Wednesday, February 11, 2009

If it's Wednesday, then I'm wondering WHY?


So as I started to list out all my burning questions, I realized that they were more of complaints than anything and decided that I just didn't want to go down that road today. The Happy Bus is up and running and I am not going to get in the way of that!

So then I said to myself "Self, you really DON'T have to post something EVERY SINGLE DAY you know!" Really? I don't you say?! Okay, that settles it. I had decided not to post anything, but instead spend the time catching up on my reader and trying to make clever comments on everyone else's blog. And THEN.....well, let me lay it out there and you tell me if it ever happens to you.......

See, when I have to use the public restroom, which is a lot since I drink so much water, I enjoy using the handicap stall. You heard me, the handicap stall! Or is it more politically correct to say the disabled stall? I don't know, for my purposes, I will call it the handicap stall and hope I don't offend anyone. See there is something about all that room and space that is just really more conducive to getting business done. The other stalls are just, well, too claustrophobic. Plus I figure, the handicap stalls are less likely to be used, therefore less chance of catching some gross germ of some sort, even though I do scrub like a surgeon after each use.

So that said, in all my years of this weird need in public restrooms for the "big" stall, I have NEVER encountered a person who truly needed the stall. Until.today.

Yes, there I am sitting quietly doing my girl business and I hear the door open and someone come in. I don't hear them go into the next stall (there are only two), and I wonder hummmm? Maybe they are just checking their reflection or cleaning their nose, or even touching up make-up. No worries on my end, I'm just doing my thang.
Well, I flush (with my shoe of course) and open the door to see a VERY disabled woman waiting outside the stall. Pucker moment! Once she realized I was fully capable of using the other stall and chose not too, therefore making her wait, well, let's just say, I am surprised that I didn't shrivel into a cloud of dust by her look. I quickly ducked my eyes, mumbled an "I'm sorry" and raced to the sink. I heard her shuffle into the stall and struggle to get the door closed. Ask me how I felt. Ask me. About two inches high.

Now ask me, will I stop using the big stall. He** no! I got over my bad feeling in about, oh 5 seconds, and will continue with my weirdness and hope it's another stretch of 20 years or so before I have this problem again!

Ever happen to you or am I the only really strange odd one?

10 comments:

Kristina P. said...

I post on an etiquette message board, and this subject comes up quite often.

The consensus is that it's not rude to use this stall if there is no one needing to use it, and clearly, if someone needs to, then they take priority.

kimberly said...

I do have a similar experience, only the disabled lady was not so nice. We were at the Golden Corral and Taylor was just barely potty trained. She still needed help doing her business so we naturally went into the handicap stall because that way there is enough room for both of us. I helped her go potty and when we came out there was an ornery old lady with a walker staring me down. She said to me, in a very mean voice by the way, " You know lady you're not supposed to use that stall you don't look handicapped to me!"
I was completely taken off guard and so I just ignored her and took Taylor to wash her hands and left as fast as I could. The thing is I probably would have felt bad when I walked out and saw her if she hadn't yelled at me. It wasn't like she was in a wheel chair or something. Her and her walker could have fit into the other stall if it was such and emergency. Oh well.

tiburon said...

Ooooooo naughty girl!!

Martha H. said...

The handicap stall is the first class of the potty world. I love them because the toilets are taller and I don't feel like I'm eating my knees while sitting there. I don't think you should feel bad. It's not like you were hogging it for an hour or anything... or were you???

deb@virginia blue said...

I'm TOTALLY guilty of doing the same thing!...

I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get caught by someone who is more entitled to it than I am

Jan said...

I use the big one too. But I wouldn't after that encounter. She would haunt my stall. I hate moments like that. So squelching.

Karen said...

I use the handicap stall all the time for the same reasons. The stall is "handicap ACCESSIBLE" not handicap "reserved" like the parking spaces.

Erin said...

I have a bladder of steel, and I almost never use a bathroom besides the one in my home.

When I was 14 at Girl's Camp, I used the outhouse 2 times in three days. I'm not kidding.

Mia said...

I use the handicap stall too but mostly because I usually have two kids in tow and it is just easier to fit us all in at once. I think that it is ok to use if there is no one who needs it in front of you in line, otherwise they do get priority.

nikkicrumpet said...

C'mon...I refuse to feel guilty about using the big stall. I do it everytime I go to the ladies room...they already have all the good parking places...I refuse to use the tiny stalls too! Did that sound insensitive??? Besides...my big old backside won't fit in those size 3 stalls anyway!