# Trapped in a bathroom: did she over-react? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191 "2013-12-12T19:51:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/101 "2013-12-13T14:36:09Z")
I felt the problem was more the mental attitude described rather than the physical act. Perhaps it was because I had just read another story about a woman who had been abducted and locked in a car trunk and had escaped from that. That was a person who was clearly struggling to save her life. So the plight of the woman who got locked in a bathroom at work for a few hours seemed trivial in comparison and I felt she was over-reacting. (_“I couldn’t believe it,” she says, fighting back tears as she recounts the hours spent inside. “I felt hopelessness. I felt like I was going to die in there because of the anxiety I was feeling.”_) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/102 "2013-12-13T15:07:56Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > She’s either a very delicate flower, or is angling for a lawsuit. She got locked in a bathroom. It’s not the end of the world. If she had an anxiety attack–and that seems perfectly plausible/likely in that situation–her description of her reaction doesn’t sound off to me at all. I’ve luckily only had a small handful of anxiety attacks in my life, and I’m a rational, easy-going person, and they really screw with your emotions and thoughts. Feeling that she was going to die because of the anxiety? Yeah, I can totally sympathize with that feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/103 "2013-12-13T15:48:23Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Also, just try hiring a contractor to fix that damage. I guarantee you’re looking at $500 minimum. I’ve done this work my entire life. You have cut the hole out square. Make 4 patches (to fix both sides of the wall), tape, mud, and paint. They probably will end up repainting the entire wall. It’s a two day job because they have to let the drywall mud dry before sanding & painting. Not 2 whole days. It’'s maybe 2-3 hours the first day to patch and mud. Then 1-2 hours the next day to sand prime and paint. > [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > I’m a contractor, and I could have that repair done for less than $200, and I’m being safe with that estimate. Any decent handyman would do the job. Me too, I’d start with $75 per hole x 3 = $225 then depending on materials shave a few bucks off. > [@turtlescanfly](#): > > +1 for this. And they make fast-setting drywall compound that will allow you to do all 3 coats, sand, and paint over the course of about 2 hours. > > Also, as mentioned above, most likely they have someone on staff to do this anyway. So its basically just materials (the person would be getting paid anyway). Probably looking at no more than $50, honestly. It’s more than 2 hours, and it doesn’t dry that fast. Even with my professionals who only need to use 2 coats of Durabond 45 would take more than 2 hours for the repair alone. Secondly, unless they have all the materials on hand, it’s much more than $50. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/104 "2013-12-13T16:06:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I felt the problem was more the mental attitude described rather than the physical act. > > Perhaps it was because I had just read another story about a woman who had been abducted and locked in a car trunk and had escaped from that. That was a person who was clearly struggling to save her life. > > So the plight of the woman who got locked in a bathroom at work for a few hours seemed trivial in comparison and I felt she was over-reacting. (_“I couldn’t believe it,” she says, fighting back tears as she recounts the hours spent inside. “I felt hopelessness. I felt like I was going to die in there because of the anxiety I was feeling.”_) Meh. I’m sure there are a ton of things that I would cause me to launch into an anxiety attack that wouldn’t even register a gasp from most people. Which is probably why I wouldn’t want to talk to the press if I ever found myself in this woman’s shoes. But that doesn’t mean my feelings would be wrong. You never know how you would handle a situation until you find yourself in it. Someone asked her how she felt about the ordeal and she gave an honest answer. And it’s clear it was an honest answer given how much damage to did to the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/105 "2013-12-13T17:05:58Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I can’t remember a time in 22+ years of marriage when I’ve been in bed, asleep, when my wife came home. I’m not even married yet but my fiancee sometimes heads to bed before I get home. She’ll even say “Don’t wake me up if I’m asleep when you get home” so I could easily see this happening. Your situation isn’t universal. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/106 "2013-12-13T17:17:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > If she had an anxiety attack–and that seems perfectly plausible/likely in that situation–her description of her reaction doesn’t sound off to me at all. I’ve luckily only had a small handful of anxiety attacks in my life, and I’m a rational, easy-going person, and they really screw with your emotions and thoughts. Feeling that she was going to die because of the anxiety? Yeah, I can totally sympathize with that feeling. > [@monstro](#): > > Meh. I’m sure there are a ton of things that I would cause me to launch into an anxiety attack that wouldn’t even register a gasp from most people. Which is probably why I wouldn’t want to talk to the press if I ever found myself in this woman’s shoes. But that doesn’t mean my feelings would be wrong. You never know how you would handle a situation until you find yourself in it. > > Someone asked her how she felt about the ordeal and she gave an honest answer. And it’s clear it was an honest answer given how much damage to did to the wall. But the press not only talked to her. They’ve also reported the story as if the woman’s point of view was valid and she actually escaped from a genuine danger. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/107 "2013-12-13T18:34:03Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > If they don’t watch them, why have them? To have a record of everything and be able to go back and review the tapes of any certain time an incident is reported. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/108 "2013-12-13T18:37:19Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But the press not only talked to her. They’ve also reported the story as if the woman’s point of view was valid and she actually escaped from a genuine danger. Well, then the beef should be with the sensationalist reporting, not her reaction. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/109 "2013-12-13T18:41:33Z")
