"The fire would have been just under your buttocks."

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070416/ap_on_fe_st/toilets_on_fire;_ylt=AuX5gYqDnG3_ruxhAwg6GuLtiBIF

TOKYO - Japan's leading toilet maker Toto Ltd. is offering free repairs for 180,000 bidet toilets after wiring problems caused several to catch fire, the company said Monday.

The electric bidet accessory of Toto's Z series caught fire in three separate incidents between March 2006 and March 2007, according to company spokeswoman Emi Tanaka. The bidet sent up smoke in 26 other incidents, the company said.

"Fortunately, nobody was using the toilets when the fire broke out and there were no injuries," Tanaka said. "The fire would have been just under your buttocks."

The company will repair 180,000 toilet units manufactured between May 1996 and December 2001 for free, she said. A manufacturing defect is thought to have led to the faulty wiring.

Toto has been a pioneer in high-tech toilets fitted with pressurized water sprayers — a standard fixture in Japanese homes.

The popular Z series features a pulsating massage spray, a power dryer, built-in-the-bowl deodorizing filter, the "Tornado Wash" flush and a lid that opens and closes automatically. Prices range from $1,680 to $2,600.

The model is not sold overseas.

 

[eX.A.K.R.]

It's lucky no one had a flaming ass from this, otherwise... Oo;

And this is also why sometimes, the good old-fashioned way is still the best way.

 

[the gadfly]

I've always wondered how many more minutes you get to read the newspaper. More importantly, is there toilet paper available in case you don't get completely cleaned or dried?

 

[The Incarnation ポケモン]

XD @ title quote! And uh, from my experiences in Japan, yes, they do have toilet paper, undoubtedly for folks like me who never really tried to use the bidet function (quite frankly I was a little scared of it...).