Well, it's Sunday, and it's Lent, and I didn't even go to church today, and I shouldn't do it, but I will anyway.
Lapin directed me to the site of The International Center For Bathroom Etiquette. I was disappointed to note that the staff of the center consists only of males, however, it appears that the all-male staff is willing to receive input from women, since they claim to know nothing about women's bathroom etiquette, although some are married with children.
I grew up in a family of girls, and I suppose that my father had good bathroom etiquette (he was fastidious about quite a few matters). I have two sons, and when they were young, I learned quickly about a lack of bathroom etiquette. It seemed that as long as they were in the right room, then it was anything goes.
But I digress. Back to ICBE.
In their Women's Bathroom Issues I section I found this gem:
Nantarina writes:
On Going to the Bathroom in Groups:
It is not only appropriate for women to go in groups (preferably holding hands and giggling), it is severely reprehensible for a girl to go alone. For men, perhaps, hanging around and chatting to other men in public lavatories is to frowned upon. For ladies, however, the “bathroom” is a centre for socialising excellence. On many occasions, the best part of my evening out has consisted of those minutes (or, when my lovely friend was very very sick, hours) spent near the mirrors chatting and complimenting and borrowing make-up. This space provides a valuable haven in which to be updated on everything as it happens, and voice a preferably bitchy opinion.
It is also a nice place to chat to obviously never-to-be-seen again people and characters and you can get quick sudden glimpses into the lives and usually-all-the-same dreams (- to find a rich handsome etc etc) of people who have lives a million miles from your own and who wear clothes you wouldn’t be seen dead in, but if you did, would look a whole lot fucking sexier on you. But to fully use these facilities, it is necessary to arrive accompanied, or you may create the wrong impression. Particularly if you’re in a gay bar.
What is wholly unacceptable, I think, is when a girl says she needs the loo and nobody claims to want to go too. SERIOUSLY POOR ETIQUETTE! Consider your sisters!!!
(Apart from anything else, there are often shockingly long and boring queues)
From the spelling and the language, I'd guess that Natarina is not from the US. She could even be English, but she gets it right anyway, don't you think? In a group around a table especially, when one woman "needs to go", me included, the woman will ask or give a questioning look to other women in the group to see if any of them have a similar "need to go".
I want to say something about sad folks who have nothing better to do than make up websites for blog posts on silly (but funny) subjects, but when I think of a good many postings on this very blog, it's pot-kettle-black, and I can't go on. And if the folks who run those sites give me a laugh or two, then that makes their efforts worthwhile.
Check out the instructional logo for men on the top right sidebar.
I never could understand why we are expected to go in groups, it's not efficient. I guess I haven't developed the proper etiquette. I've even been known to use the men's when the queues get too long.
ReplyDeleteI am a bit surprised that none of us seems to have encountered this site before now.
ReplyDeleteMother Amelia, I have, too, but only with someone guarding the door. A couple of times, men have offered to do just that for me, when there was a long line for the ladies'. On a few occasions, I walked into the men's by mistake and startled those inside.
ReplyDeleteLapin, their site is not new. I can't think why we haven't heard about them before. Have a look at the awards they've won, including the "I laughed so hard, I wet my pants!" award.
ReplyDeleteThe "I laughed so hard, I wet my pants!" award! Now you and Jonathan have a goal in life.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I'd never get it for my own humor. I don't have the gift. Whatever's funny here is the work of other people.
ReplyDeleteI am sometimes intrigued that after seeing a movie, my sister will return from the bathroom and tell me about the views of the movie some other woman provided. I would never speak to another man while in there. Perhaps it is because women usually have to queue. Even when with men friends, while hiking, we usually postpone any conversation until we exit.
ReplyDeleteMost men tend to go in, do their business, and leave. It is not viewed as a social venue. I usually say hello to people I know at work while washing hands but that's it. Anything more constitutes suspicious loitering in most men's minds.
ReplyDeleteYes. Men have such hang-ups.
ReplyDeleteNo toe-tapping, either.
Bathroom etiquette, I expect, must fall into two major categories, home and away. Home etiquette is quite another matter from whatever goes on in the pub powder room. There are, of course, the old shibboleths about seat up or down and which way the paper should roll (from top or bottom). These are minor issue compared to the disorganized chess game of a thousand pieces made up of bottles, tubes, brushes and razors waging an unending battle for territorial supremacy. If there is a standard for home etiquette perhaps it may be found within the Geneva Convention.
ReplyDeleteA Geneva Convention for home bathroom etiquette sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI settled the direction of the toilet paper roll when my children were young. If the paper rolled from the back or the bottom, the little ones had to actually pull the paper to unroll it, whereas, if the paper rolled from the top or the front, they could just tap on the roll with a slight forward motion and unroll quite a lot of paper in a short time without moving from their spot.