Washing feet in the sink at work

funk-you · 14-10-2005 12:04am #1

Hi all,
I've seen quite a few times in work now recently that a lot of the lads that work here that are from india wash their feet during the day in the sinks in the bathroom. I just find it a bit strange. We tend to sit down a lot here in work so its not for any reason like that. i'll often walk into the bathroom and one of the lads will have his leg stretched up and foot in the sink washing away.

now this doesn't bother me as i'm not really going to be filling the sink in there just to wash my hands, i'd usually have the water just running. But i do find it really strange to see this every night. Would anyone else find this strange? A few of the lads in here are disgusted by it but they are complete anal retentive geeks to be fair. If anyone knows enough about indian culture is this considered normal?

aidan_walsh · 14-10-2005 12:07am

Well, its hot over there.

We have a couple of Indian guys at work as well, and while I have never seen them do anything like this, their office is absolutly roasting hot these days, the heat is constantly on... I'd imagine its just a comfort thing that they are used to doing from home.

AARRRGH · 14-10-2005 12:08am

Guys, they're Muslims. Come on now...

aidan_walsh · 14-10-2005 12:11am

dublindude wrote:

Guys, they're Muslims. Come on now...

India is predominently Hindu. Pakistan is predominently Muslim.

AARRRGH · 14-10-2005 12:17am

Guys guys, Muslims wash their feet a couple of times a day.

They're Muslim, not clean freaks

I'm sure there are plenty of Muslims in India.

MrJoeSoap · 14-10-2005 12:43am

13.4% of Indians are Muslim.

scojones · 14-10-2005 12:57am

Atari Jaguar

It's part of their culture or whatever. Get over it.

Rb · 14-10-2005 1:19am

Atari Jaguar

sjones wrote:

It's part of their culture or whatever. Get over it.

Yeah exactly, it's something we view as strange but were we in their country and didn't do it we'd probably be seen as dirty.

funk-you · 14-10-2005 1:22am

Atari Jaguar

i'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it or that their culture is wrong, i'm asking would anyone find it strange. i must admit i was taken aback the first time i saw it. Ive got the distinct feeling i should have left out the fact that they were indian and asked would people find it strange or innappropriate for people to be perched with a leg up and sweaty foot in the sink at work that you have to wash in? it doesnt really bother me but i wouldn't exactly be rushing to use that same sink straight afterwards.

MrJoeSoap · 14-10-2005 1:25am

funk-you wrote:

it doesnt really bother me but i wouldn't exactly be rushing to use that same sink straight afterwards.

True that. Muslims are generally very hygienic people though. A manager of my mine from Pakistan told me that if he gets even a splash of alcohol on him that he has to wash himself (not even just that part of his skin, i.e. - he has to shower). I don't know whether he just didn't want to clean up the spilt beer or whether this was actually true!

Rb · 14-10-2005 1:27am

Atari Jaguar

tbh if they were indiana and doing it I wouldn't find it strange(i'd just take it as that it was the norm in their home country).Now if I saw an Irish person doing it I'd probably find it strange.

[Jackass] · 14-10-2005 2:00am

Atari Jaguar

Of course it's strange...it's a different culture to us!

Does that make it bad? No. Does that make it wrong? No.

Im sure when our immagrents went to USA and got slaughterd every night, pissed on the street and sang into the early hours, the locals all thought it was strange, but we were probably more annoying!

As long as it's not unhygeneic then whats the problem? are you in a resteraunt preparing salads in this sink?

MrJoeSoap · 14-10-2005 2:04am

DubGuy wrote:

got slaughterd every night, pissed on the street and sang into the early hours, the locals all thought it was strange, but we were probably more annoying!

I'd say thats a bit more annoying than someone washing their feet alright!

Cabaal · 14-10-2005 7:10am

rb_ie wrote:

Yeah exactly, it's something we view as strange but were we in their country and didn't do it we'd probably be seen as dirty.

