Said Jerelyn Taubert, 66, who moved to Budapest 20 years ago, when she would arrive at the beautiful historic bath house "at eight in the morning and there would be three people in the pool.... There were a lot of older Hungarian ladies and it felt private, in the women’s section."
She's quoted in "Tensions boil over as tourists swamp Budapest’s historic bath houses/Bathing culture is at the heart of the city but its popularity with foreigners is pricing out locals, and political rows are delaying desperately needed renovations" (London Times).
Maybe the older Hungarian ladies don't like squeezing up with a woman who only moved to town 20 years ago. I think it is important, when you are disgusted by some people, to remember that there are other people to whom you are disgusting.
AND: Speaking of pools and variable disgust, look at this question some guy sent in to the NYT "Ethicist": "I presume that most people pee in swimming pools and that everyone pees in the ocean. But suppose I’m at the beach. I need to defecate. It’s a 15 minute walk to the bathroom. It’s a Tuesday, and the beach is deserted. Is it OK to go in the ocean? I say yes! My wife disagrees." Just to ask is already to be too disgusting. Just the first sentence — the foundation for the question — is already too disgusting.
I read that yesterday and didn't blog it, but I'm blogging it now because it lodged in my head. I know because it oozed up as I read about that Budapest bath house. I'm blogging it now to free myself of thinking about it again, because I won't blog it twice.
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68 comments:
After Ann goes to NYC for those two plays, she can continue on to Budapest and check this out.
The pool at the Lied Lodge in Nebraska City is better and much closer.
I wonder how many American gays went for "the bathhouses" and were disappointed.
Personally, I'd leave the bathhouses to the little ol' ladies. Why would a man want to sit in warm water while sipping on tea and eating a cookie?
"world populations are declining!"
I'm just not seeing it.
"I think it is important, when you are disgusted by some people, to remember that there are other people to whom you are disgusting."
My wife's comment to me on a regular basis.
I think it is important, when you are disgusted by some people, to remember that there are other people to whom you are disgusting.
If they don’t like me it’s strictly because they haven’t taken the time to appreciate me.
Typical ex-pat take. Move to someplace nice, others notice it is a nice place, soon outsiders move in and tourists arrive. Then original ex-pat decries how it's not like it used to be.
A story as old as time itself.
Yeah, that smells like a bullsh*t story, saying she shows up at 8 in the morning and implying she's finding it full of hairy men having a bachelor party.
It's always hard balancing tradition with the traffic flow. If these are world history sites, then they need to decide which is more important, and act accordingly. The baths do look beautiful.
And restorative bathing used to be a 'thing' here in the US too. The town of Marlin, TX was a renowned hot springs bathing place in the 20's and 30's, and Hollywood stars used to flock there to take the waters. The VA even built a huge hospital facility there. But it's boarded up now, literally moldering away, and Marlin is a sad rural town that seems to be living under some witch's curse, it's poor and ramshackle just can't seem to get a break.
It is interesting, the question of disgust. I would add "the question of cringe" too. My ex, who was at the time when we were married a very, very earnest young man, always mispronounced "shudder" as "shrudder." I never corrected him (he was also a very, very angry young man), but I always shruddered at it. It went beyond feeling mildly embarrassed for him; I felt as if I couldn't stand it. (In retrospect, maybe the strength of my reaction resulted from the fact that I was too afraid of his anger to make even the slightest suggestion that he might be wrong about anything.)
On the other hand, male body hair is just fine with me. In fact, I think it's kind of weird when men remove it.
I have it upon good authority that sitting squeezed up to a big group of hairless men on a bachelor party isn't so great either.
’…there are other people to whom you are disgusting.’
That kinda hurt my feelings.
The Blue Lagoon in Iceland is quite an experience. I went expecting Brooke Shields, and instead got Hairy Hungarian men.
I believe the purpose of bathing is make oneself less disgusting BEFORE meeting people.
A bachelor party happening at 8 in the morning? What?
FWIW the Széchenyi baths in Budapest offer a discounted admission before 9:00 AM. A basic all-day ticket runs about $32.00 US.
Travel is affordable, accessible, and encouraged by so many. thanks Rick Steves.
I used to like travel shows but find I'm into watching hiking and climbing explorations by youtubers.
They will often admit that while they are sharing something incredible they don't want to invite the masses. Because that is what happens now.
One of the youtubers I watch - Some topo young guy - for fun he take random GPS coordinates and creates a trip out of it. It takes him to the middle of nowhere, and often no-one is around. Perhaps that is the next frontier in travel. Take me some place without anyone. thank you.
