DAILY DIRT: That foot pedal on Mexican toilets is genius, simply genius

Daily Dirt for Monday, June 16, 2025

Some foreign countries have some ideas we should incorporate … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,316 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Some foreign concepts simply make so much sense that it’s a wonder we don’t have them in the U.S.

Here’s a glimpse of a few things found in foreign countries that seem like such tremendous ideas. I simply shake my head and ask why, after all these years, none have made their way to America:

• In Mexico, there are toilets in public restrooms that allow you to flush with your foot. The foot pedal is typically located near the base of the toilet and is pushed down with the foot to activate the flush. This design allows users to flush the toilet without needing to touch the handle, thus promoting hygiene.  
• In Sweden, supermarket carts all have a map of where specific items are situated to assist a customer’s shopping experience.
• In many fast-food sites in Norway, there is a place to dump your remaining soda before you discard the cup in the “regular” portion of the trash, providing much less mess.
• In parts of Denmark, there are stalls outside of many stores to house pets so you can shop inside without having to worry about your pets creating a problem. 
• In Australia, a person’s tax return illustrates exactly how a person’s money was spent, complete with the charts, graphs and percentages.
• In Japan, there are trains that provide cars for women only, especially during peak hours. The idea is to cut down on sexual harassment, known as “chikan”. These cars are reportedly widely respected due to social awareness and public cooperation.

Honestly, I think Americans would embrace any and all of these items and practices.

2. Did you know (Part 397)

• That even if a bear is wearing shoes and socks it still has bear feet.
• That “All In The Family” was the first American TV show feature the sound of a flushing toilet, or as Archie called it “the turlet”.
• That U.S. 20 stretches across 16 states, covering 3,300 miles from Massachusetts to Oregon. The highway was originally built in 1912 and still holds the record for being the longest, continuous route in the country.
• That the “Pizza Royale 007” is one of the most expensive pizzas in the world, created by Scottish chef Domenico Crolla and inspired by the James Bond character. The pizza features ingredients like lobster marinated in cognac, caviar soaked in champagne, Scottish smoked salmon, venison medallions and 24-carat gold flakes. Cost? About $4,500.
• That garlic ice cream is popular in some places across the US., particularly Gilroy, Calif., which is home to an annual garlic festival. The garlic ice cream dates to at least the early 1970s.

3. One of the strangest food items I have recently come across involved “insect lollipops” in Thailand.

In most parts of southeast Asia insects are popular food items, ranging from savory (their word, not mine) parts of daily meals to sweet treats (again, their words, not mine). 

Street vendors in most of the southeast Asian communities will take crickets, grasshoppers, silkworms or even scorpions and cover them in a sticky syrup. Bright food coloring is then added to make them look “more fun and eye-catching”. Some say the insects then taste like honey-roasted nuts or caramel popcorn. Supposedly, these alleged treats are rather crunchy.

Just give me a Milky Way or Snickers, please. 

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Can you imagine the self-control it must take to work at a bubble-wrap factory? 

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. He needs the self-control for the Milky Way and Snickers bars.