"unclean left hand"
 

Hesitate to bring this up, but .... I was waiting for a plane last week at the gate in an airport and struck up a conversation with a couple (probably in their fifties) who were just returning from a cruise and who were obviously still feeling friendly toward strangers....said they traveled several times a year and have been just about everywhere. I told them my husband was a bit nervous about his upcoming trip to India, and asked them how they enjoyed their trip there and immediately, they both began telling me that he should bring toilet paper with him to India...they said that they never saw any there, that Indians in India do not use it, it is not their custom (this couple has even visited very wealthy friends there and found that even they did not have toilet paper in their bathrooms...just a little sink and faucet next to the toilet (not a bidet) to wash their "unclean left hand" after using the toilet. (They said you can reach over and wash your hand while you are still seated on the toilet). I have never heard of this "unclean left hand" before...have any of you? Is it true? (believe me...this is not a troll post!) My husband is freaking!! <BR>

It is probably true that there is a sink in the toilet area. In Japan the tops of the toilets have a little sink so that you can wash your hands then the water is used to flush, thus saving water. Don't know anything about the unclean left hand thing.

In the Arab middle east you always offer things to people with the right hand as the left hand is used for (how do I put this) toilet functions. There is always a hose and faucet, (or in poorer areas a jug of water), next to the toilet for washing. Guess it's a similar situation in India.

To the lawyers out there: Now we have a new way of looking at "unclean hands."

As a British lawyer I'm intrigued-what are unclean hands in the States? <BR>On the point,I've not come across this problem in India despite several visits.The hotels and restaurants I've been to had toilet paper.A word of warning though,avoid the toilets in the Red Fort in Delhi,they rank(pardon the pun) as the worst ever. <BR>Perhaps a new thread topic?

I had a sociology teacher who went to India and did not know of this custom....he went on a trip to India and, doing as the locals do, ate with his hands. However, being left-handed, he was eating with his left hand. All action around him STOPPED, everyone was looking at him like he was a freak. And THEN someone explained to him that you eat with your right, and you perform toilet functions with the left. Yes, it's true!

Yes, you only eat with your right hand. A friend of mine said it felt really stange having this poor left hand sort of feeling ashamed of itself. In Indian restaurants in places like Manchester or Bradford where the clientele is mainly from the sub continent, the loos have lavatory paper but also have a sort of jug with a long spout for washing afterwards.

Anyone ever figure out how to use the 3 sea shells in "demolition man"? <BR>

This being said, I loved my trip to India and found that there was toilet paper in most bathrooms.

In some higher priced hotels, there is an attendant on hand to clean the offorementioned area for a very reasonable fee. <BR>

&lt;&lt;In some higher priced hotels, there is an attendant on hand to clean the offorementioned area for a very reasonable fee&gt;&gt; <BR> <BR>ummmmmm....would that be known as a "buttler"?

More useless trivia: <BR>in Latin, the word for "right" (as in right hand) is "dexter", which also implies "correct or orthodox". <BR>The word for "left" is "sinister". <BR> <BR>Poor left handed souls must have realy been persecuted (actually they were forced to become righties). <BR>

This has got me very worried, i'm travelling to the middle east and india/pakistan and i'm left handed, <BR>What if I forget, and touch someone with my left hand? will I be arrested or something? <BR>These attendants that are available to wipe youe behind for you, can you refuse and do it yourself? <BR>

No, you must let the attendants wipe for you. You wouldn't want to deny them the occupational fulfillment for which they got into the personal care business in the first place, now would you? <BR>Don't be such an American prude. <BR>Just bend over and get buffed.

Not all americans are prudes, i'm not, but i definitely will not let someone else wipe me where the sun dont shine.

ohhh, but my dear sweet non-prudish lynn, in Italy the sun shines EVERYWHERE! <BR>Nothing is off limits here! <BR>Look me up when you're in Capri.

Thanks for the offer Luigi, <BR>I would love the chance for you and your fratelli in capri to clean me. <BR>Ciao bello

(From a specialist in cross-cultural studies.) <BR> <BR>Yes, in all of the Middle East, not just the *Arab* Middle East, the left hand is considered 'unclean' because it is used for 'toilet purposes.' <BR> <BR>It is washed afterward with water where water is available, and with sand where water is not available. But in spite of the fact it has been washed after being used, it is still considered unclean. <BR> <BR>Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, is quoted as having said, "He who eats with his left hand eats with the Devil." <BR> <BR>So you should not eat with your left hand in any *Muslim* country. <BR> <BR>And not in India, nor the Far East. <BR> <BR>Also, you should not pass anything to another person with your left hand, including your credit card, money, or a tip. Use the right hand for this and for receiving your credit card or change back. <BR> <BR>If you are giving someone a gift in those parts of the world, it is best to use both hands, as the use of just the right hand conveys half-hearted or reluctant giving. <BR> <BR>And when entering a home, restaurant or - especially - a place of worship, the right foot should be the first one to touch the interior floor of the establishment. <BR> <BR>Another "foot thing" to be aware of is that in the Middle East, Subcontinent and Far East is that it is considered a grave insult to point the bottom of your shoe or foot toward another person. So the habit of Western men (mostly) of resting one ankle on a knee, with the bottom of the shoe pointing toward another person, should be avoided. <BR> <BR>But most people in these countries will realize you are a Westerner and will take this into account, so don't let it distract you too much. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Oh Blimey, <BR>I have just applied for a position in the new delhi hilton that wanted a personal care attendant with warm hands. <BR>I do not think I will be filling this position. <BR>A thousand opologies for the inconvenience.

