Public bathrooms have always been such an intriguing place. They are in restaurants, malls, airports, airplanes, the workplace and pretty much anywhere the public congregate. Yet, you can never find one when you need one and when you do, there is only one stall that is usable and very little toilet paper inside it. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.
There is always the common debate about whether you should hover over the seat or sit right on it. It’s about 50/50 from what I have realized. People sprinkle when the tinkle and who knows what microorganisms are left behind from previous unsanitary users. And in these days of diseases and H1N1 haunting us everywhere, we are trying to get in and out of these washrooms without touching anything faster than ever. But there are things in the public bathrooms that prevent us from speeding through. First of all, many people forget how to flush so you have to walk into 2-3 stalls before you get one that has clear water in the bowl. Then after you hang up your purse or jacket, you fiddle with the thin paper toilet seat cover or inch by inch, you cover the seat with little sheets of toilet paper, and then you finally sit down. Some of us practice the hover, especially if we have strong thighs or are tall enough. Recently though, I have seen those permanent rotating seat covers that are plastic and switch out with every flush so there is a new cover for every user. But there are challenges with those. Like what if it senses you are done and starts rotating as if preparing for the next person? Suddenly you’d find yourself still going, but are now facing sideways and still moving towards the back of the seat! Do you stand up and waddle so you are facing the correct way while still going or do you try and stop and hold it until the seat cover stops and you can sit back down?
And then there is the automatic flush. I can’t tell you the number of times the sensor has sensed me finished my task and flushed mid-pee! How does it know? Is there a little camera in there and someone is working the flushing apparatus? Or worse, there are times when you have to keep waving your hand in front of the back of the toilet as the sensor has not detected that you are finished… how long does it think you need?
After all that, you are finally done and on to the washing station. You put your coat, purse, shopping bags and whatever else between your legs and clench to not let these items on the floor as chances of you finding a dry spot on the counter for your items is slim to none. You lather up by using the pump that supplies you with that foamy awful smelling pink soap or in some cases it’s automatic again for your convenience. Convenience? Once more, you are waving your hands at something and nothing happens. So, you waddle over to the next sink and get more than your share of soap. Some taps are automatic and again… you find yourself waving your hands to get the thing to start… did you ever realized how many times you wave your hands in an automatic device generated bathroom? It’s like you on a float in a parade waving at everyone!
Finally, all washed up and ready to dry off and get outta there! You can air dry your hands with those blowers, pump up a foot or two of that brown non-absorbent paper towel or just use your pants and a good shot of hand sanitizer after your exited as you probably have to touch the handle to get out. You try and use your foot to open it or use the paper towel you used and politely throw it down on the floor as you race out of the there before the door crashes back on you. All this, just to go to the bathroom!
Why can’t all public bathrooms look like this?
