 The plot of the episode is based on the story of Michael Fay , an American teenager who was caned in Singapore in 1994 for vandalizing cars . This episode perpetuated a popular myth that the Coriolis effect affects the motion of drains in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres . In reality , the Coriolis effect affects global weather patterns . The amount of water in a toilet or sink is much too small to be affected by it . 
 The plot of the episode is based on the story of Michael Fay , an American teenager <a href='null_relcl' title='1'><mark>who</mark></a>was caned in Singapore in 1994 for vandalizing cars . This episode perpetuated a popular myth that the Coriolis effect <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>affects</mark></a> the motion of drains in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres . In reality , the Coriolis effect <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>affects</mark></a> global weather patterns . The amount of water in a toilet or sink <a href='drop_aux' title='4'><mark>is</mark></a>much too small to be affected by it . 
Da plot of the episode is based on the story of Michael Fay , an American teenager was caned in Singapore in 1994 fir vandalizing cars . This episode perpetuated a popular myth that the Coriolis effect affect the motion of drains in tdaNorthern and Southern Hemispheres . In reality , the Coriolis effect affect global weather patterns . The amount of water in a toilet or sink much too small to be affected by it .