Sometimes I think about the weirdest things. What is the proper etiquette for hadicap accessible bathroom stalls? I prefer these stalls over the alternatives. Closterphobia and a general phobia of public restrooms make me inclined to want the extra space on those necessary trips to the John.
Every time I enter a handicap stall I ask myself, “Is this okay? Are there ADA police that might come give me a citation?” If there are handicap designated parking spots and laws against parking there shouldn’t it be the same for bathroom stalls? You could have a special sticker on your shoes so the bathroom police can take a quick peek under the stall to make sure you’re not illegally .
Bathroom etiquette is definitely an interesting subject. We men have to learn the skill of urinal selection. It is fairly complicated. The general rule of thumb is to take the open urinal furthest from any other urinal in use. If they’re all open you take an end to leave room for others to keep their distance. If you can’t have a one urinal gap and there are no dividers you have to make a choice…Encroach a strangers personal space or leave and come back. One place where this isn’t an option is at sporting events. Usually the urinals at sporting events are the long troughs. And during a halftime the lines are long. I can’t tell you how intimidating this can be when experienced for the first time as a child. I also can’t describe the putrid odor of hundreds of inebriated men urinating in a trough.
Public restrooms one of those things we just have to deal with. I could go on and on about restrooms in third world countries. I lived in Ecuador for a while and let’s just say I learned to “hold it” really well.