In fairness "when it Rome"

karangka · 14-10-2005 7:13am

They are muslims. Muslims pray 5 times a day. Before praying, they have to wash certain parts of their body. They must clean the hands, faces, and feets.

magpie · 14-10-2005 8:04am

Atari Jaguar

Wiping their arse with their right hand sans bog roll (thus eating only with their left) is also 'part of their culture'. It's still rank.

Mortmain · 14-10-2005 8:13am

magpie wrote:

Wiping their arse with their right hand sans bog roll (thus eating only with their left) is also 'part of their culture'. It's still rank.

But is it any more disgusting than going on a weekly pilgrimmage to a ceremony where the celebrants partake in the body and blood of their saviour. I doubt the OP, or anyone else for that matter, would have an issue with a vet or farmer wasing his hands in a sink after assisting in the birthing season.

What are we without tolerance?

magpie · 14-10-2005 8:23am

Atari Jaguar

But is it any more disgusting than going on a weekly pilgrimmage to a ceremony where the celebrants partake in the body and blood of their saviour

I'll let you in on a secret - that's just bread and wine used symbolically. As opposed to actually wiping sh1t off your arse with your hand.

What are we without tolerance?

I'd rather be intolerant than have Cholera epidemics

Mortmain · 14-10-2005 8:26am

magpie wrote:

I'd rather be intolerant than have Cholera epidemics

Jahwol Adolf.

Dades · 14-10-2005 8:29am

Atari Jaguar

Mortmain wrote:

Jahwol Adolf.

Game over.

Hobbes · 14-10-2005 8:43am

dublindude wrote:

Guys guys, Muslims wash their feet a couple of times a day.

They're Muslim, not clean freaks

I'm sure there are plenty of Muslims in India.

You could ask that on the Islam forum to confirm? First I heard of it.

Gosuk Midik · 14-10-2005 8:44am

magpie wrote:

I'll let you in on a secret - that's just bread and wine used symbolically. As opposed to actually wiping sh1t off your arse with your hand.

If you are a Christian then you are really eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ. Check trans-substantiation and con-substantiation. It is not symbolic it is actual.

If you are a Muslim you wipe your arse with your left hand not your right.

Any more secrets that you want to let us in on?
Any that you really know anything about?

Hobbes · 14-10-2005 8:45am

magpie wrote:

I'll let you in on a secret - that's just bread and wine used symbolically. As opposed to actually wiping sh1t off your arse with your hand.

Actually it is supposed to turn into the body and blood of christ during the ceremony. Even so I've had buddists ask me how I felt that my religeon (cause I'm Irish :rolleyes: ) condones cannabilism.

Raytown Rocks · 14-10-2005 8:56am

Get that stinkin foot outta there now

I just spoke to an Indian security guard where I work.
He confirmed that the muslim Indians pray 5 times a day and are supposed to wash their, hands,faces and legs before praying.
He also commented on the fact that its so cold here that they like to have the heat ramped up whenever they can.

magpie · 14-10-2005 8:57am

Atari Jaguar

If you are a Christian then you are really eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ. Check trans-substantiation and con-substantiation. It is not symbolic it is actual.

Actual dogma, not actual reality. I'm fully aware of the concept of transubstantiation thank you, I was educated by a Catholic order for 11 years. Its a question of faith and symbolism, not eating gorey chunks of saviour washed down with some nice O negative.

If you are a Muslim you wipe your arse with your left hand not your right.

Or whichever one you're left with after being caught stealing no doubt. Yes, yes, mea culpa. However the key issue is the wiping of sh1t off one's arse, not really the hand involved.

Any more secrets that you want to let us in on?
Any that you really know anything about?

Someone got out of their cot on the wrong side this morning.

HelterSkelter · 14-10-2005 9:23am

Get that stinkin foot outta there now

magpie wrote:

Wiping their arse with their right hand sans bog roll (thus eating only with their left) is also 'part of their culture'. It's still rank.

