Is it just me? #1 (Beverly Hills, Waldo: hotel, scorpions, school)

[Lawstudent]

As far back as I can remember I can’t ever recall being comfortable with using public restrooms. Sure “uno” is fine but “dos” is out of the question no way, can’t do it. I have no idea where this habit formed. I can remember making sure I took care of things before going to school (my friends did to we talked about those kind of things we were disgusting belching etc but there was no way we were going #dos at school) because there was no way I was using the facilities there. Not even after practice in the evening, nope had to wait until I got home.

I doesn’t help that most men’s lavatories are some of the nastiest places on earth. One time while driving on a long trip with the Misses we stopped to gas up and use the facilities. We both walked back to the restrooms together and the ladies room was “out of order.” I went to the RR and came back out to see her discomfort. I said “there is no one in the Men’s room and it is clean.” She opened the door and her mouth dropped. She was disgusted and asked me “that’s a clean restroom?” I said it is one of the cleanest I have ever encountered. At that moment I could see the pity in her eyes she felt sorry for my gender and me.

The funny thing is I have never ventured out with a female who didn’t use the RR multiple times. I always thought how nasty for you all because you girls have to get up close and personal. Now informed that your RR world and ours is completely different I don’t worry so much about you girls.

Am I the only one who will not use a public RR? Am I the weirdo?

BTW a porta potty is suicide as far as I am concerned

[agreatlife]

I no longer drink beer at outdoor events for fear of having to use the porta potti.

Unfortunately, I replaced that habit with water. Lots of water.

[travelingfood]

may I introduce:
The Bathroom Diaries (http://www.thebathroomdiaries.com/usa/florida/jacksonville.html - broken link)
But yeh, most of the department store restrooms are good I think. I've seen a few surprisingly clean/designed restroom in certain gas station. But one thing I noticed is that almost all of the places have toilet seat cover things. Something I don't see in other states.
best advise is just to know your toilet routes and plan ahead on those Mexican nights.

[riveree]

It's just you.


Kidding!

I am equally skeeved by public restrooms......well, public places actually.

I wash my hands a lot.

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by Lawstudent

As far back as I can remember I can’t ever recall being comfortable with using public restrooms. Sure “uno” is fine but “dos” is out of the question no way, can’t do it. I have no idea where this habit formed. I can remember making sure I took care of things before going to school (my friends did to we talked about those kind of things we were disgusting belching etc but there was no way we were going #dos at school) because there was no way I was using the facilities there. Not even after practice in the evening, nope had to wait until I got home.

I doesn’t help that most men’s lavatories are some of the nastiest places on earth. One time while driving on a long trip with the Misses we stopped to gas up and use the facilities. We both walked back to the restrooms together and the ladies room was “out of order.” I went to the RR and came back out to see her discomfort. I said “there is no one in the Men’s room and it is clean.” She opened the door and her mouth dropped. She was disgusted and asked me “that’s a clean restroom?” I said it is one of the cleanest I have ever encountered. At that moment I could see the pity in her eyes she felt sorry for my gender and me.

The funny thing is I have never ventured out with a female who didn’t use the RR multiple times. I always thought how nasty for you all because you girls have to get up close and personal. Now informed that your RR world and ours is completely different I don’t worry so much about you girls.

Am I the only one who will not use a public RR? Am I the weirdo?

BTW a porta potty is suicide as far as I am concerned

::WARNING:: this is disgusting so stop eating your sandwich::

I consider myself a restroom snob. I hate public restrooms. No one seems to clean after themselves, men typically miss target and you have to step on their urine, toilets are nasty with pieces of toilet paper everywhere, a lot of times doors are missing, toilet paper is empty/missing or even worse ->WET, etc.

Restrooms with toilet seat covers are in general the cleanest. I also prefer those with the electronic sensors for soap, the sink and the paper towels.

Rest stops are the worst. Not to single out any groups of individuals or generalize but... because they are a famous hang out for folks like George Michael and Senators:

GOP Senator Pleaded Guilty After Restroom Arrest - washingtonpost.com
The Arrest of George Michael in the Mens Room of a Beverly Hills park

- there are frequently no doors for the "Potty 2" compartments. I will frequently stop at Hotel lobbies along the highway rather than resort to a rest stop. Gas stations are the worst and a lot of fast food places are not too far ahead.

