Standing Pee: Seat Up or Down?

Adam writes the following:

My friend’s boss recently called him out because he caught him not lifting the seat to urinate while standing up. My friend (an attorney) retorted that the opening in the front was made precisely for this purpose and didn’t feel like he did anything wrong.

My position is that no matter how good you think your aim is, the seat belongs in the upright position if you are standing and urinating…especially in an office bathroom.

On the other hand I would not ever touch the seat at the Port Authority restroom (or similar public facility, airport, etc.) because everyone else has urinated all over it.

What is correct etiquette here? And can you address the work vs. public facility issue if you feel there is one?

First, I want to know how your friend’s boss caught him in the act with the seat down. Scratch that, I actually have no desire to know. As far as the etiquette goes, for once you will find the ICBE without a strong opinion one way or the other.

As long as you leave the seat clean, it’s okay to pee with the seat down. If you get a few drops on the seat – just wipe them up and go about your day. Now I’m not advocating peeing all over the seat and then getting out the mop, but those public seats can be pretty scary to touch, and the important thing is that everything is clean for the next person who uses the toilet.