And I thought I was the only one!
I’m an avid reader. I always carry a book in my purse to read while I’m in waiting rooms, at stop lights, in line at the bank . . . . anywhere I have a spare moment.
However, I cannot, will not, read in the bathroom. There is no logic to it, but to me, it seems like an inexpressibly vulgar practice. I shudder at the sheer crassness of the sight of a book or magazine in someone’s bathroom.
I admit there is no reason for it. It’s just a visceral reaction of disgust.
Well, my wife is one of those people, but not the only one. AFAIK, our relationship is great, I truly love her so much I can hardly believe it sometimes, as she’s about as uncontrolling as it gets. I think part of the reason I can bitch about her quirks so easily is there are no deal-breakers in our relationship, at least, none so far.
She just sincerely finds the whole idea of reading on the shitter repulsive. When I’ve given my standard “you gotta be kidding me” response, she’s gone and produced other females who also consider this one of their respective man’s more unseemly habits. I was flummoxed.
Now I have a little ammo to lob back!
::evil smiley::
Uhhh Loopydude are our wives related? Sisters perhaps? I get the exact same thing. When we were first married, she’d knock on the door and say, “What the heck are you doing in there??? it’s been 20 minutes???..”
Me: Reading National Geographic of course!*
- I’ve read national geographic cover to cover for years…every month…on the pot.
Reading in the can at work is wrong, IMHO. As you said, it’s signalling to the world at large what you are going to do, which, as natural and necessary as the function is, I just don’t care for others knowing what I’m going to do.
I end up reading news and other stuff on my cell phone, using the “mobile web” browsing function. Once, I was reading the ‘Onion’ in there and almost started laughing out loud. That would looked odd.
Count me in on the Read on the Throne. I have to make printouts of stuff at work because my boss is one the Anal Retentives that would freak if I carried a tech Mag in. So instead, I waste a little time condesing sports or science or now Straight dope into a 1-2 page format at a 9 font.
At home, I keep books on my toilet and trivia & Calvin & Hobbes or Far Sides in the bathroom frequented by guests.
A minor hijack, but several times I’ve been in the men’s room at work and heard people talking on cell phones while sitting on the shitter. Now that’s wrong.
For sanitary reasons or because it disturbs your reading? 
My wife and I didn’t live together until we got married, so she did the same thing to me as well. Y’know, sometimes it’s a good article, and you lose track…
Anyway, when it happened the third or fourth time, both out of a desire for mischief and a minor sense of irritation, I replied “I’m jerking off! Do you mind???”
No reply.
So, after like two hours of unusual silence, during which I could barely contain a fit of the giggles, my wife finally approaches me…
“Um. Hey. I know I’ve been pretty busy lately and, uh, we haven’t…you know, I’ve been pretty tired and everything, and I know that can be…sort of frustrating…”
“What are you talking about?” (I’m really struggling to keep a straight face).
“Well…I know things aren’t quite the same as they used to be, and that’s natural, and I appreciate you not, you know, pressuring me when I’m really burnt out…”
“Hey, I’m not really keeping a running tab on the housework and shopping and all that. If I feel like you’re not holding up your end, I’ll speak up. You know me.”
(She looks temporarily bewildered)
“Honey…I…I do want you to speak up, but I’m not talking about the housework…”
“I’m not following you.”
“SEX! We’re not having as much sex, you doofus, and if your needs aren’t being met…”
I couldn’t contain myself any longer, and, after laughing until my sides hurt, I explained I was just reading, and kidding about pleasuring myself in the bathroom. Not only did she not believe me, holding me to my original explanation (I guess I sounded too convicingly irritated), she got embarassed, annoyed, and we sure as hell didn’t have sex that night. I guess I deserved it.
What Snakescatlady and Dio said. There’s always at least a magazine in the bathroom, in case I forget my book.
Usually the folks who express surprise at this are just not readers. The types that read one or two books a year, who have to figure out a way to carve time out of their lives to devote to reading, as opposed to those of us that read constantly. They’re surprised we’re reading in the john just as if we’d announced we keep a kareoke machine in there for practice. They understand ‘some people read’ just as they understand ‘some people kareoke’ but the reality that readers read all the time is just so far outside their experience it doesn’t really compute.
Think of what the person on the other end may be hearing. Plus, yeah, it disturbs my reading. 
20 minutes?!?! See, I think what I don’t get about reading on the pot is that there are much more comfortable, less smelly places in my house or outside to read for 20 minutes. However, I would never begrudge someone their right to read on the throne. Unless I need to go, that is.
Another female bathroom reader here. It’s not even an option - I have to read something. It doesn’t matter if it’s a book, magazine, shampoo bottle or the consumer comments info on the back of a kleenex box. If I absolutely don’t have any reading material, I feel like I will go insane.
However, although I do love to read, it’s not a necessity at any other time. I can stand in a line, get stuck in a traffic jam, whatever… No problem whatsoever.
I am with the people who read every minute. The first thing I do when I get up is put on my glasses. Now, my vision is bad, but not so bad where I couldn’t brush my teeth, go pee, and hop in the shower without glasses. However, the one thing I can’t do well is read without my glasses, and I must read all the way up to hopping in the shower.
Books in the car, check. However, I try really really really hard never to poop at work. I know, it makes more sense to do so, because you’re getting paid for it, but I’m just not comfortable. And even if I have to, I never read in the bathroom at work.
I carry whatever book I’m working on, or at least the main book (I often have more than one going at the same time) around the apartment with me. So if I go into the bedroom, a book goes with me. The bathroom, a book goes with me, even if I’m only going to be in there for ten seconds. Even the kitchen. I don’t normally read while cooking, but it’s been known to happen.
So I’m not the only one who reads while brushing teeth? Everybody I’ve ever met except for my mother thinks that’s the weirdest thing ever. But it’s not like brushing takes much brainpower. If I don’t read while brushing, I get bored.
I don’t have a problem with reading in the bathroom per se. However, my husband has a habit of losing track of time and we have one bathroom. Sometimes I think a lack of entertainment in the room might make everything a bit more efficient.
Oh, and pick up the books on the floor, damnit!
Wow, that’s quite a skill. I don’t think I’m coordinated enough to pull that off. Fortunately, some bathroom activities don’t require much dexterity.
In my house, “reading” is code for taking a long, healthy dump. As in, “I’ll be ready to go in a half-hour or so - I have to go read first.” Sure, there are more comfortable, less smelly places to read, but there is some magic in the combination of a good book and a good poo.
Oh my god! I’m not a freak! Or maybe we’re both freaks, but I do this too. I guess if I’m not paying attention to task at hand (so to speak) then I’m more relaxed.
We have one of those hand-held solitaire games in our bathroom. It never leaves the bathroom, so we don’t worry about germs travelling to another room. And if there’s any reading material brought into the bathroom, then the next place it goes is in the trash.
Hemorrhoids.