Last month, in order to break the world record for longest time spent sitting on a toilet, Filip’s Place bar in Ostend set up a porcelain throne where 48-year old Belgium hero Jimmy De Frenne could sit for nearly a week. From his seat, he could visit with family and friends and bask in the cheering of bar patrons as sat his way closer and closer to his 165-hour goal. He was allowed a five-minute break time every hour on the dot to catch up on sleep, chat with friends, and, funnily enough, take toilet breaks since the shitter he sat on wasn’t connected to any plumbing.
According to Reuters, he thought the record was only 100 hours long of sitting. Apparently, there isn’t an official record for longest time sitting on a toilet, but he did attempt to make it for 165 hours, which is roughly one week. He gave up after 116 hours, nearly five days, after he started feeling pain. He told Reuters, “I was very tired and my legs hurt but I believe in my success and try to make this record official.”
According to De Frenne, Guinness World Records was made aware of his effort at attempting the record, and local officials and witnesses were checking in to validate the attempt. Guinness doesn’t currently have a record for the longest toilet-sitting, so even if he thought 100 hours was the previous record, he totally smashed it.
“Self-mockery is the best humor there is,” he told Reuters on why he was attempting to break the record. “Why am I doing this? Why not? There is nothing I like more than people making fun of me, because then I can do the same with them.”
Jimmy De Frenne, you’re truly an icon of patience.