"MadisonMan said...
A bachelor party happening at 8 in the morning? What?"
The bachelor party might have been ending at 8am, with the bath intended to wash off last night's stank.
’Széchenyi baths in Budapest’
Holy cow - look at the size of this place!!
https://www.szechenyibath.hu/szechenyi-bath-entrances
Kind of a cool thing on a frozen lake right next to a medium sized city. You can walk out into the middle of the vast frozen expanse, mostly alone - but with the occasional opportunity to run into the Beatles.
Rod Dreher's fault?
“I think it is important, when you are disgusted by some people, to remember that there are other people to whom you are disgusting.”
But sometimes the shit just seems
Everybody only wants to discuss me
So this must mean I'm disgusting
We went to Lukács baths, a more modest scale place recommended by our Hungarian friend. Mid day, plenty of people but not crowded. A very pleasant experience. No crowds of men, hairy or otherwise.
Bathing’s a game we like to play
All day all day all day all day all day
To soothe your soul, yeah
Down at the baths y'all partying down
Rubby dub or lying around
To soothe your mind
Covid led me to read up on the microbiomes that we inhabit. We are enveloped in ubiquitous microorganisms. The ratio of pathogen to non pathogen is on the order of 1 to 1billion. Disgust is an instinctive response that has survival value. Masks and preventative antiseptic treatments are symbolic of a desire for health, but are mostly futile. I doubt that customers of Budapest bathouses have a higher incidence of infections than the rest of the populace.
@baghdadbob, Brooke Shields is sixty years old now. If you went to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon expecting to leer at a naked 15 yea old supermodel, you are 45 years too late. You pervert!
So we are actually discussing swimming with limited movement, and not bathing.
(Just joking with you.)
So no one remarked on the crap in the ocean. Pee, yes in ocean, no in pool. Poop - toilet only. Maybe I’m being illogical but UGH to the thought
Been to Budapest twice. I would happily go again. There's a vibe there I like. Maybe something about a people getting their country back and intending to keep it. I went to the Széchenyi baths twice for a massage (I get one routinely here and find them helpful after plane rides) and the last time I availed myself of the bathing experience. What I liked most was the lack of self consciousness of people who were clearly past their prime (myself included) attraction wise. I'm not surprised that someone, even an incomer, finds something to complain about, but I am surprised they are complaining about tourism in February.
Althouse’s addendum summarizes Times readers: so full of shit they can’t hold it for 15 minutes.
Yeah, you know, when I bathe alone
I prefer to be by myself
Dedicating in a public body of water was a plot point in the Canadian hockey comedy Shorsey (very funny show).
When shitting in the ocean, it's best to catch the ebbtide.
A rising tide lifts all turds.
BM(Big Mike)
+1
Fish poop in the ocean.
It should be spelled pswimming, because the p is silent.
If the lady wants solitude at that time, she could try one of the ubiquitous Budapest strip clubs. They are usually empty by then.
That was wc fields complaint about drinking water
IIRC, Fields's complaint was a generic "disgusting things" that fish do in water. I recalled a mention of fornication, but apparently he wasn't that specific.
I got my own bath, shower, and pool on land taken with just compensation and guarded by force. Everybody is happy.
Women seem much more susceptible to disgust than men. I remember when the gang on Seinfeld were considering the question of whether it’s OK to pee in the shower Elaine was the most vehemently opposed.
Warm collectivism.
The thing that there is the most of in Budapest, at least on the Buda side, is Thai Massage parlors. They're everywhere, like Starbucks in NYC.
"Just the first sentence — the foundation for the question — is already too disgusting. "
Here's the real ethical problem: It doesn't matter if you do it in the ocean as long as no one knows about it. After all, animals and fish do it all the time. What's possibly unethical is to ask that question in that way. I think that there's a pretty good chance that he didn't ask the question to actually get an answer; he asked the question specifically to gross people out.
@JaimeRoberto, sixty plus years ago I was a lifeguard at a pool. Your joke at (10:19) was already old back then.
Yep Rod Dreher is a budapest resident.
Rod Dreher came for the politics
He stayed for the bathhouses.
Bob Boyd said...
