Toilets

I was very tempted to include a picture with this post, but the rules of civility prohibited me from doing so. Yesterday, I observed again the poor planning on the part of my school's engineers/architects. The bathroom on the third floor near the financial aid office was obviously designed for anorexic midgets who do not carry backpacks.

First, the doors to the stalls open inward. I'm assuming this is the case because doors opening outward pose a threat to the unsuspecting bathroom passer-by. (If handicapped bathroom stalls can have outward-swinging doors, why can't non-handicapped stalls have the same?)

Second, the stalls are incredibly small. I am not an exceptionally large person. In fact, at 5'5" and size X, I'm pretty sure I'm about average. So, it surprises me when I have trouble figuring out where to put my feet in the bathroom stall.

Combine the first and second observations: an exceptionally small stall with an inward-swinging door. This leaves about TWO INCHES between the toilet and the door when it is being opened or closed. Now, remarkably with my acrobatic skills comparable to those of a spy evading laser beams, I manage to make it in and out of the bathroom stall. But seriously! Didn't these people realize that students have backpacks that have to go somewhere? Not to mention coats (for which there are no hooks), scarves, books, etc.

Despite my frustration with the school bathroom, it was a comparatively pleasant experience when compared to my ride on the Circulator from Union Station to Wisconsin and M Street NW. Apparently, some unfortunate soul had not had the privilege of using a bathroom designed for an anorexic midget sans backpack and had decided to use the Circulator as his personal toilette. Aromatic evidence was present to support this conclusion. Yes, nauseating.