On Traveling and Restrooms

This article might be only for women this week. Or, if you are a brave or uninformed guy, I guess there will be some educational value in this column for you.

Women can talk about the craziest things. And most of the time, we don’t understand how we get on a particular subject. So, as we meander in our conversations, we do sometimes say the funniest things.

Art Linkletter used to say on his television program that “kids say the darndest things.” Well so do we gals. And we consider all topics important!

Our discussion recently focused on bathrooms, and toilets.

Every one wants to know more about bathrooms and toilets, right? Not.

Since every one of us travels on the highways at times, I assure you that we gals share the same experiences. We are thinking alike. We may not say it, but we are thinking it!

When on the road, we like our breaks. We want a good experience and primary to our tastes is a place with a variety of food, a coffee bar, a frozen drink maybe, and nice restrooms.

Restrooms are at the top of the scale, because the ‘girls’ room” is the first place we women head for when we stop for gas or refreshments. We look for THE sign.

If the “restroom” is in a crummy little corner with a wooden painted door, we know immediately that THIS is not a good sign. And in these cases, there is often a line of desperate female faces (acting casual but no one is casual about this subject).

Fred and I have observed that when we cross the Kansas line going east, that we get many choices of crummy restrooms. What is it with the border? Fred remarked, “You can tell we are in _____ because the restrooms are dirty!

 We unfortunately are often trapped at gas stations with one little restroom for women with toilet paper pieces on the floor, and empty soap dispensers. Often there is no paper to dry hands either. And I don’t think the bathroom has been cleaned for a week.

What is it with people? Did some lady sit in the girls’ room tearing up little pieces of TP just to entertain herself? And if there is no soap in the dispenser, then what is going on with the help? Hmmm. Looks like they don’t wash, either.

Ugh.

“I love to find a nice truck stop,” I remarked to the girls..” I have noticed that the nicer ones have restrooms with the automatic soap dispensers, automatic faucets (with hot water!) and coordinating hand dryers right there over the sink!”

Fred says, “Yeah, and they have higher prices too!”

            “I like the toilets with the revolving paper instead of those sheets that you have to balance on the stool and hope they don’t slip back into the water,” added Tilly.

Greta and Maudie both agreed that this is a most difficult task placing the paper “just so” on the seat. First, the paper is often stuffed in the dispenser and in trying to pull one loose, the whole wad comes out. Sometimes it takes two or three tries before the paper can balance without falling in the toilet.  Paper “placing” can be especially difficult, too, if there is no inside hook on the door for your purse, so then you must hang the strap around your neck as you bend over the bowl to balance the paper on the seat. Whatever happens, don’t place the purse on the floor. The floor is as dirty as the toilet, after all.