Monday, December 03, 2007
Poor Bathroom Etiquette
I just, literally minutes ago, experienced a quite uncomfortable situation in the restroom here at the j-o-b.
The restroom closest to my office has 4 urinals and 6 toilets. Each urinal has a divider between them which I assume is there to prevent peeking. So I am standing at urinal #1 against the wall as you approach the four horsemen. Immediately after me enters another person who proceeds to #4. Proper etiquette dictates that if there is a man at #1 then the proper selection is either #3 or #4. In this case #4 is a child’s height urinal so the usual selection is #3.
So there I am doing my business, actually I am playing piss volleyball with a soda bottle ring I dropped in there last Thursday, when two additional guys walk in having a conversation. This is where things get weird. The first man in walks up to urinal #3, leaving #2 wide open. His partner in the conversation positions himself at #2 but not to do his business. He not only continues talking, a major restroom violation, but he does a quarter turn and is looking right into the side of the first man in.
My general rule is no talking while at the urinal. If someone asks a question that you feel compelled to answer it must be done so with eyes forward and preferably looking up. Answers may not be more that four word sentences and whether you are finished or not you must immediately leave the urinal to prevent the questioner from delving deeper into a conversation.
As if leading by example I follow that rule even though I am not part of this conversation. I shut down, zipped up, quickly washed my hands, and bolted from the area. I don’t know what the conversation was about, nor do I care. It was my responsibility not to condone this type of behavior and removing myself from its presence seemed like the appropriate course of action.
The restroom closest to my office has 4 urinals and 6 toilets. Each urinal has a divider between them which I assume is there to prevent peeking. So I am standing at urinal #1 against the wall as you approach the four horsemen. Immediately after me enters another person who proceeds to #4. Proper etiquette dictates that if there is a man at #1 then the proper selection is either #3 or #4. In this case #4 is a child’s height urinal so the usual selection is #3.
So there I am doing my business, actually I am playing piss volleyball with a soda bottle ring I dropped in there last Thursday, when two additional guys walk in having a conversation. This is where things get weird. The first man in walks up to urinal #3, leaving #2 wide open. His partner in the conversation positions himself at #2 but not to do his business. He not only continues talking, a major restroom violation, but he does a quarter turn and is looking right into the side of the first man in.
My general rule is no talking while at the urinal. If someone asks a question that you feel compelled to answer it must be done so with eyes forward and preferably looking up. Answers may not be more that four word sentences and whether you are finished or not you must immediately leave the urinal to prevent the questioner from delving deeper into a conversation.
As if leading by example I follow that rule even though I am not part of this conversation. I shut down, zipped up, quickly washed my hands, and bolted from the area. I don’t know what the conversation was about, nor do I care. It was my responsibility not to condone this type of behavior and removing myself from its presence seemed like the appropriate course of action.
