Terri writes that when the homes in her neighborhood were built more than 60 years ago, they were built with septic tanks instead of being part of a municipal sewer system. Instead of maintaining their own tanks, some residents want to be part of the sewer system, and the neighborhood is about to become one with the sewer system. Terri wonders: what can she do to stop this? She’d welcome input from any readers who have had similar experiences. [More]
poop
TV Networks Object To Diaper Commercial That Uses Word "Pooping"
By 5.27.10
Diaper commercials, much like commercials for menstrual products, have always sort of glossed over the actual function of the products. No more. A new Huggies ad for denim-patterned diapers (really) features a voice-over that says “I poo in blue,” and ends with the tagline, “The coolest you’ll look pooping your pants.” [More]
Man Sues Petsmart For $1 Million After Stepping In Dog Poop
By 4.1.10
When visiting a pet store that allows leashed pets to visit, is it unreasonable to keep an eye out for dog poop? Inside the store? The Virginian-Pilot reports that a man is suing Petsmart in federal court after slipping and falling on a pile of feces in a Norfolk, Va. store. He alleges that the fall exacerbated his existing back injury and knocked out four of his false teeth. [More]
Anonymous Protestor Leaves Pile Of Manure In Chase ATM Vestibule
By 3.23.10
Someone who was fed up at Chase made a special deposit on the floor of one of their ATM vestibules in NYC a couple of days ago. Fortunately for the clean-up crew, it looks like it was manure and not actual human poop. [More]
Low-Flow Toilets Provide Water Savings, Entertainment
By 1.29.10
If you were unfortunate enough to have one of the early low-flow toilets installed in your home, you probably remember it as an … unpleasant experience. Fortunately, the newer models have enough power to get their job done using surprisingly little water–as little as 1.28 gallons. Consumer Reports proves this by flushing what look like brightly colored toys down the toilet. This is very entertaining to watch. [More]
Counterfeit Alli Won't Cause Runs, Might Raise Blood Pressure
By 1.19.10
The Food and Drug Administration has warned shoppers to be on the lookout for counterfeit versions of the weight-loss drug Alli. The real version of Alli contains orlistat, a drug with side effects that include “an urgent need to defecate,” as those with delicate sensibilities like to put it. The fakes are made with sibutramine, a controlled substance that has been linked to high blood pressure in some studies. [More]
Glaxo Funding Fat Film To Promote Poop-Causing Drug
By 1.8.10
In an effort to get more people to try Alli — an over-the-counter weight-loss drug with side effects that include what our friends at Consumer Reports Health delicately refer to as “an urgent need to defecate” — drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has decided to make a movie about the dangers of overeating. And they’ve chosen the Creative Coalition, an advocacy group that includes Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon among its members, to make the film. [More]
Chipotle Says Their Food Does Not Cause Underwear Blood
By 10.9.09
South Park managed to combine the late Billy Mays, the unfortunately still around Ghost Hunters, and the beloved Chipotle chain in their latest episode, with surprising results.
Connecticut Bathroom Access Law Now In Effect
By 10.2.09
Connecticut shoppers with bowel disorders, rejoice! Now, there’s a sentence we never expected to write. In order to prevent humiliating and undignified restroom access debacles for people with verified medical conditions, Connecticut has passed a law guaranteeing their access to otherwise off-limits restrooms in public places. The law went into effect on October 1st.
Plaid Pantry Says Bathroom Off Limits, Lets Customer Poop Pants
By 9.8.09
One of the unfortunate things about Crohn’s disease is it can make you need to use the bathroom pretty much immediately, without warning or fanfare. Of course, there’s plenty of fanfare afterward if you can’t find a bathroom, as one longtime customer of Plaid Pantry found out yesterday when she shat her pants in the parking lot after being denied emergency access to their employee toilet.
Make It Yourself
By 8.28.09
If you really want to claim the title of the most do-it-yourself Consumerist reader, you will grab this book (free PDF) and learn from it. Just don’t come back here and post about it in the comments.
Never Curb Your Dog Again, But Embarrass Him Forever
By 8.26.09
Your dog thinks he’s so fancy, walking around and ejecting poop wherever he wants like a furry softserve machine. You know what would put him in his place? A harness that lets you attach a poop bag to his butt. For the curious, there’s a video below that includes action shots.
How, Exactly, Did E. coli Get In Nestle’s Cookie Dough?
By 6.30.09 — Updated: 5.31.16
The recent discovery of E. coli O157 bacteria in NestlÈ refrigerated cookie dough and subsequent recall of 30,000 tubs of said dough raises an urgent scientific question: Uh, how did that much cow poop end up in cookie dough?
How Did E. Coli Get Into Nestle's Cookie Dough?
By 6.24.09
USA Today is reporting that the FDA is “stumped” by the presence of E. coli 0157:H7 in Nestle Tollhouse Cookie Dough, which was recalled last week. How does bacteria normally associated with raw ground beef find its way into our buckets of delicious cookie dough? Some speculation, inside.
Comfort Wipe: For When You Just Can't Wipe Yourself Anymore
By 6.11.09
Do you need help wiping your own behind? Do you just not like touching toilet paper, and want a plastic device to do it for you? It’s a good thing that you live in 21st-century America, because the Comfort Wipe is here to help you.
Kellogg Will Start Adding Fiber To Most Of Its Breakfast Cereals
By 6.4.09
Kellogg has announced that it’s going to start adding fiber to about 80% of its cereal product line, beginning with Froot Loops and Apple Jacks in August and continuing into other brands through the end of 2010. The goal is to bump up the fiber per serving to 3 grams, which is the amount the government requires to label a food a good source of fiber for kids.
Man Goes Crazy, Gets Tasered After Store Refuses To Let Him Use Bathroom
By 5.21.09
Village Lighting in Bellingham, Washington refused to let a 29-year-old man use their bathroom, and the man retaliated by going completely batshit insane on them.
Bizarre Pet Products: Feces-Eating Prevention Pills
By 5.15.09
One of the problems with dog ownership* is having to reconcile the concepts of “best friend” and “eats her own poop.” My late cocker spaniel, Lady, treated the front lawn as her personal snack bar, and was particularly fond of the gifts the local rabbits left there for her. I never realized that there were products designed specifically to stop this behavior.
