Only a woman can fully comprehend the struggle that comes from having a few drinks while out at the bar; do I hold my bladder and risk a UTI, or take on the women warzone also known as the public bathroom? Aside from the fact that the line for a stall seems endless, once you actually get into a stall it looks like a tornado had come and gone. So, here are few rules to follow that can turn the inevitable trip to a public bathroom from a total nightmare to a true sanctuary.
1. Hold the stall door
This is common courtesy. College bars don’t necessarily have five-star, upscale bathrooms. Meaning you are going to face stalls that don’t have locks and in some cases don’t even have stall doors. It’s your duty to look out for your fellow females and hold the door or be the door.
2. Become a good squatter or clean it up
You have a couple drinks and find that you can’t really hold that hovering squat over the toilet as well as you thought and you sprinkle a little tinkle on the toilet seat. That’s okay, accidents happen, but it’s up to you whether the next girl has to deal with your mess. So, be a lady and clean it up.
3. Flush the toilet with your foot, not your hand
I can’t tell you how many times I have gone into a stall and girls are walking out without washing their hands. I get it, drunk people don’t really care too much about hygiene. If you don’t want to take the time to wash your hands then at least remember to flush the toilet with your heel. Who knows how many people have touched that handle before you. Better safe than sorry.
4. Let the girl next in line know the 411
Not every bar has bathroom attendants. Meaning you and every girl has an unspoken pact to inform other girls which stall is unoccupied and which ones need toilet paper. Don’t be that girl who uses the last of the toilet paper and leaves it to the next girl in line to find out on her own. No one likes that girl.
5. Always take your drink with you
This rule should go without saying, but so many girls still fall victim to date rape drugs. It may seem repulsive to take your drink into a public bathroom, but it’s fare more important to keep an eye on your drink at all times and the bathroom is no exception. Plus, what if someone tries to steal that $8 double of Captain and Coke you just ordered? Alcohol isn’t free and you’re bank account isn’t in the position to give away any freebies.