It is worse in the bars, where products from both ends of the alimentary tract are left for one to 'savor the fine aroma'.

In the malls the stand alone restrooms are not as clean as the bigger department stores. Newer department stores are cleaner and more modern than old established ones. I recommend the 'newer wings' of the mall.

Depending upon who you follow afterward into a water closet (after they have left) in an airplane can make or break your positive experiences in flight. One 'village person' had left the sink full, toilet unflushed and toilet paper everywhere.

The Greyhound bus is 1000% worse, as is the bus station.

A train is marginally better but significantly improved in the business class of the train. Believe me, it is worth the extra $25 to $75 it takes to have a clean rest room - especially if you have to make a couple of trips.

When I did a combat casualty care course in San Antonio TX, we were out in the woods for a couple of weeks. Port-o-lets were it and baby wipes were your cleaning tool. There were typically spiders or scorpions in there. Thank, God, for constipation with Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). I called it Navy Appreciation week(s). When I saw a public restroom, it was like I was at the Waldorf Estoria - running water, lighted toilet, toilet paper, and a sink.

I went to India and thank, Goodness for America! They have Eastern toilets - a hole in the ground with the most heinous smell known to mankind coming out of it. It is ten times worse than a Port-o-let. As disgusting as it was, (you can picture how to use a hole in the ground), it was 'relatively' more sanitary since you weren't sitting (contacting your bum) where someone had rested theirs.

I have been to Europe and they have the cleanest public restrooms (except for small towns). The cleanest restroom was in the Netherlands. They have a fly on the urinal bowl that eliminates the fill and spill that we Americans do. Not a drop on the floor. Even the sitting varieties were spotless and there was no smell.

My biggest tip for those who like to eat in restaurants is this - If you check the bathroom and it is disgusting, you probably don't have business eating there. I went to a Burger king and there was no soap in it. One of the 'cooks came out of potty 2' and I know he proceeded to the kitchen. I am sure there was a minor outbreak that day.

I apologize for the potty dissertation but I also, with great disdain, hate to resort to the public restrooms in many establishments in this fine country of ours.

I am 100% Restroom Snob.

[agreatlife]

Originally Posted by travelingfood

may I introduce:
The Bathroom Diaries (http://www.thebathroomdiaries.com/usa/florida/jacksonville.html - broken link)
But yeh, most of the department store restrooms are good I think. I've seen a few surprisingly clean/designed restroom in certain gas station. But one thing I noticed is that almost all of the places have toilet seat cover things. Something I don't see in other states.
best advise is just to know your toilet routes and plan ahead on those Mexican nights.

You have to love the internet. Bathroom ratings!

[riveree]

I know this thread is about how disgusting public bathrooms are, but it's anywhere peoples hands touch.

The disgusting bathroom habits carry over to the shopping cart handles and the door handles and everything else.

I'm not a germaphobe (really I'm not! ), but viruses are getting more resistant and changing form and you really have to be careful. I was sick recently for the first time in a loooong time. I really think washing my hands after each public "encounter" has helped to keep me healthy.

[GracieJayne]

hahah I don't know if it is all that different I have seen some horrible women's restrooms, we are talking poop and various other things smeared on the walls,... women also seem to have a problem with flushing toilets. I have rarely been in a public restroom where at least one toilet had not been flushed. lol.. only in nice places to eat and offices have I often found clean, FLUSHED bathrooms.

I take a little bottle of spray sanitizer in my purse and a little ziplock of clorox wipes. LOL.

[dolphin3]

Being a law student maybe you should take a look at the inside of the downtown jailhouse. Talk about disgusting. Some of the toilets in there don't even flush! It would be a good field trip for anyone to see how things work (or don't)from the inside of the jailhouse.

[titaniummd]

Originally Posted by GracieJayne

I take a little bottle of spray sanitizer in my purse and a little ziplock of clorox wipes. LOL.

That is not a bad idea!