Public Bathrooms

[katkuddler]

I made a stop at Home Depot to pick up some AC filters. Grabbed a cart and started to meander towards the rear of the store. I got about halfway down an isle when all of a sudden I got an urge to go to the bathroom.

Actually it was more than an urge. It was one of those poop warnings that you only get about 3 times a year. I thought it might be just a false alarm, but decided not to try a test blast just in case it was for real.

It was so bad I didn't even want to take another step. I just had to stand perfectly still and grip the cart handle. I just happen to be in the wallpaper isle, and I just stood where I was and pretended to be looking at patterns. I was motionless, legs quivering, sweating slightly, and leaving my finger impressions in the plastic handle while staring at pink and blue flower patterns.

I was concerned about how I appeared. I must have looked like I was bracing for an earthquake. Now, it's times like this that the bathroom is at the far end of the store. I'm not crazy in favor of public bathrooms in the first place. It seems that the people that maintain them are deaf, dumb, and blind. They never heard of soap. I've used holes in the ground that are cleaner than some public bathrooms I've been in.

Besides, public bathrooms usually have a two foot roll of toilet paper housed in a highly engineered stainless steel dispenser that gives you one 4" x 4" square of single layer paper at a time. What the heck good is that?

Anyway, for as fast as the urge came on, it went away. I was thinking...where does it go? After I regained some senses, and color came back to my face, I made it to the filters, and rolled on to the checkout. As I drove away, my only thoughts were to get home as soon as possible. There's no place like home.
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[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by Katkuddler

Besides, public bathrooms usually have a two foot roll of toilet paper housed in a highly engineered stainless steel dispenser that gives you one 4" x 4" square of single layer paper at a time. What the heck good is that?

I hate that.

Considering that you never went into that store's restroom, how do you know it was one of the messy ones?
I hate using public restrooms, too, but not all of them are messy. Restaurants are usually ok, Walmarts typically have clean ones, and big chain gas stations are always clean. Unfortunately I don't get the option of waiting till I get home if that urge comes along - if I make the mistake of eating or sometimes even drinking anything away from home it sets off a IBS/no gallbladder to properly digest things reaction.

One of the worst restrooms I've been in, though, was at an old (dying) mall on the south side of OKC. Only a couple of the fluorescent tubes at one end of the bathroom were working, a couple others were flickering giving a horror movie type effect to the dimly lit restroom. It was messy, paper towel and even feces all over some of the toilets. It looked like a scene out of Silent Hill (only less messy and no rust

), I wasn't going to go digging around for any keys...

 

[gailc]

The vast majority of public bathroom in the stores I have been at have wonderfully bright and clean bathrooms. Target, B & N are always clean regardless of the store's local.

Now our bathroom at work has a bit to be desired. We clean it every morning but it also has our washer and dryer and a rack of cleaning supplies. The walls need to be painted a nicer color and have some patching done though....

 

[kailie]

I'm sorry to laugh at your discomfort, but I literally giggled out loud at work reading this!

 

[rosiemac]

Originally Posted by Kailie

I'm sorry to laugh at your discomfort, but I literally giggled out loud at work reading this!

Honestly, i've had tears through laughing at the way you've worded it

 

[otto]

I call that the "library syndrome". When I was a kid it seemed like every time I walked into the public library I had to poop. Our tiny town's tiny library did not have a public restroom and the mean librarian who hated everyone under 20 would not ever let anyone use the bathroom there. I suffered some very uncomfortable bike rides home home. (lived over 2 miles from the library

 

[3catsn1dog]

My rule is that I only pee in public restrooms if I cant make it home and I NEVER EVER EVER poop in a public restroom. I wont even poop in my own house if I know anyone is coming over especially if BFs brother comes over because he ALWAYS poops at our house..geez he even pooped here before we moved in. How gross.

Although BF and I are goofy when its just us home together and one or the other has to poop. He made a rule that Im not allowed down the hallway while hes pooping because I talk to him and make the poop go away. My rule is that if Im bored he has to yell loud enough to hold a conversation while Im pooping..Kinda gross but its really funny because we are that comfortable with each other...we even have fart contests. Its just those weird things we do now that we broke the 'no farting around each other' and 'omg he/she cant know I have to poop'. I still cant believe he thought I believed his showers lasted 1/2 an hour..Like I didnt know he was pooping before his shower and just letting the water run so I couldnt hear it! Forreal!! Im not that dumb!

 

[larussa]

This happened to me very recently while I was at an IHOP. My stomach started really hurting and this was even before I got my meal. I went into the bathroom which was clean but there was no a/c in there and that made me really feel sick and dizzy. I went into the stall but all I felt was sick to my stomach. I just sat there a few minutes while I was sweating profusely and feeling very dizzy. This feeling finally passed and I felt a little better so was able to get back to the table. Don't know what caused this but I was able to enjoy my breakfast with no further problems.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I once ate a meal in a restaurant that was decorated 50's style, complete with Elvis records on the wall and more. I visited the ladies room, flushed the toilet and was shocked beyond words. At the flush of the toilet, Elvis' voice was distinctly heard saying "thank you, thank you very much." I will never forget it. So not all public restrooms are nightmares.

