The State of Affairs in Russia

[Tamas]

I think it is just that they were scramble-built at the last moment, and you had Caucasian construction workers who had to deal with an insane pace of doing their job, with no time to pause on matters like "there is too little space for the toilets" ("we will make double toilet rooms then), "shit, they gave me an hour to install 30 sinks" etc.

Most obvious in those room designs. Get it good enough so they cannot say it is not done. Rush on.

I would NOT be going to the stadiums and the rest, if I were the people there.

[sbr]

I had also heard that flushing toilet paper is rare in other parts of the world.  Don't remember where I heard ti though.

[Sheilbh]

I had also heard that flushing toilet paper is rare in other parts of the world.  Don't remember where I heard ti though.

I don't think it's common in South America or Morocco, but I can't properly remember.

[alfred russel]

And no one told the Western, especially Americans, that most of the world's waterpipe don't have enough pressure to push paper thru them.

Back when I lived in Ukraine, used toilet paper went down the toilet with no undue drama.  Well, by toilet paper I mean old newspapers for the most part, but the idea is the same.

I've been in places where you aren't supposed to put toilet paper down the drain. I've also been in places where everyone doesn't get their own bathroom stall. I've been in places where manholes are often left uncovered and unblocked and stray animals are everywhere. And I've been in hotel rooms with decor like what Sheilbh posted, even in the US.

I've never been to Russia, or Sochi, so I'm not sure where the area falls on the 1st world / 3rd world spectrum. Some of the stuff might be a case of westerners going to a less developed region and being freaked out by differences. Some of it though seems like they aren't so ready.

[Barrister]

I had also heard that flushing toilet paper is rare in other parts of the world.  Don't remember where I heard ti though.

I don't think it's common in South America or Morocco, but I can't properly remember.

No issues flushing toilet paper in Brazil.

[derspiess]

I had also heard that flushing toilet paper is rare in other parts of the world.  Don't remember where I heard ti though.

I don't think it's common in South America or Morocco, but I can't properly remember.

No issues flushing toilet paper in Brazil.

Argentina's good as well.  I've flushed my share down Argentine way.

I do know that many (most?) parts of Mexico can't handle toilet paper in their sewer systems.  A buddy of mine had a lot of Mexicans on his work crew when he was a field geologist, and had to keep reminding them not to throw used toilet paper in the garbage 

[celedhring]

No issues flushing paper in either Morocco or Egypt, but I only used restrooms in touristy establishments.

[derspiess]

Or we can allow countries like Russia and China to host the games, but the IOC could hold lack of basic respect for human rights against them when it comes to making these decisions. Or the IOC could NOT hold it against them, and we could respond accordingly and decide to either take a pass on our leaders attending, or make some other clear gesture.

It isn't all or nothing.

Or you could just get over yourself & move on with your life.

[alfred russel]

Or we can allow countries like Russia and China to host the games, but the IOC could hold lack of basic respect for human rights against them when it comes to making these decisions. Or the IOC could NOT hold it against them, and we could respond accordingly and decide to either take a pass on our leaders attending, or make some other clear gesture.

It isn't all or nothing.

I can't prove anything, but I suspect they do hold it against them when they make the decision. China opened up quite a bit for the Olympics, for example. I doubt the IOC would have given them the games without some assurances that visitors would be welcomed and not subjected to the brunt of a communist state.

There is a lot of speculation the recent issues in Turkey pushed the Olympics to Japan in 2020. It is just that if you are going to balance those considerations with a global outreach you aren't going to get perfect hosts all the time.

Russia is a tougher situation. The gay rights issues came up after it had been awarded the games, and I'm not sure what the IOC could really do in that case. Practically you can't get a new host at a late date, and much of the membership is from countries that are more conservative on the issue than Russia anyway.

[Tamas]

I had also heard that flushing toilet paper is rare in other parts of the world.  Don't remember where I heard ti though.

I don't think it's common in South America or Morocco, but I can't properly remember.

No issues flushing toilet paper in Brazil.

Got lucky I guess.

There was this thread over at Paradox OT not too long ago, where a Brazilian guy was in total outrage mode over the barbarism of Europe, which, for him, materialized in the fact that Europeans flush the toilet paper instead of bucketing them like civilized people.

[Tamas]

Oh and before you assholes ask, Hungarians do flush toilet papers.

[alfred russel]

No issues flushing toilet paper in Brazil.

I've come across it in Peru. I think other places as well...maybe outside the cities in Brazil?

I've universally ignored it though. I just flush after every wipe and it has never backfired.

[Admiral Yi]

Hey Tamas, do the old ladies still sell two squares of toilet paper for you to use in the subway shitter in Hungary?

Face to face with the realities of planned economies.

[Tamas]

Hey Tamas, do the old ladies still sell two squares of toilet paper for you to use in the subway shitter in Hungary?

Face to face with the realities of planned economies.

I don`t think they do 

[derspiess]

Beet paper?