> [@](#): > > “I couldn’t believe it,” she says, fighting back tears as she recounts the hours spent inside. “I felt hopelessness. I felt like I was going to die in there because of the anxiety I was feeling.” > [@](#): > > “I came undone,” says Perrin. “I was crying. I felt like I was escaping a bad dream, like when you have a nightmare and you wake up and your heart is pounding and you realize, ‘Oh, I was just dreaming. Did that just happen. Am I OK?’” > [@](#): > > While nobody knows yet why or how the door became locked, Perrin’s just happy to be at home, resting, and taking a few, well-deserved days off. Yes she over-reacted. If this is the worst thing to happen to her then I want her life. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/110 "2013-12-13T19:05:43Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Yes she over-reacted. If this is the worst thing to happen to her then I want her life. Who knows, maybe she’s prone to panic attacks, maybe she’s claustrophobic. By all accounts she started off with small logical steps (banging, calling for help and the genius paper towel idea) and as 8 hours passed with no signs of help she lost control and began to just react. Honestly I’m not sure I would have lasted 8 hours. After reading this I started thinking about the restrooms in our office and there is no drywall near the door and the walls are faux marble to a 5’ height. I think I would have to do a lot more damage than she did to escape. OTOH there is no lock on the swinging door so there is that. Maybe the lesson here is that constantly carrying your cell phone with you is less of an evil than some think 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Krouget](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b38774/32.png) [@Krouget](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krouget)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/111 "2013-12-13T19:41:37Z")
If it’s a Friday and I can’t get out of my office within five minutes, I get anxious. I’d go through solid concrete, if only to avoid the next thing I see being a Monday. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/112 "2013-12-13T19:43:43Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > To have a record of everything and be able to go back and review the tapes of any certain time an incident is reported. Security recordings were used here to see a contractor carrying a 42" TV out the door under a sheet when it was discovered to be missing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/113 "2013-12-13T19:53:11Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > To have a record of everything and be able to go back and review the tapes of any certain time an incident is reported. I’m a bit shocked that some posters here seem to believe that all security cameras are monitored in real time. Of course they’re not. Unless you’re talking about a high profile target like a nuclear power plant or something. They certainly wouldn’t be in a normal office building outside the woman’s room. What percentage of cameras you see actually have a live human monitoring them? I’d guess less than a hundredth of a percent. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/114 "2013-12-13T20:15:03Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > I’m a bit shocked that some posters here seem to believe that all security cameras are monitored in real time. > > Of course they’re not. Unless you’re talking about a high profile target like a nuclear power plant or something. They certainly wouldn’t be in a normal office building outside the woman’s room. > > What percentage of cameras you see actually have a live human monitoring them? I’d guess less than a hundredth of a percent. > [@Ambivalid](#): > > To have a record of everything and be able to go back and review the tapes of any certain time an incident is reported. Apparently the woman thought they were real-time monitored, or she wouldn’t have shoved the papers under the door. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/115 "2013-12-13T20:16:35Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Apparently the woman thought they were real-time monitored, or she wouldn’t have shoved the papers under the door. And even if she wasn’t sure, it was worth trying. Pretty smart idea. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/116 "2013-12-13T20:30:55Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > Who knows, maybe she’s prone to panic attacks, maybe she’s claustrophobic. By all accounts she started off with small logical steps (banging, calling for help and the genius paper towel idea) and as 8 hours passed with no signs of help she lost control and began to just react. That may account for the first quote (I’ve seen my mom’s panic attacks) but the next two? She needs time-off because of being locked up for 8 hours? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/117 "2013-12-13T20:51:31Z")
Damn straight she does. Even if she doesn’t physically need it, she sure deserves it. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/118 "2013-12-13T21:38:48Z")
Her panic seems justified to me. By the time she’d been trapped in that bathroom for 8 hours, she had every reason to believe it could stretch out even longer than that. I’d be feeling mighty pressed and desperate too. When you lose complete control over your freedom and see no end in sight, hell yeah you’re going to trip out a little. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/119 "2013-12-13T23:35:36Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > Her panic seems justified to me. By the time she’d been trapped in that bathroom for 8 hours, she had every reason to believe it could stretch out even longer than that. I’d be feeling mighty pressed and desperate too. When you lose complete control over your freedom and see no end in sight, hell yeah you’re going to trip out a little. I wouldn’t normally worry about 8 hours, or even a whole weekend _if I were healthy_ but being diabetic with a couple other issues I wouldn’t want to risk it. I probably would not have waited 8 hours. She might have health issues she does not want to discuss with a news paper. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191/120 "2013-12-14T16:24:12Z")
I would have been seeking other exit routes literally the moment I realized the door was locked. Why wear myself out pounding and yelling? And a weekend incarcerated without food to avoid sacrificing a wall? No way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trapped-in-a-bathroom-did-she-over-react/676191.md?page=7)