The use warm water and their hand to wash their arse.It is actually a lot cleaner than using toilet roll. Think about it. If you accidentally got **** on your hand (fell in dog poo or something) and used toilet paper to clean it off your hand would still smell but if you used hot water it would clean it much better.

magpie · 14-10-2005 9:24am

Atari Jaguar

The use warm water and their hand to wash their arse.It is actually a lot cleaner than using toilet roll. Think about it. If you accidentally got **** on your hand (fell in dog poo or something) and used toilet paper to clean it off your hand would still smell but if you used hot water it would clean it much better.

Possibly true. Having been to a Muslim country I am very dubious about this whole "they have a very clean culture" thing as in my limited experience the whole place stank of sh1t, there was rotting animal and vegetable debris all over the place, the water was not safe to drink and so forth. Then again that was Morocco so India may be much cleaner. I doubt it though.

Pass my Solar Topee and revolver.

HelterSkelter · 14-10-2005 9:25am

Get that stinkin foot outta there now

funk-you wrote:

Hi all,
I've seen quite a few times in work now recently that a lot of the lads that work here that are from india wash their feet during the day in the sinks in the bathroom. I just find it a bit strange. We tend to sit down a lot here in work so its not for any reason like that. i'll often walk into the bathroom and one of the lads will have his leg stretched up and foot in the sink washing away.

now this doesn't bother me as i'm not really going to be filling the sink in there just to wash my hands, i'd usually have the water just running. But i do find it really strange to see this every night. Would anyone else find this strange? A few of the lads in here are disgusted by it but they are complete anal retentive geeks to be fair. If anyone knows enough about indian culture is this considered normal?

Muslims have to wash several parts of their body including their feet before they pray. They pray five times a day.

HelterSkelter · 14-10-2005 9:28am

Get that stinkin foot outta there now

magpie wrote:

This is why I wash my hands after wiping my arse. But I'm particular like that.

My point is if you wipe your arse with bog roll there is still **** there when you are finished, especially if you have lots of hair down there. Using water like Muslims do is a lot cleaner. As a test, next time you wipe your arse with bog roll and you are sure it is clean, take one of those wet wipes and wipe again, notice the brown stains!!

HelterSkelter · 14-10-2005 9:30am

Get that stinkin foot outta there now

magpie wrote:

Possibly true. Having been to a Muslim country I am very dubious about this whole "they have a very clean culture" thing as in my limited experience the whole place stank of sh1t,...

So does Ringsend with that sewage treatment plant!!

magpie · 14-10-2005 9:37am

Atari Jaguar

My point is if you wipe your arse with bog roll there is still **** there when you are finished, especially if you have lots of hair down there. Using water like Muslims do is a lot cleaner. As a test, next time you wipe your arse with bog roll and you are sure it is clean, take one of those wet wipes and wipe again, notice the brown stains!!

Yep, I got that when I re-read your post which is why I edited mine. Apologies.

So does Ringsend with that sewage treatment plant!!

Ain't that the truth. I can only deduce from the smell that they are 'treating' it by spreading it out to rot in the sun.

Mortmain · 14-10-2005 9:46am

magpie wrote:

Possibly true. Having been to a Muslim country I am very dubious about this whole "they have a very clean culture" thing as in my limited experience the whole place stank of sh1t, there was rotting animal and vegetable debris all over the place, the water was not safe to drink and so forth. Then again that was Morocco so India may be much cleaner. I doubt it though.

Pass my Solar Topee and revolver.

I think that the general hygiene standards in these countries are more down to education, resources and abject poverty than anything religious. It's hard to equate the huge numbers of supporters Islam with the view that their hygiene standards spread cholera etc.

[Jackass] · 14-10-2005 2:43pm

Atari Jaguar

magpie wrote:

Or whichever one you're left with after being caught stealing no doubt. Yes, yes, mea culpa. However the key issue is the wiping of sh1t off one's arse, not really the hand involved.

:eek: suprised you got away with that one tbh.

Anyway, the mystery of the feet washing etc. has been solved, so now we know.

I don't like the direction this thread has turned.

Washing feet in the sink at work

Washing your feet in the public bathroom in work? 39 votes

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