In a world gone increasingly odd, I recently had what was probably the oddest bathroom experience of my life.
We stopped at a Chevron to buy gas and to use the restroom. Near the bathroom door was a sign that said “See the attendant for the key”. Not wanting to walk back to the lobby--my need was real--I tried the door. Finding it unlocked, I pushed my way in.
Once inside I discovered there were no functioning lights. There were two light switches but neither seemed to work because no matter how I manipulated them, the lights did not turn on. “Fine,” thought I. “I have gone to the bathroom several times before in my life. I don’t need light to do my business.”
As one would expect, there were no windows in the bathroom. It was dark, dark. Not a problem. Bathroom stalls are pretty standard as are toilets. I found my way to the throne without incident and everything came out fine. The faucet at the sink was sensor operated. It could not sense my hand in the dark but I had hand sanitizer in the truck so I did not consider that a problem..
However, when I went to push on the door to exit the room, I found that it was locked. Now that was a problem. There was no knob--it was a push door--and it was very definitely NOT opening.
Great. I was locked in a pitch dark bathroom with no way to escape. Maybe it would have been better to ask the attendant for the key after all. (I picture her laughing smugly as she watched me walk into the trap….)
Not to panic. I had my phone. I would call Miles, who was waiting patiently in the truck, and ask him to come into the lobby and ask the attendant to free his mother. I could just see him… “Uh, excuse me. My mother is locked in the bathroom ...” Awkward but better than spending the next who-knows-how-long locked in a dark, gas station bathroom.
When I unlocked my phone to make the call, the dim light reflected off a green button located just above the light switches on the wall. “Push here to exit,” it said.
I pushed ...and exited.
What kind of bathroom as a push button exit? The same kind that does not have light I guess.
Odd.
We stopped at a Chevron to buy gas and to use the restroom. Near the bathroom door was a sign that said “See the attendant for the key”. Not wanting to walk back to the lobby--my need was real--I tried the door. Finding it unlocked, I pushed my way in.
Once inside I discovered there were no functioning lights. There were two light switches but neither seemed to work because no matter how I manipulated them, the lights did not turn on. “Fine,” thought I. “I have gone to the bathroom several times before in my life. I don’t need light to do my business.”
As one would expect, there were no windows in the bathroom. It was dark, dark. Not a problem. Bathroom stalls are pretty standard as are toilets. I found my way to the throne without incident and everything came out fine. The faucet at the sink was sensor operated. It could not sense my hand in the dark but I had hand sanitizer in the truck so I did not consider that a problem..
However, when I went to push on the door to exit the room, I found that it was locked. Now that was a problem. There was no knob--it was a push door--and it was very definitely NOT opening.
Great. I was locked in a pitch dark bathroom with no way to escape. Maybe it would have been better to ask the attendant for the key after all. (I picture her laughing smugly as she watched me walk into the trap….)
Not to panic. I had my phone. I would call Miles, who was waiting patiently in the truck, and ask him to come into the lobby and ask the attendant to free his mother. I could just see him… “Uh, excuse me. My mother is locked in the bathroom ...” Awkward but better than spending the next who-knows-how-long locked in a dark, gas station bathroom.
When I unlocked my phone to make the call, the dim light reflected off a green button located just above the light switches on the wall. “Push here to exit,” it said.
I pushed ...and exited.
What kind of bathroom as a push button exit? The same kind that does not have light I guess.
Odd.
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