Yeah, you know, when I bathe alone
I prefer to be by myself
I bathe alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know, when I bathe alone
I prefer to be by myself
Now, every morning, just before breakfast
I don't want no coffee or tea
Just me and my good little buddy
That's all I ever need
And I bathe alone
Yeah, with nobody else
Yeah, you know, when I bathe alone
I prefer to be by myself
Yeah, but now the tourists have done messed it up for me
And it makes me feel oh-so bad
Now when I go to the bath house, all I see
Is my Old Hungarian Grand-Dad
I bathe alone
(Apologies to George Thorogood)
@Fred Drinkwater - Thanks for the tip. I will be in Budapest in September, and would like a change from Szechenyi baths. It's right on the tram line, too.
This blog has gone to shit.
The poop in the ocean question has been explored by comedians and shock jocks for decades. How will I ever swim at the beach again?
I only used a public bath house once, on a weeklong motorcycle trip to the Isle of Man. The baths were solo, however, no other people in them.
Who let teh water out?! Who who who who who
Very little detail from the commenters about the last little bit Prof write about defecating in the Ocean. I can only speak for men, specifically older men like me (but with memories of younger me). The mechanics on pissing/pooping in the Ocean demand a little bit of exploration, don’t you think? I’d say a new post, or hell, maybe Prof can link sunrises to a recurring spot on one’s daily constitutionals. I have been one that has, rather than walk however long it takes to a porta potty for a pee pee, strolled to an appropraite depth between the 1st and 2nd sand bar, to relieve myself in the Gulf of America. That in and of itself is not without challenges, just from the wave actions alone, but we older men often have slightly enlarged (or more than slightly) prostates that often takes a bit more concentration for proper flow. But it can be done.
Now, apply that to pooping. In peeing, it goes right on through the material, only briefly warming the nether regions before fully dissipating in the waters of the Gulf. I’m trying to think of how challenging it would be (outside of the most persistent of poos akin to perhaps Mr. Hanky in some of his earliest South Park appearances) to drop a duece in the tidal torrent found at the beach. You gotta drop those britches, bitches and to the knees at least. I’d advise carrying a second set, just in case. In this case, maybe that rip current you are warned to avoid is the ideal flushing scenario here; just don’t get shot out to Cuba in the current! And while there is a salty, swirling enematic cleansing component to the exercise, the sea is not offering a concentrated flow like a bidet so there is that question of the little extras bits of the prior days meals adhering to rectal skin and (for men at least) hairy assholes. Seems it might be easier the just make a feline maneuver and head into the dunes with you grand kids little plastic toy shovel, dig a hole, and make your deposit and return to the action at hand.
This is worthy of a Poo Detective segment on Gutfeld or at least a Friday Viewer Mail question
In Los Angeles, many of the beaches are unfit for swimming due to high bacteria levels for days after a rainstorm, because the storm drains empty directly into the water. Compared to that, one guy pooping seems relatively harmless.
they had a cholera outbreak in city hall some years ago!
My father, who was a chemical engineer (UW 1936) told me that the minerals in seawater would kill all the bugs. It would certainly dilute them.
"they had a cholera outbreak in city hall some years ago!"
Import the third world...
“My father, who was a chemical engineer (UW 1936) told me that the minerals in seawater would kill all the bugs. It would certainly dilute them.”
Oceanographer here. Absolutely false.
Well, now we know who the turd in the punchbowl is. Looking at you, NYT Ethicist Question Guy.
Isnt it always
It's OK to poop in the ocean as long as you dig a slit trench 18 inches deep and cover your scat and TP by filling the hole. You also have to be on the down flow of the ground water 200 Feet away from a fresh water source.
I grew up on the Jersey Shore, going to the beach almost every decent day every summer, and I worked on the beach six days a week from ages 14-18. NOT ONCE did I or anyone I ever knew or ever met even CONSIDER defecating in the ocean.
Any person who would think about doing such a thing should be exiled from the country and never allowed to visit again.
There are certain things that separate humans from animals and crapping in the ocean is one of them.
I don't think even Charmin extra strong would stand up to taking a dump in the ocean.
"Who wants to sit squeezed up to a big group of hairy men on a bachelor party?"
The hairy men, apparently.
Pack it in; pack it out.
In the 90s last century, I spent several months in a small town business hotel in Japan, working with our business partner at the nearby factory. I used the communal hot bath in my Japanese hotel after carefully learning the proper steps to follow for ablution and bath behavior. A after only two visits I rescheduled my bathing after 10pm, when the Japanese hotel guests were all abed. Their obvious dislike and cold courtesy in the bath was a powerful behavioral combination to avoid them.
Those Hungarian ladies might try being incredibly polite but obviously hateful to the tourists and see if it works there, too.
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