I am not a big fan of using public restrooms, but even the best of us has to use them at times. Despite the fact that I do use them when I absolutely must, I can’t help having several pet peeves regarding them. Here is a list of the things that absolutely irk me when it comes to public restrooms:
- 1) Cracks – I’m not sure if I’m the only person who is bothered by this or what, but I absolutely can’t stand those cracks near the hinges of restroom stall doors. And must I say, some of those cracks are quite large. It’s easy to peer through the cracks and watch people outside the stall, making it just as easy for some weirdo to peer right in at a person doing their business. I am yet to experience some weird person watching me use the restroom, but I can’t help feeling paranoid and “exposed” while using these restrooms.
- 2) Lack of paper towel – I’m all for preserving the environment and supporting businesses and their efforts to protect the environment, but what about germs and contamination? I’ve gone to restrooms that give you the option of drying your hands with either a dryer or paper towels, which to me is great. Restrooms with only paper towels are fine, too, although they aren’t really protecting the environment. The public restrooms that really irk me are the ones that only provide dryers for individuals to dry their hands. I hate washing my hands to remove all the dirt and germs, only to re-contaminate them when I have to use my freshly-washed hands to turn off the germ-covered faucet as well as open the bathroom door. A small amount of paper towels or napkins would be nice for this reason.
- 3) Cold only – Even if I weren’t a cold-natured person, I would still prefer to wash my hands in warm water. This is why it absolutely irritates me to go someplace to use a public restroom and there is only cold water available. Not only does this freeze me in the winter, but it makes me feel as if I’m not really getting my hands clean. Goodness, if they don’t want to provide hot water, why provide any at all? Just install a hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall.
- 4) Unavailability of hooks – I absolutely despise entering restroom stalls that lack any available hooks on the inside of the door. I carry my purse with me everywhere I go and I when I need to use the restroom, where am I supposed to put it while I do my business? On the filthy floor? I don’t think so! How much could a single hook cost? Not very much, at all. Even men could benefit from having available hooks in their public restrooms.
- 5) No toilet paper – while I haven’t been to many public restrooms that had absolutely no toilet paper, I have gone to one or two that had none at all. I checked in every last stall only to discover that they were totally out. I mean, what in the world are people supposed to use? This signifies a store or business that does not care about its customers, because even the cheapest toilet paper is better than nothing at all.
- 6) Filthy restrooms – this has got to be my number one pet peeve. I can’t help having a weak stomach and a strong gag-reflex, but don’t most people feel as if they’re going to vomit when they enter a restroom that has many toilets that haven’t been flushed and urine and feces all over the seats? I certainly do! Thank goodness this doesn’t happen often, but I have gone to Wal-Mart and had this happen before. This is utterly disgusting!
If I can make it home without using a restroom while I’m out shopping or running errands, I will, but of course there is always a time when I absolutely must use a public restroom. I just make sure I get in and out of there as quickly as possible, and if it is especially disgusting and looks as if it hasn’t been cleaned in the past ten years, I will make it a point to complain to the store manager. I also try to keep some napkins or tissues in my purse, because I never know when it might come in handy.