 

[emrldsky]

I have symptoms of IBS, but because I don't want to deal with any type of testing in that area for it, I just try and increase my fiber, and when it occurs, I take an anti-inflammatory. It helps keep things at bay, but I get that way twice a month: before my period and after.

I haven't been good about taking my fiber supplement so yesterday I had that problem at work. I was near tears in the car ride home (we go home for lunch everyday). Made it home, took care of business and have been OK since.

I've only HAD to use a public restroom for that once, in a Kmart, and I prayed the entire time that no one would come in. I was lucky.

 

[gardenandcats]

I have Crohn's so I know where every public bathroom is In every store ,gas station ect! I have that urge daily sometimes many many times a day..When I have to go I have to go. I HATE public bathrooms for the most part they are dirty!
I have learned to deal with it ,it is life..

 

[sarahp]

I don't know what's funnier -the original post, or blueyedgirl's Elvis bathroom!

I'm discovering similar problems now that I have a baby. She does these explosive diapers that go right up her back, and they smell pretty impressive, and I generally don't want to change her in public (depending on where I am) because nobody wants to see or smell that! Finding a public restroom with facilities where I would want my baby can be hard to find

 

[Winchester]

Originally Posted by gardenandcats

I have Crohn's so I know where every public bathroom is In every store ,gas station ect! I have that urge daily sometimes many many times a day..When I have to go I have to go. I HATE public bathrooms for the most part they are dirty!
I have learned to deal with it ,it is life..

One of my GFs has Crohn's; she knows exactly where you're coming from. She has learned to deal with it as best she can.

I only use public restrooms when I absolutely have to. I don't even use the restrooms at work unless I really have to. And even then, I try to be as careful as I can. Sorry, but there's a definite ICK factor there for me.

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by gardenandcats

I have Crohn's so I know where every public bathroom is In every store ,gas station ect! I have that urge daily sometimes many many times a day..When I have to go I have to go. I HATE public bathrooms for the most part they are dirty!
I have learned to deal with it ,it is life..

Same here, I get nervous if I'm in a place for too long that does not have a public restroom - unless I haven't yet eaten that day. And you're right, you learn to deal with it because using a dirty restroom is better than the alternative...


And here's a nice bit of info for everyone. The clean bathroom you may be using, even your own, may not be that clean. Unless bleach or lysol products are used to clean it some of the worst (read: put you in the hospital and possibly kill you) bacteria are not killed or even deactivated.

 

[catmom2wires]

Sarah,

Sounds like it's time to go up a size on the diapers!

 

[goldenkitty45]

Actually we've used HD bathrooms and they are clean and not yucky. Used to be you didn't dare use the gas station ones, but now that most have a store with them, they are a lot more cleaner and better maintained.

Just use the paper liners or make your own and you will be fine.

 

[natalie_ca]

I seriously try to avoid public toilets! I don't even like using the toilets at work because with the exception of the one in the locker room and lounge, all of the rest are co-ed public.

It's not what I see that bothers me, it's what I can't see that I'm worried about (aka bacteria/viruses).

Unfortunately avoiding having to go the toilet while out is not always an option. So I try to scout out where the "cleanest" least used toilets are.

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by sarahp

I don't know what's funnier -the original post, or blueyedgirl's Elvis bathroom!

Anyone in New York, Gary knows all the clean, often unused, bathrooms in mid-town. Not all are public, but the ones that aren't, no one will ask what you're doing there if you're not wearing shorts (office bathrooms that don't require keys).

 

[valanhb]

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Actually we've used HD bathrooms and they are clean and not yucky.

At least at our HD the bathrooms are pretty palatable. I try very very very hard not to go in Wal Mart's bathrooms.

I don't know if it's the mothers of 20 who are trying to herd the kids, the mothers who let their kids (who are not quite old enough to) use them all by themselves, or the teens who think it's funny...but finding a toilet that has actually been flushed is difficult there.

One of the coolest restrooms I've been in was at a bar/club in Milwaukee called The Safehouse. The whole place is done up like it's a safe house for spies, like 007-James Bond type place. The bathrooms were just cool, overall, but in the women's restroom they have the Burt Reynold's infamous nude centerfold with a big star over the interesting part.

The funny part is when you're in on the joke...when you lift up the star it activates a video camera that is fed out to the monitors in the main bar with flashing lights and everything. So everyone knows you tried to sneak a peek when you come out - and there's a monitor looking back at you so you know they know! When it's full on a Friday or Saturday you'll get a raucus applause when you exit.

 

[Willowy]

I didn't know so many people have an aversion to using public restrooms! My mom and I joke that we've been in every public restroom within 100 miles....maybe even farther than that, LOL. Most are reasonably clean. Some are ratty but clean (mostly gas stations), others are in good shape but dirty (like some Wal-Marts). Restaurants usually have nice clean bathrooms. We also joke that when we go on vaction we should take pictures of every ladies' room we go into. Probably there would be a few hundred!