Conversations in a public restroom?

No I don’t want to talk with anyone when I am doing my business. No matter how important. If they want to talk by the sink that is fine but when I’m busy I want my privacy.

I don’t like it either. I don’t wanna talk to my boss or someone else, who is standing next to me, while my dong is hanging out.

The most I want anyone to say to me in the bathroom at work is a quick nod or hello as I am walking in or out!

Yeah, I fully agree, the sanctity of the throne is not to be taken lightly.

The whole “picking-two-stalls-next-to-each-other” to discuss reports/coworkers/gossip is creepy to me. Although it may serve to purposes of masking other, more embarrassing noises.

Once at school I heard a girl in the stall next to me crying. I don’t think she was doing business, just crying. I asked her if she was okay and she spent about 15 minutes telling me about how her and her brother had just had a big fight and he had kicked her out of the house. Girl to girl, I tried to comfort her. I think she felt fine telling me everything because I had no idea who she was. Anyway, yeah, I’ve talked (or more like listened to her talk) to a girl in the bathroom before.

With the exception of that ^^ I don’t talk to people in the bathroom. Unless my friend is next to me and I need paper or something.

I’ve done it with friends at big show in arenas and festivals so we don’t lose each other in the crowds. But that hasn’t been for years and years. It’s kinda tacky.

talking at the urinal or in the john is limited to 3 situations:

1) significant others
2) drunken nights
3) “i need more TP”.

that’s it

I’ve had people introduce themselves at the urinal. what the heck is that? there’s only one thing i’m shaking at the pisser, bub.

I always thought it must be wierd to be a guy and everyone know that if your going into a stall your doing a do do. If women do #2 in a public bathroom they try and hide it.

I hate, HATE when co workers talk to me when i’m on the pot. It is just so awkward. I should probably explain the set up. It is a relatively smallish bathroom with only two stalls, so obviously you know who has been in there and who did the stinky business before you. But that is a whole other reason why I can’t do other things but just pee at work. If anyone has ever seen scrubs they understand the “Elliot” in me and I just can’t talk to people even if its mindless dribble when i’m sitting there peeing. I mean come on I sit 10 feet from you I don’t want to talk to you when i’m in this position.

I do not like talking or being talked to with friends other than, “I’ll meet you outside.”

I hate to be addressed while I am in a stall by a stranger. I mean, please, isn’t there any privacy left?

I can’t find the thread in which I related this anecdote before so bear with my repeat if you have read it.

Back in the 80s, when I was in management at a corporation, I once had a boss tell me, “Marina, you will never rise much higher in this company, because all of the important business is discussed in the men’s room.

Not quite sure if the guy was really this much of a serious jerk, I went to a guy who managed another area of our department and repeated what I had been told and asked, “Is that true, Guy?”

He immediately rolled his eyebrows and exclaimed, “Oh my God, Marina, it is so bad I have had to change my personal habits. Every morning, I used to grab the sports page and retire to the men’s room. PointyHairedBoss would follow me in there, stand outside the stall and talk at me. I didn’t want to come out while he was still there so I would be trapped, sometimes more than half an hour. Now, I go to the bathroom on the third floor.

I’ve heard tons of gals chatting in public restrooms. I’ve been involved in some stall conversations before, although I’ve never initiated. I really don’t care one way or the other. Women don’t always use the bathroom just to “do their business”; sometimes they just need to freshen up, or fix their hose, or whatever.

I think we’re witnessing an unprecedented decline in the value of dignity, and this is just one of the manifestations.

We used to have clear notions of the kinds of things that could and couldn’t be discussed public, for instance. Now, people feel free to post the most intimate details of their lives on the web. People used to pose for photographs with absolute gravity for fear that they might be preserved for eternity in a less than noble attitude; now people compete to see who can be the biggest jackass on YouTube. A man used to feel ashamed to go out in public without a hat; now men flaunt their boxers and women wear pyjama bottoms.

We’re not in the habit anymore of thinking in terms of dignity, of monitoring our comportment for crassness. I’m not a prime exemplar of dignity myself, but I worry that we’re losing it as a value altogether, and that would be, quite literally, a shame.

@eponymoushipster that’s a hoot! I’m laughing out loud here. You are too damn funny!

I guess I’m going to be the lone wolf here. The office where I worked at was small & we just had two stalls. If one would come in, we’d recognize who’s shoes they were & we’d just start talking. We gals were all very close & we sure didn’t think anything of it. Also if I’m with one of my daughters & we’re out shopping, as always talk in the restrooms. I don’t see the big deal, myself. I’m pretty broad minded, so not much bothers me.

Yeah, but until they put voice distorters as standard equipment in the stalls, I ain’t openin’ my mouth!

I have trouble peeing if there’s someone else in the bathroom at all. I’ve had conversations at the sink, but otherwise, please leave me alone while I’m in there.

I thought I’d support the seemingly unpopular perspective, I don’t mind, if someone wants to chat I could care less – everyone does “it” so why not get over it, I don’t entirely understand why everyone is so uptight about pooping.

It makes it easier if you’re relaxed you know. :D

I always try to find the unpopular restroom, haha.

it’s kind of awkward i guess, but when i’m with my friends we usually talk to eachother through the stalls. i hate public restrooms though, and even more i hate actually using them. i don’t like peeing when other people are in the same room, it freaks me out.

next time someone talks to you at the urinal, turn to speak back to them and then piss all over their shoe. That should end the conversation. :-)

oh, speaking of conversations in public restrooms (this is maybe borderline irrelevant, but i was thinking about it right before i saw this question, so i’ll post it anyways),
i went to barnes & noble’s bathroom once, and when i came out of the stall to wash my hands, this older lady was standing there and she asked me what day it was, and i told her, and then she kind of started talking about how we should enjoy life and just live as well as we could. i wish i could remember more of what she said – i think there was some religious talk in there too, but i thought she was so sweet – but it’s been awhile. it was so so random and i just walked out like, “wow”. it made my day.