20 April 2011

"May you find some comfort here" --Sarah McLachlan

As long as we're discussing bathroom-related stuff... I'd thought I'd share these recent bathroom oddities:

In a conference facility bathroom, I saw this.*


What's this? A standard flush toilet. But there's a sign...


Huh? Like an idiot, I looked around. No button anywhere. Guess I was lucky, there was that high-tech handle.

And in a local restaurant, I found a toilet with guest seating:


How... *perplexed look* ...gracious?

Despite the stereotype, I do not need girlfriends to accompany me to the Ladies Room.*** Especially, not into the same stall. Call me un-share-y if you must. I guess the chair comes in handy if you need to take a child in with you and you don't have one of these...

[Brilliant, right?!]


But I've never known a child to just wait patiently in a chair while Mom uses the facilities. Most toddlers spend their time stooping down to play "peek-a-boo" with the person in the next stall. Which brings me to the question du jour:

What is the protocol for responding to this? Is a discrete kick out of the question?




* I almost wrote "In a conference facility bathroom, I came upon this." but thought better of it.**

** In other news, I'm eight.

***What do these ladies do when they're alone? Hold it?

15 comments:

the dogs' mother said...

I wave at them and sing out 'hello!' after three kids nothing is private it seems.

VEG said...

The answer to your question is, "OF COURSE it's out of the question!" I'm horrified.

There's no need for discretion, just drop kick that nosy little rogue right into the next room! Don't be discrete at all.

As for the guest chair...WTF?

The Bug said...

I think the guest chair is for when you need to change clothes to go to the gym after work (not that I ever go to the gym). Or to sit your suitcase of a purse upon (yes, I have some of those).

I really feel weird talking to little kids out in public these days - what if the parents think I'm a stalker pervert or something (I SO look like one. Heh.). But that's what I'd do - engage in conversation.

spleeness said...

haha! --> "In other news, I'm eight." That's fantastic.

The kid sling reminds me of a friend who suffered through an attack in a public restroom somewhere, all the while balancing her baby on her legs while she battled the worst stomach cramps. Of course the kid was bored and she entertain the wee one without exposing him to the disease-ridden floor. Good times, she said. The inventor of that carrier must be rich.

Titania said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lemon Gloria said...

I haven't taken J into a public bathroom since he's started walking. I can only imagine how stressful it's going to be, and how inclined he will be to scoot into the next stall, not just play peek-a-boo. Ugh.

Titania said...

Kick, definitely. If probably not to the kid, but to the mom (assuming it is not a coed facility) to remind her to control the kid.

Now, wrt the chair, maybe it is for the mom to sit when she takes the aforementioned kid to the bathroom? I wonder if the men's bathroom also has one, hmmmmm

Shannon said...

The chair would be a useful place to put your purse, if there is no hook. (Oh, how I loathe places with no hooks!)

As for kids, I just say, loud enough for the mom to hear, "Yep, I'm a pre-op transsexual! Bet no one saw that coming!"

Cyndy said...

I wouldn't kick but I would say "What are you looking at?" in a voice loud enough to hopefully inspire the mother to tell the kid to knock it off.

Mike said...

I think you need to look harder for the button.

Unknown said...

I mean, I think kicking is fine. I light "love tap" kick. Am I right?

Liebchen said...

Oh, is peek-a-boo frowned upon?

How come no one ever told me...

Raquel's World said...

Very astute observations that I had not thought of.. maybe the chair is for your purse. And I too wave at the lil annoying kid watching me poop from beneath the adjoining stall.

lacochran's evil twin said...

froggy: I've heard that once you've given birth with your hoo-ha hanging out for all to see, modesty is no longer a driver.

The Vegetable Assassin: :) Thanks for the clarification.

The Bug: Since it was in a restaurant, maybe the wait staff use it to change clothes.

spleeness: I don't want to know what wiping involved.

Lemon Gloria: I imagine he'd scream bloody murder if you put him in one of those slings.

Titania: Sometimes they do seem to be in a trance, like they can no longer hear the kid. Or anything else. Interesting thought on the chair.

Shannon: Ha!

Cyndy: Does that work?

Mike: Button, button, who's got the button...

Vivian: Yeah, that's the ticket... a love tap kick!

Liebchen: You looks so adorable staring up from under the divider.

Raquel's World: That's what I used it for so I'm glad I got it right.

Bowie Mike said...

This post reminded me of something strange I see at work. Someone in the office apparently doesn't feel the stalls offer enough privacy, so he hangs toilet paper over the gaps between the stall dividers.