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.