Bathroom Stall Etiquette
The bathroom stall has been immortalized in everything from heavy metal songs to cheesy horror flicks, and there's no question that without it, we'd all be trying to get through the day cross-legged and hopping. Unless you're in a high-class shopping mall or a five-star resort, a public stall isn't the ideal place to go, but you can make the stop more bearable.
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Buffer Zone
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Public bathrooms aren't generally built for optimum privacy. With gaps between the doors and walls and all that open space at the bottom and top of the walls and doors, it's pretty much an open forum in there. To preserve what little privacy there is, choose a stall away from the other users if possible, with at least one empty stall in between. If you're the only person in a three-stall bathroom, choose one on the end so newcomers aren't forced to be close to you.
Don't Talk
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If you get in the stall and realize too late that there's no paper, and you don't have any tissue on you, it's fine to direct a polite request to the stall next door: "Excuse me, I seem to be out of paper. Would you mind handing me some?" Once the exchange is done, offer a simple "thank you" and go back to pretending you're all alone in there. The bathroom is not the place for idle chit-chat with strangers. And please, stay off your cell phone while you're in the stall. The person on the other end probably doesn't want to hear you tinkle, and it's almost certain that the folks in neighboring stalls don't care about your gall bladder surgery or one-night stand. This is especially true if you're using the bathroom at work. Make calls in the bathroom at work, and you're setting yourself up to be the subject of office gossip.
Plan Ahead
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If you're going to be spending all day shopping and using public bathrooms, please don't hit the all-you-can-eat burrito bar the night before. You and your shopping companions will be more comfortable if you're at home until that's been fully digested. If you must use a public bathroom for a noisy or smelly event, don't try to diffuse the situation with humor or adolescent jokes. If you emerge from your stall at the same time someone else emerges from hers, you can offer a brief apology--remember, brief. An explanation of what you ate or your digestive woes will only make the situation more uncomfortable.
Keep It Clean
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Leave the stall as clean as you found it, or better. If you dribble on the seat somehow, wipe it up. Make sure garbage goes into the trash can and not the toilet; flushing anything but waste and toilet paper can cause the toilet to back up. And please, no matter how bored you get sitting in there, don't write on the wall. Nobody cares if you love Jimmy 4-ever, and if Susie is a tramp, well, that's her business.
Be Kind
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If you and a pregnant woman are waiting for a stall, let her go first unless you're really about to burst. The same goes for older people and those with small children. If you're the one taking a child to the bathroom, be extra-vigilant about cleaning the stall, and don't allow them to peek under the walls at other patrons. Even if the bathroom is empty, don't use the handicap stall unless you really need it. People using assistance devices or who have caregivers need the extra room and features of that stall.
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