People stand on them because they are not kept clean enough to sit on. Eventually, after being broken repeatedly, they are no longer replaced for one of two reasons. Either the proprietors decide there's no point in continuing the cycle, so they consign their toilet to the ranks of the seatless.

In 2026, you may still find public restrooms in countries like Italy, France, and Greece that lack traditional toilet seats. This is primarily a sanitary and maintenance decision made by facility owners in high-traffic areas like train stations and public parks. Plastic toilet seats are prone to breaking, staining, and harboring bacteria, making them difficult and expensive to keep clean in a "heavy-use" public environment. By removing the seat and leaving only the ceramic rim, the toilet becomes much easier to "pressure wash" and sanitize daily. Furthermore, many European cultures consider "hovering" over the rim to be more hygienic than sitting on a potentially dirty plastic seat. While this can be a culture shock for Brits or Americans, most high-end restaurants, hotels, and newer shopping malls in Europe have moved toward the "sitting" standard with full seats, reserving the "rim-only" style for older or high-volume public transit hubs.