Why don't toilets have a foot pedal?

Some do.

Yes. but a foot pedal in a cement floor would be expensive and linkage from the bottom to the back may not be feasible.

They have a foot pedal. It’s just so high up that some people use their hands, ewww.

In a little sidewalk bathroom in Mazatlan, they had a foot pedal. I think it’s a great idea. I also want all the tiles that were in there.

We have a foot pedal I made for it with a modified flush handle and a cable to a pedal mounted on the wall.

There are fewer moving parts involved in the little lever thing. Makes installation a lot easier, since you don’t have to mount anything but the toilet and the toilet paper holder.
If your friend is worried about germs, tell him to wash up afterward.

tp to flush! your using it anyway!

I think it is a great idea! I am all for it.

Probably…but who wants to drive one around?lol!

It is common in other countries. So are holes you shit in =looks at Austria=.

This is why there is a sink located near the toilet, with soap. I agree, a foot pedal would be nice but what I like better is the forward half flush for liquids and the hole back flush for solids. Urine does not scare me half as much as the shit on the bottom of your shoes. Use your hands and then wash.

Like @laureth said, I always flush with my foot if I have to use a public restroom.
My mother taught me that as soon as I could get my little leg up that high.
I still remember being in the stall with her and she hiked up her skirt to flush with her high heeled foot.

why not put a motion detector in a little tube at the side that you need to wave your hand past. then you don’t even need to touch it at all.

maybe take it one step further, you could have a clap activated toilet, a toilet with a whistle detector maybe. or maybe you could make a toilet with voice commands on it. maybe even toilets that have a number, and you need to text the toilet to get a flush.

or… you could get a toilet and put sound recognition on it, it listens for two sounds. water trickling sounds, when the sound stops it flushes automatically, and the second sound, paper falling in the toilet. you could even set it have two different flushes for each type of sound.

I have actually thought about this before, as I used to design plumbing. The reason why we have toilets with the flushing mechanism at the top is because it is far more efficient to do it this way (consider how the toilet works). That is not to say that it isn’t possible to do; some toilets are made with a foot pedal, but it is not that common. It is likely much cheaper to make toilets as they do since there are less parts involved. Also, in public restrooms one has to consider ADA now and the pedal would need to be accessible.

I’m not averse to the foot pedal idea, but I think it needs to be refined. Another thing to consider is why they don’t install faucets that are operated by foot. It’s not that they aren’t made – they are installed in hospitals and laboratories all the time when it is important to have “hands free” operation. Again, I think it is more expensive to make these faucets and so they are not cost competitive. When I own my own house, I will definitely be installing a foot pedal operated kitchen sink, and perhaps a foot pedal operated shower (also made and installed in gyms now and then). I know I’d save a ton of water with these simple changes.

I don’t like motion sensors. They flush when they shouldn’t, they don’t flush when they should, sometimes they run constantly and never shut off, sometimes they don’t turn the faucet on…One day technology may improve reliability, but we are not there yet and should not be converting the entire industry of controls from manual to electrical. Besides, I’ve always wondered what happens when the power goes out. I think the pedals would accomplish all the same things in a much more robust way.

@lilikoi, I never thought anyone could write such a long response on toilet foot pedals. Since I don’t want to read it, I concur. Well written sir.

I was literally thinking that 2 days ago.

@poisonedantidote
The motion-sensor thing is becoming quite popular in public accommodations these days.

The motion sensor thing works great. Very little malfunctions that I have encountered.

It wouldn’t be very difficult to produce a toilet with a foot pedal, but with the motion sensor, what’s the point.

What a good idea! Especially on public toilets!! Ewwww…

There was a product called a foot flush but it has been discontinued. It was exactly what you want. Maybe they know where to get one.
http://www.accessibleconstruction.com