Inspired by an incident at work today.

[nanila]

Poll #7062 Appropriate places for telephonic communication

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: Just the Poll Creator, participants: 33

Would you carry on a mobile phone conversation in a public toilet?

No.
18 (54.5%)

If I were just hanging out by the sinks or something, sure.
9 (27.3%)

In a cubicle, but not while doing anything else (e.g. having a wee, changing feminine products).
3 (9.1%)

Yes, with no caveats.
3 (9.1%)

The person on the other end of that conversation must have heard me flushing in the neighbouring cubicle. >.<

Comments

[kate]

We have someone that does this ALL THE TIME in our bathroom. It really freaks out some of my officemates.

[nanila]

I must admit, I thought it was peculiar. It's not a scenario I've envisaged nor encountered previously!

[recessional]

Unavailable options:

a) this assumes I consciously NOTICE where I am when I answer/remain on my cell, which is a big assumption

and

b) depends who I'm talking to

and

c) depends if there's anyone else there

and

d) depends what the call is.


I'm not going to say, "hang on, stop using me as your panic attack helper/suicide-talker-outer, I need to pee" (yes, this is a factor depending who's on the call); I'm incredibly likely not to consciously notice what's going on; there are people I talk to on the phone who have carried on in-person conversations with me in the bathroom so REALLY, who cares; I am more likely to notice and cut off the conversation to resume if there's someone around to hear me.

All of which comes with the caveat of "Aspie, unless there's a really good pragmatic REASON for a social convention, I will probably think it's dumb" and that of "I came from a seriously non-body-shy family headed by a doctor actively rebelling against HER family's massive repression." So.

*picks up stick* *pokes* *runs away*

[nanila]

You're just mad cos I didn't give you ticky.

[recessional]

I AM TOO UNIQUE FOR YOUR POLL. I DEFY ITS CONSTRAINTS.

[miss_s_b]

Me too.

Although, to be fair, there's only single figures of people I would talk to on the bog. But most of the people I would reject on the bog, I'd reject in several other circumstances too.

[ajnabieh]

I want the ticky box for "only to my wife, because she doesn't care." At home, we often keep each other company in the bathroom, because we're pretty damn co-dependent. Why not on the phone? ;)

[nanila]

I see no reason! :D

[stormsearch]

I'd heard of people who do this, but didn't encounter it until recently. I have to say, if a couple is very close and talks to each other in/on the toilet in person, then it makes sense that they'd do so over the phone, but what I don't get is when people do this in a public bathroom. It's one thing having a conversation in a private bathroom, but in a public one, the person on the other end of the phone is being subjected to all the noises from all the other people in the same room.

I encountered a really bad example recently myself, in a public bathroom: a woman who came in on the phone, went to the loo, and left again (without washing her hands) - all while having a business conversation. I flushed (loudly) in the next cubicle while she was discussing something about her employees. (Well, I wasn't going to wait for her to finish her conversation!) It's one thing being on the phone to one's partner, but being on the phone to one's colleagues is something else entirely.

[nanila]

Making a work call while actually on the can?! Really? Isn't that the kind of thing that might be off-putting to, say, clients? *boggle*

[alwayswondered]

I've taken/made calls in the work bathroom if no one else was in there, because there aren't that many places in my office to get some privacy; I don't want everyone overhearing me on the phone to my doctor, you know? But I would just be uncomfortable taking a call while I was actually ON the loo, unless it were so important that I really couldn't miss it. Maybe physically uncomfortable, if it was a long call. Toilets are not great for sitting on.

ETA: I've never made a call from a PUBLIC public bathroom. Nor do I think I would unless it were VITAL.

[nanila]

Yes, when you work in an open-plan office, the work bathroom is often the best place to make/take non-work calls. But I don't think I'd do it while doing my business. Imagine if you dropped the phone when you were flushing! Much too dangerous.

[alwayswondered]

I know; I just can't talk and wee at the same time. And phone in the toilet is most definitely DNW.

[liseuse]

I've made appointments with the doctor in public bathrooms - but only because it is basically the only place in one of our uni buildings where there is any reception, but it has always been by the sink and not in the cubicle itself.

Assuming I'm the one who is answering the phone then the answer is never. But that is because I never hear my phone, so it doesn't matter where I am. I can have my phone in my hand and still not realise someone has rung me.

[nanila]

*nods* Yes. I do that at work, too, especially since my office is open-plan. Pretty big open-plan, but still.

I also fail to answer my phone a good deal. I find pretty much all ringtones obnoxious, so I keep it turned down so low I often don't hear it.

[ironed_orchid]

I thought of myself as a never person, but recently a fairly important call came through while I was still in the cubicle and so I took it. But I had finished what I was doing in there, and I kept the conversation as short as possible.

[nanila]

I'm not totally against it myself. If I'm expecting a call and I simply must use the toilet, I'll take my phone with me and I'll answer, but just to say, "Please ring back/I'll ring back in five minutes."

I confess, though, I thought it was a little odd to sit on the can doing your business while chatting in a leisurely fashion.