Things That Bother Me, A Single Faux Pas

There's a laundry list of things involving a restroom that bother me, and none of those things occurred today. What did happen involved common bathroom courtesy.

During my lunch hour, I ventured down to the office. The office is situated across from the rather spacious cafeteria which was designed with the popular open-concept in mind. In order to get to the office, you must walk by the watchful eyes of the hoards of pre-teens who are suffering from a constant state of hormonal witchery. This has been known to cause them to beckon passersby with their often awkward, and always unwelcome, comments.

"That dress is soooo cuute!" - I know, that's why I put it on this morning.

"What's wrong with your hair?" - Why thank you for noticing. I'm trying this new thing where I don't brush it in the morning. 

However, today I made it all the way to the office unnoticed. I finished everything I needed to do there - discipline problems, bus issues, etc. - and made it to my last stop, the restroom, without anything putting a damper in my substantially giddy step (especially for a Monday).

And then, common courtesy left the building.

I can understand if there was just one staff restroom and I had been hogging it for a considerable amount of time. Considerable meaning anything longer than the casual 3.5 minutes which allows for some mirror action on the way out. But, my visit today was short and sweet, and annoyingly interrupted.

About a minute and thirty seconds into my stay, just as I hit the nozzle on the faucet and acquired the necessary suds, there was a knock at the door. I wasn't expecting anyone, obviously considering a) this is a place of work so the mile high club isn't particularly high on my list of bathroom goals, and b) as noted, there's another bathroom a mere 4 feet to the left. Naturally, I don't feel compelled to rush or answer for that matter. I dry my hands, take a quick look in the mirror, and head out.

Standing there outside door is a young substitute, or possibly an aide, since I've seen her more than a time or two before. Just standing there. She announces, "that was me knocking at the door."

No Shit, Sherlock. (or sh*t, for the more sensitive reader)

My first reaction is to look to my right and check to see if somehow I'd missed the line which had obviously formed in my 2 minute absence from the corridor and clogged up both bathrooms, but I couldn't find one anywhere. After a suspicious glance her way, I shook my head slightly and walked back into the hallway.

Do social graces no longer exist? And, in case you were wondering, if there's anywhere I don't want to be bothered - it's in the John (which I just taught my students the other day, means restroom).

Thank you.