’t remember seeing a bunch of magazines in them.

@kritiper, I once got the same advice by a doctor and believe it’s probably valid. HOWEVER…

I have continued read and do crosswords in my Porcelain Library for decades with no apparent harm.

@canidmajor Oh, @Hypocrisy_Central, the snide and mocking tone of your details would indicate that you are an obnoxious 8 year old boy.
Good, next time I will make it very clinical with all the graphic details so those catching it on their lunch hour will have a reason to go do it. Or, maybe use very street terms, I am sure the mods will love that, might even get a NSFW tag.

My daughter has UC, and spends a lot of time in the bathroom.
To be clear, it was not directed to people like your daughter of who have medical or physical conditions. I have no idea what UC is, I was alluding to healthy people who have no reason to keep them in there. You cannot deny crap has a smell that is not pleasant to most, even if you down one and drown one, there will still be somewhat of a smell. To me is get on, get it over, and get out. Another fact, unless you have very dry crap it will be moist enough to dry out unless you plan to wipe and wait for the second and third round. If you do not have to be on the toilet 20 minutes why would you stay in there to read the paper? I would think the Barcalounger with a nice drink, coffee, tea, etc. in the family room, etc. would be far more comfortable, enjoyable, and with certainly a better smell.

Why on earth do you assume, @Hypocrisy_Central, that people spend so much time in there if they don’t have to? Did you do a study?
And really, your entire detail section was, as I said, snide and mocking. Nothing was said about healthy people with normal digestive systems. There are actual reasons why people, even with fairly healthy elimination circumstances would read in the bathroom that have nothing to do with spending the time productively.
And @JLeslie, no I won’t assume to take anything you say not at face value. You have, more than once treated us to an outraged “I didn’t say that!” So I can only respond to the words that you actually use. And your words to @Hypocrisy_Central were “It’s everything you said.” I figured that meant you were supporting his juvenile assessment of people’s bathroom habits.

@canidmajor I did say that this time. I then clarified. I thanked you for giving me the opportunity to clarify. All of that is sincere on my part. I just thought you were over the top bolding the quote again. You seem annoyed people might not be understanding or considerate of your daughter. I’m pretty sure all jellies here absolutely are understanding of a person’s medical needs.

@Hypocrisy_Central also clarified he was not thinking about someone with specific medical needs. You decided to infer our statements were inconsiderate of people who truly have a medical need. Sure, we didn’t specifically state that we exclude those people from the discussion originally, but we didn’t specifically include them either. It’s a light hearted Q, but it’s understandable that for people with very specific bathroom issues it doesn’t feel funny.

I can assure you my husband sits on the pot, taking his time, reading, and it’s often completely unnecessary. Sometimes he does a courtesy flush for me since I have bugged him about it in the past if I am nearby. I had an exboyfriend who was similar.

@canidmajor Why on earth do you assume, @Hypocrisy_Central, that people spend so much time in there if they don’t have to? Did you do a study?
OK, seeing this is a place where people attest to use reason and logic (even though, as now, emotion rules better) that one goes into the toilet to use it to what¸ pass human waste. That being the case, once the act is done, why would you still be there? That, to me at least, makes about as much sense as sitting at the table alone staring at the empty plate you just finished, sitting at the monitor once the DVD finished for no reason. Maybe there is a reason I don’t know, why do you think I asked?

And really, your entire detail section was, as I said, snide and mocking. Nothing was said about healthy people with normal digestive systems.
Do you deny there is a smell to human crap? I don’t like the smell of my own crap and surely there are no articles so interesting that I would linger more minutes in it than I have to. Nothing in the details was said it was speaking of people with medical problems, did it? I could have assumed that by the context people could not follow it was healthy people, I guess I should have used a disclaimer but even when I do around here I might as well be speaking pig Latin as no one listens to it.

There are actual reasons why people, even with fairly healthy elimination circumstances would read in the bathroom that have nothing to do with spending the time productively.
Do tell then, what are some viable reasons someone with healthy, normal bowel movements would hang around in the toilet after the process of elimination is over with their pants or panties around their ankles? You could have went there 1st and been in line with the question instead of the tangent you left on.

@Hypocrisy_Central …once the act is done, why would you still be there?. This question has been asked before, to a certain degree. The responses were sensible.

^ This question has been asked before, to a certain degree.
Some of the excerpts were byproduct of the question but still reflect the thoughts of most people I know. If he act takes more than a few minutes and not for medical reasons, you are more in the year of being constipated and they have solutions for that; no need to have to sit in there watching the shower curtains. And if you have to go (you get the urge) and when you get there it gets gun shy what then, you have no urge anymore or it just doesn’t bother a person as it did before they started thumbing through the magazine?

Said by @Judi As for poo, I don’t like hanging around in my own stink

Said by @tranquilsea I’ve never understood the whole reading thing. I’d much rather hit the bathroom, do my business and then curl up in a chair to read well away from the bathroom. I’m in and out in under a minute.

Said by @Coloma I have travel mags in a basket with rolled up towels underneath a little bamboo vanity table. I skim my newest travel mags, but don’t linger for more than a few minutes. Lol

@Hypocrisy_Central I’m going to disagree with you and say constipation is a legitimate reason to be sitting there a long time. You can’t say the person should take medicine or whatever to alleviate their constipation. If it takes them longer to go it takes longer. Also, some people naturally have slower bowels and they take longer, which also is just fine.

When I was a little girl, if I couldn’t go right away I’d want to give up fast. I remember my grandma telling me to sit there and be more patient. She was right sometimes. If I just sat and relaxed, sometimes it worked.

Yeah I’m not sure I understand the assumption that people are hanging around after they’re done. Usually if someone has reading material in their bathroom it’s because it takes them a long time to go, not because they’re hanging around for no reason after being done.

Constipation is not uncommon and there are dozens of reasons why someone would not want to medicate against it.

some of us hang around a long time ,especially if you are on painkillers !