# Weird work bathroom behaviors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 17, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913 "2015-04-17T14:57:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/81 "2015-04-21T20:43:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Germs love wet environments, and germs spread more readily. Are you a doctor? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/82 "2015-04-21T21:23:45Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Are you a doctor? If (s)he were; we might have read, “the solution to bacterial pollution is dilution”. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/83 "2015-04-21T22:12:06Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Are you a doctor? Not a medical one. At one time, you could call one of my assignments a Health Inspector. ---
**Author:** ![Fallen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fallen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fallen)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/84 "2015-04-21T22:36:41Z")
> [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](#): > > We’ve got a woman at our workplace who sings every time she goes into the bathroom… the entire time she’s on the toilet until she flushes. The walls are thin - she can be heard even outside the bathroom and down the hall. Whenever the singing starts, people call out “Mary’s on the toilet again!” 😃 Kinda evil if no one tells her everyone can hear her. Better than the schizophrenic chick who has conversations with herself. And that’s better than the assholes that have cell phone conversations in the bathroom, including while on the can. I’ve not figured out why, but some folks are pee shy; some folks are poop shy; some folks are both. (As to poop shy, I gather “Poo Pourri” was developed for one of the reasons why … so that folks can claim that their shit in fact does not stink (up the place). (\*Good Housekeeping \*Seal of Approval!) Do the dudes who won’t touch their dick while peeing wash their hands afterward? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/85 "2015-04-21T23:01:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Germs love wet environments, and germs spread more readily. That’s what soap is for. Remind me never to shake your hand. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/86 "2015-04-21T23:08:20Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > That’s what soap is for. Remind me never to shake your hand. Jesus. Learn to follow the thread. He said _"I don’t buy that just running your fingers under a little cold water is "worse than useless_"" Following my post of "_you simply run the fingers briefly thru a little cold water, and then dry. Worse than useless."_ So I was telling them to use soap, dammit. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/87 "2015-04-21T23:24:11Z")
Somebody is getting lathered… ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/88 "2015-04-22T02:25:50Z")
We used to have a guy who would place a pair of old boots in the only toilet stall, and latch the door from the outside so that at a quick glance it would look occupied. Ok, that was me. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/89 "2015-04-22T02:28:13Z")
I once saw my boss at the time, a top elected official in our county, emerge from a toilet stall and leave the bathroom without washing his hands. And this is a guy who shakes a LOT of hands. Ew. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/90 "2015-04-22T02:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by lieu View Post > How about the guy that rubs his butt furiously with toilet paper? If I didn’t know any better I’d think it was Homer Formby in there sandpapering a knothole. Didja ever try to get peanut butter out of a shag carpet? ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/91 "2015-04-22T10:42:33Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > …When there is just me and another guy, I’ll break the tension by complementing his watch… With what, a nice bracelet or something? mmm ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/92 "2015-04-22T13:28:37Z")
There are two women on my floor who always exclaim, “We must be on the same schedule!” or “Bathroom conference!!” if I see them more than once in the bathroom on any given day. I don’t get this. Yes, it’s nice to shoot the breeze, but there’s GOT to be something more interesting to talk about than the equivalent of, “You’re peeing! _I’m_ peeing. We’re all peeing. At the same time. AGAIN! Hee hee hee.” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/93 "2015-04-22T15:26:44Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I once saw my boss at the time, a top elected official in our county, emerge from a toilet stall and leave the bathroom without washing his hands. And this is a guy who shakes a LOT of hands. > > Ew. Back around 2006 my small firm shared one floor of an office building (and hence the bathrooms) with the re-election campaign office for an incumbent Senator. He too never washed his hands. The good news is he didn’t sing or yell into his cellphone on the shitter. At least not that anyone noticed or reported. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/94 "2015-04-22T17:00:29Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Back around 2006 my small firm shared one floor of an office building (and hence the bathrooms) with the re-election campaign office for an incumbent Senator. He too never washed his hands. > > The good news is he didn’t sing or yell into his cellphone on the shitter. At least not that anyone noticed or reported. Note that they may well wash elsewhere or use that hand sanitizer stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/95 "2015-04-22T17:45:22Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > There are two women on my floor who always exclaim, “We must be on the same schedule!” or “Bathroom conference!!” if I see them more than once in the bathroom on any given day. I don’t get this. Yes, it’s nice to shoot the breeze, but there’s GOT to be something more interesting to talk about than the equivalent of, “You’re peeing! _I’m_ peeing. We’re all peeing. At the same time. AGAIN! Hee hee hee.” And I thought it was a bit weird that my (female) cat considers peeing to be a social event, at least with me. If I go into the bathroom her litterbox is in, she often comes in with me and uses the box while I’m using the people version. She doesn’t do that with DH, just with me. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/96 "2015-04-22T18:17:35Z")
Two people going into the same one-person bathroom together would be weird enough. This topic is only interesting because it’s fun to make fun of people who are germ-phobic, and also fun to bash people who have poor sanitary skills, with the fun level directly proportional to the level of expectation one has of the users’ knowledge level. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/97 "2015-04-22T18:35:15Z")
There was a while when my office was moved to a temporary location. There were about 20 people in an office suite that was designed for probably about 125 people. I admit it was a little odd to have so many empty offices, but it also had some pluses, like there was plenty of room for everyone and lots of storage. The restrooms were at one end of the suite. After a short time, I couldn’t help but notice that every time I went to the ladies’ room, another coworker would use the bathroom as well. Then she mentioned something like “oh, it creeps me out to walk by myself past all these empty offices, so whenever I see someone headed to the restroom, I definitely take the opportunity to go!” Nooooooo. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913/98 "2015-04-22T19:33:31Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > I lock the door even if I’m standing and peeing for the same reason I haven’t used a urinal since I was a kid, I just prefer to have as much privacy as I can when I do my “business”, but that wouldn’t account for someone who would normally use a urinal and only uses a stall because of the lack of an open one. I would guess then it’s just because it’s a habit to lock the stall when you go in, and they don’t even think about not locking it just because they’re not pooping. I lock the stall if all the urinals are occupied, because in my place people really want to go, and someone will probably slam the door open and smash me against the rear wall in mid-stream. The door to the stall is naturally kind of closed, so it is not obvious if someone is there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weird-work-bathroom-behaviors/717913.md?page=4)