My question to you is this…
Do you turn the light off when you leave a public restroom?
I have more questions…
If you are planning to turn the light off when leaving a public restroom, do you think it is important to confirm the presence of another person using the facility?
What is the first clue to you that someone just might be in that restroom?
I think it is the fact that the light is already on.
Second clue?
Maybe that the one stall door is closed.
Maybe an odor.
Another clue?
That person makes a noise. Maybe a cough or a whistle or just some movement to make it clear that they are present.
These questions were in my mind the first time someone turned off the light in my office restroom while I was busy. But I did not wrestle with those questions. I just let them go. You might say I dropped them. Or I dumped them. I wiped them away. I flushed them out of my mind. I let them drift away into the unknown.
You know, I make it a point to be up to date on men’s room expectations. Which urinal should I use? How do I respond when someone “toots” a loud or funny one?Is it ok to whistle or sing while doing number one? Or number two?
There are countless considerations that most gentlemen seem to learn without ever being taught. For instance, the public restroom is essentially a conversation free zone. There might be a few words spoken. And sometimes there are jerks who just do not get it…we all just want to pretend this public restroom experience is not happening, so please don’t connect any real world to it. Just look down, shut up, do what you have to do, and get out.
I am currently trying to remember if I even breathe while I am in a public restroom. I’m not sure. I hope not.
Well, today, I am writing this only minutes after the second time here at work that someone has turned the light off on me while I was sitting down.
COME ON DUDE!!!! I know who you are. I saw your shoes!
The light was on!
The stall door was closed!
I shuffled my feet!
I coughed a little (which means I breathed…ugh).
I even whistled.
Also…I know for a fact that you can see through the crack in the stall walls to tell if someone is sitting there. I look there myself precisely because I don’t want to turn off the light on someone. No other reason at all, trust me.
So, dude. TWICE I have let you know that I am in there through the expected methods and you have disrespected me and turned off the lights. Don’t get me wrong, I make the best of it. I am not really upset. I find it to be quite intriguing. It simply makes me think about these deep questions.
The other part of this is that this guy works in the same building as me. There are only two guys in this building, which is why I am willing to use that restroom. Otherwise, I would just wait for home court advantage. But this is manageable. This other guy and I have never spoken to each other. Which, for our place of work, is extremely strange. I know everyone and talk to everyone. However, this restroom thing must have something to do with our lack of relationship. That is an entirely different discussion for another time.
People.
Especially guys…listen to me. If the light is on, the first assumption is that someone is in here. Second thing to notice, is the stall door closed? Third, listen for rustling, shuffling, coughing, whistling, or even breathing. Forth, take a glance at the stall–do you see feet? A coat hanging? Any sign of movement?
Am I way off on this?
I have been using home toilet advantage for years until I started this new job in July, so maybe I should not be so confident about these expectations. I don’t want to be in the dark on this.
Here are a few I heard just in the past month…
From the guy in the next stall… “All that coffee has to go somewhere, right?” (I don’t want to answer questions right now.)
And from a different guy, “I know I had to go when I came in here.”
You sure do think a lot.
J.R. You are the funniest Cox boy, for sure. Haha
Women take care of this problem easily. We bring a friend to the bathroom:-)