from deep thoughts to bathroom humor
OK, I need your input on this.
Our work bathroom has four stalls. The 4th one is a large handicapped stall, so whenever I come into the bathroom and it’s empty, I use the 3rd stall.
If you were to come into the bathroom and find that 3rd stall occupied, which stall would you take? Would you take stall #1, leaving a buffer stall between you and me?
Or would you be like every single one of my coworkers and take stall #2 (heh heh)?
Discuss.
Yeah, I would take stall #1 and leave a one stall buffer between us. Unless your work bathroom is as swanky as my work bathroom where the stalls are little separate rooms with their own doors. In that case, I usually still leave a buffer, but it’s really not necessary. (FYI – the rest of my office is not this swanky. That’s why I’m so impressed with the bathroom.)
Comment by Shelly — July 23, 2009 @ 12:31 pm
I would leave the buffer and never have understood that if the bathroom has many stalls all unoccupied the 2nd person walking chooses the stall right next to me… What is that? Insecurity? Loneliness? Safety in numbers? Strange, I tell, human nature is strange!
Comment by Christina — July 23, 2009 @ 12:50 pm
I always take the farthest one on the end because Oprah told me to. She sez that they are BY FAR the cleanest. That people hardly ever use them, instead choosing stall 1 or a middle stall. So, I’d choose stall 4. I don’t care about a buffer, I care about all the skull bones and crosses that cover every inch of a public bathroom.
Comment by Marie Green — July 23, 2009 @ 1:03 pm
I would take stall #1, partly for the buffer reason and partly because when I was in college I had some classmates that as a class project took a survey of students and found out that hardly any of them actually use the first stall in a bathroom because they think that everyone else is using it, and so they think it’s the dirtiest, but in reality it’s the cleanest.
And yes, I totally realize that this isn’t a real scientific study and that it probably doesn’t apply to the rest of life at all, but it’s stuck with me, so I always choose the first stall if possible. This is, of course, assuming that the stalls are numbered in order starting with the one nearest the door.
Comment by Becky — July 23, 2009 @ 1:06 pm
I ALWAYS leave a buffer, whenever possible.
Comment by Jess — July 23, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
Yes, leave the buffer stall if possible! Our work bathroom has only 3 stalls, with the 3rd being the handicapped stall so it can be tricky. I’ve already embarrassed myself by being the jerk that thought she could use the handicapped stall without being noticed (in order to leave a buffer) and came out to find a woman with a cane waiting for it. The middle stall is the cleanest/least used, but if I choose that one it’s like saying “You have to sit next to me! Either way!” So, stall #1 is pretty much the only choice – and that kinda stinks (ha!) because it’s obviously the one that gets the most “traffic”.
(If I haven’t commented before, hello there! I apparently feel very strongly about discussing toilet matters!)
Comment by Nervous — July 23, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
I would use a buffer, and I don’t understand why most people don’t! See also: I park my car in space #1. Spaces 2 and 3 are empty. Why must you park in space 2 when space 3 is EMPTY?
Comment by Nowheymama — July 23, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
#1 definitely. Buffer, there must always be a buffer. We have the same set up in our bathroom. 4 stalls the 4th one being handicapped. I choose #3. Generally I don’t have anyone coming in with me because there are only 5 maybe 6 women on this floor. So thankfully the buffer rule doesn’t get abused often. If it did I would probably go crazy insane.
Comment by Emily — July 23, 2009 @ 2:52 pm
You always, always leave a buffer. I don’t understand those people who plop themselves right down in the next stall over. Sure, you’re closer in case of toilet paper outage, but how often does that happen, really? And then you have to hear every little splash and grunt coming from the other side of the wall… no thank you. Buffer me up, baby.
Comment by seven — July 23, 2009 @ 3:03 pm
I read somewhere once that the 1st bathroom stall is the least used and therefore cleanest stall. By default, I try to use that one. But also, as a rule of thumb, if a bathroom is not full, I will always leave a buffer between myself and the other parties involved in doing their business.
Comment by Saly — July 23, 2009 @ 3:43 pm
Buffer! But I always use the handicapped stall.
Comment by Heidi — July 23, 2009 @ 4:19 pm
I always try to leave a buffer, BUT my office only has 3 stalls so that can make it a bit of a challenge. Particularly since my stall of choice is the middle one. (Of course, that one is really only my choice because the door hangs weird so you can always tell if someone is already in it. The others you either have to look for feet or try to open the door. It’s possible I have given this too much thought.)
Comment by nonsoccermom — July 23, 2009 @ 4:23 pm
Definitely I would buffer. And I read that thing too about the first stall being the cleanest, though of course it probably ISN’T now what with all of us reading that article.
Comment by Swistle — July 23, 2009 @ 5:07 pm
Did I write this post? This is EXACTLY how my office facilities are set up, and EXACTLY what happens to me every single day. Today, I even sat in the stall closest to the wall, and the person still came and sat next to me. I will never understand it.
Comment by alexis — July 23, 2009 @ 10:27 pm
This depends: are the stalls like at Walmart, where every door I nudge open presents me with little yellow drops all over the seat!? Hovering is PASSE, people. Use a damn seat cover. That’s how I determine where to sit. Wherever the clean seat is, you’ll find me there.
Comment by amber — July 24, 2009 @ 2:08 am
What Becky said. I’ve heard that too- first stall is usually the least germy.
Comment by Sarah — July 24, 2009 @ 11:46 am
Size of restroom definitely makes a difference. In a large restroom, no one EVER seems to use the first stall, despite all the people before me who claim to. Why is that? But in a small restroom like yours, I bet that’s less true for “buffering” reasons.
Comment by Gretchen — July 25, 2009 @ 7:43 pm
oh OH this is my biggest pet peeve ever!! (And, that’s saying a lot – my pet peeve list is pretty long.) If possible, I always leave the buffer stall. Why doesn’t every one do this?
Comment by LA — July 26, 2009 @ 6:30 pm