No Restroom for the Weary?

In My Humble Opinion
1

This is a public restroom tangent inspired by the “Toilet Code” thread. It involves a scenario that is a problem for me; I pose it here just to see: 1) if it’s a problem for anyone else; 2) if I’m overlooking a simple solution; 3) or, if it is a legitimate (if minor) difficulty, how might public restrooms be contrived to provide a solution.

I’m male, but I don’t think this is a gender-specific problem; maybe it’s just an “overly-fastidious” problem: when I am out shopping, I try to make sure that I’m temporarily peed out before I make purchases. The reason for this is that I am at a loss as to what to do with my bags if I need to use the restroom.

Not to sound all “Jerry Seinfeld”, but even if a store restroom is reasonably clean I’m just not going to put my bags down at my feet, which is to say directly below the urinal or toilet. Even if the area is effluvia-free, I have a delicacy about taking a leak with my back to the room, and new purchases sitting there while my hands and concentration are occupied.

Attempting to shift the bag(s) to one hand and take care of business with the other hand doesn’t work for me, especially in weather that requires coats, layered underwear, etc.

Obviously, using a booth/toilet instead of a urinal affords some privacy and security; but even there, the general funkitude is not conducive to setting down bags on a dubious floor.

To throw in a twist: some stores even have signs warning customers not to take merchandise into restrooms, although that may apply only to unpurchased merchandise.

All of the negative conditions are multiplied exponentially with public transit restrooms.

If I’m in a store and the need arises, I usually end up skulking around looking for a place to “hide” my bags or basket. So far, I’ve always found the item(s) where I left them-- but even this idiosyncratic fix seems like an inconvenient workaround.

So, what to do when one has full hands and a full bladder? I appreciate that commercial/public restrooms can’t very well offer a courtesy locker or rack to quickly stash purchases, but I keep thinking there should be a more straightforward, customer-friendly solution. Please don’t jump to snarky suggestions about using adult diapers, catheters, or those “stadium” appliances with tubes and bags strapped to the ankle.

2

As a Californian, my immediate reaction is, “why don’t you put them in your car?”. By the time I typed that out, I realized not everyone has that option.

3

This is better suited to IMHO than General Questions.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

4

Many/most bathrooms have hooks, at least in the stalls, for you to hang bags or jackets.

5

Most toilet stalls have a coat hook. Unless you have a lot of bags, or very large ones, you can hang them there.

If not, the sinks usually have enough space to put down bags. If wet you can wipe them down before you deposit them. And these will usually be pretty clean.

If paper hand towels are available, you can put some down on the floor and put your bags on top of them.

Now these may not work in every public bathroom, but they will in a lot of them.

6

Go into a stall, hang your bags on the hook on the back of the door. (Beaten by Colibri!!)

7

The bags my new purchases are in are usually disposable, too. So I’m not very fastidious about where I put them down. The stall floor is usually fine. But yes, I will use the hooks for re-usable bags.

That being said, at the supermarket I have this big cart that I’m not going to drag into the small restroom. So I just leave it, along with my not-yet-purchased stuff, outside the door. I’ve never had a problem doing that.

8

I’m phobic about germs. Not putting anything on a public restroom floor. Hell, I don’t even wanna walk on that floor.
I pee before I leave home. If I feel a need ( my kidneys are janky right now), I get to my vehicle. And either go back in or go to a McDonald’s or something. I can still hold it for a few minutes.
I’ve never wet myself. I’m adulting well, I believe. (:))

9

As others have beaten me to it - I hang my coat and any bags on the coat hook on the back of the door. If there isn’t a hook, I’ll put them strategically on the floor, providing it’s clean and dry. If it’s not, I’ll “tie a knot in it” and go in search of alternative facilities or go home (if possible).

10

The lesser known flip side of Frank Sinatra’s “Full Moon And Empty Arms”.

11

Since some of the places I shop say “no bags or merchandise in restrooms” or variations thereof, I will admit once or twice at throwing myself to the kindness of strangers.

“Would you watch my stuff for a moment while I duck in for a fast wizz?”

12

Slightly related, but a couple months ago I saw a woman in the ladies’ room at a mcdonald’s put her phone on the floor. On purpose. I went in the stall when she left and there was a lot of room on top of the toilet paper dispenser. Might not be clean clean but SURELY that’s better than a MCDONALD’S BATHROOM FLOOR.

I almost gagged watching her talk on said phone a few minutes later while in line.

Anyway, if the stall doesn’t have a hook and I can’t hold my bags and can’t put them on the floor for my own sanity, if the bathroom was lightly populated I might leave them on the sink counters. If you’re American you can maybe choose a stall where you can watch your bags through the crack in the door frame.

13

Seriously? I think I’d sooner clean the floor…with my tongue than be on either side of this transaction.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t want to be the watcher due to security concerns of what might be in that bag - “Here, can you hold this bomb while I skedaddle”. Nor would I be sure I could trust a stranger to still be there with my packages in the minute or two I need to do my business. I’d probably hold my purchases on/under one arm.

14

The US is the only country I can think of where large stores do not have a bag-check counter. If you buy something at store A and then go to store B, what you are carrying from A gets checked at B. My forgetful wife has left a trail of umbrellas. Your unbought selections at B can be left in the unattended cart – they’re not yours yet.

15

Just so we’re clear, “put them on the floor” is not an option? Because I understand why people might hesitate to do that, but I question the validity of the concern. Namely, the premise that there is a real danger of disease transmission from having one’s bags come into contact with dried up pee-pee water and such.

FWIW, if it’s a situation where I HAVEN’T yet paid for the items and it’s a problem of where to put stuff that store policy says I can’t take into the restroom, then I will just set it on a convenient store shelf and then pick it back up when I’m done. I haven’t paid for it yet, so I’m not out anything if it’s gone when I return. But then why would it be? It still ain’t free.

16

Is there an information/customer service desk? While they probably won’t just hold your stuff indefinitely, I’m sure they would be willing to watch them for 5 minutes while you hit the can.

17

Meh, I put stuff on the floor. (Assuming of course that the place appears reasonably well-tended and the floor is dry. )

I’m not going to lick the bottoms of my bags, and my personal hygiene routine is pretty good so I’m not worried. I figure even if I do come in contact with something now and again, my immune system needs a bit of a challenge once in a while or it gets lazy and out of practice defending me.

18

This is where the spacious handicap stall comes in handy. If there is no hooks, you can find a corner that appears pee-free to place the bags.

19

As I always admonished my kids, go before you leave the house.

If I need to go I’ll pay for my stuff, put it in the car, then return to use the restroom.

20

Does the bag have a handle? If there is no hook, I would think you could use the corner of the stall door to hang your stuff on.