In Italy, use the toilet before 11.

I'm discovering strange things about Italians. For instance, when living in Italy, you don't flush the toilet after 11 p.m. It's an act of politeness. Courtesy. Because in Italian condominiums, sounds travel. Long and loud. Floors are tiled. Walls are thin. Hardly anything is made of sound-absorbant wood. Anyway, it's wise to use the toilet before 11. Otherwise, your neighbors will label you ill-mannered. --Jim Broede