<BR> <BR>John has some good advice. For lefties, unless you can sign with your right hand, have your own pen handy for signatures so you don't have to return something which you used your left hand for. <BR> <BR>As he said, most places you will visit as a tourist will be very understanding if you do something counter-cultural. You may not be so fortunate with business contacts, especially if you need something from them. In either case, it usually pays to be sensitive to whatever culture you are in. <BR> <BR>Rich

To the non-U.S. Lawyer: <BR> <BR>In the U.S., there is the doctrine of "unclean hands." It means coming to court to seek a remedy when you have been wrongdoing yourself. So if I rob a bank with my buddy, and then my buddy makes off with all the money, I can't go to court and sue for half of the money, as I have unclean hands. <BR> <BR>Now you're ready to hang out your shingle.

sorry for this groos fact.but in the middle east(I don't know if this in in all countries)if you are caught stealing your right hand is cut off so you only have your left hand;) yucky!!!

<BR> <BR>An excellent point, Rich. Thanks for making it.

The left hand being unclean is certainly something I have heard of but only ever in discussion forums such as this. <BR> <BR>I have been to India at least 10 times and have never come across people not using their left hand because it is unclean. <BR> <BR>Nor have I had people even look askance (and I am quite aware of such thing) if I use my left hand for anything. I am right handed in the main but not for everything. <BR> <BR>Nor does the sole of the foot seem to have any offensive connotations that I have come across, infact you will often see people sitting crosslegged and I cant imagine this would be the case if the sole of the foot mustnt be shown. <BR> <BR>Going back to the original discussion, my Indian relatives have always told me that the reason most toilets have water not paper is for 2 reasons, paper is more expensive. But more importantly, they feel paper doesnt clean as well, it just wipes the do around. <BR> <BR>Whilst I have never been able to make the change and always use paper, I can see the point. How can paper give as good a clean as a wash? <BR> <BR>And people do use soap there you know and wash their hands after? <BR> <BR>I have never been to anyone's home without paper and water both and most top end hotels etc will have paper. <BR> <BR>I do as I do when travelling anywhere which will have poorer or more remote area. Keep some tissue in my bag. <BR> <BR>Kavey

I am talking India above not anywhere else such as Middle East, where I think most of the comments above are coming from.

We are both left-handed. <BR> <BR>I don't know about history and customs, etc but it's a well known fact that left-handed people are more intelligent than the others. <BR>

See, some people are left handed, so what is the proper response...eat, write, draw, with the hand that seems natural, or go hungry.

to the top

I have to ask...do they really wipe their butts with their bare hands? That doesn't sound too efficient to me.

anon: <BR> <BR>NOT with their bare hands, but with their bare LEFT hand! <BR> <BR>You see, that is why the left hand is considered unclean. <BR>And there are water bucket around. But it is always a good thing to have kleenex with you in these countries. <BR>

This left hand thing isn't just in India - it goes for China, Thailand and other Asian countries. I always travel with a roll of toilet paper and a small pack of tissues in my purse. A can of air freshener can be your best friends in some of these squat toilets. I wonder what left-handed Asian people do about this dilemma.....

In Turkey all of the toilets have a small pipe coming into the toilet bowl from the back, perfectly directing water towards the discussed spot of ones bottom. (There is a small valve at the side of the toilet to turn it on with). While this takes some getting used, it really is very "refreshing" and clean. Do take some tissues in your purse for Turkish public toilets (which usually have to pay for). However, in Turkey they do not have the "left hand" is bad concept. You will always find the pipe available.

They don't wipe with their left hand, they wash. You don't wipe your face, if you don't use a cloth you put soap on your hand and then slosh it with water. <BR>

This message should have been posted in the Asian forum not the European one. That way you would have had a better chance of getting accurate views on the subject. Being an Indian, let me set a few things right. Firstly, your statements are too general. Secondly, you need to understand the reason why toilet papers are not commonplace in India. India is a poor country and toilet paper is a luxury. A single roll of TP costs more than what can feed a person in rural India. <BR> <BR>You will not get strange looks if you were to use your left hand for anything other than the subject of this thread. We Indians have the same percentage of left handers as any other country and they are not persecuted for being so. <BR> <BR>And though a TP is not commonplace in India, soaps are. So there is no such thing as an unclean hand. <BR> <BR>Look, India is a developing country, so if you are traveling there, take the normal precautions you would take for traveling to any other developing country. Drink bottled water only, avoid eating at obviously unhygienic places, etc. Most hotels will provide you with toilet paper. And there are no 'buttlers' in India. It may sound funny to you, but it is an extremely impertinent statement. <BR> <BR>Hey, enjoy India. There is more to my country than what most continents can offer. It is a land of such diversity that a single lifetime isn't enough to explore it. Don't go there with a prejudice - go only with an open mind and share the charms of this great land.

Hurray for your comments, Indian! Where on earth do they get these ridiculous ideas, especially about the "buttlers". Where did that come from???? A lot of these people seem to have a lot of BS in their heads.

i have traveled india extensively and never had a problem with this left handed buisness. most toilets in hotels and restaurants or trains have both the western and local version. just use the western one and yes it is advisable to carry your own tissue. if you must use the local versionthere is a hole in the floor or a porc. fixture to squat on no big deal. what is all the fuss about. you can make due with these small problems and enjoy yourself without worrying about minor problems that occupy such a small % of your time

Now those Japanese loos that do it all for you, they're great.

The "bullter" comment was supposed to be a joke. I thought it was hilarious! Lighten up and try to have a sense of humor. <BR>

OOPS! Of course I meant "buttler" above. <BR>

I don't think Indian was objecting to the term buttler. What sounds ridiculous is the suggestion that someone in India can be paid to wipe your..... <BR> <BR>I agree that the statement was made in poor taste.