People Think Talking From The Toilet Is A Bunch Of Crap

from the what-are-you-doing-in-there? dept

Americans still have some way to go to catch the Germans, but apparently nearly 4 out of 10 people think it’s okay to talk on a cell phone in the bathroom. While that may seem like a lot, it’s actually down from 62% in 2003, the last time the company did this survey. Surprising as well is that 11% of people thought it was okay to talk on the phone in a movie theater in 2000, but just 2% find the behavior acceptable today. You’d almost expect people to become more forgiving about when and where people use their phones as they become more pervasive, but of the five places covered in the survey, only phone use in the supermarket has become more acceptable since 2000. Of course, one final question doesn’t seem to have been included on the survey, asking people which places they don’t think it’s okay to talk on the phone, but do it anyway.


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Comments on “People Think Talking From The Toilet Is A Bunch Of Crap”

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50 Comments
Beck says:

OK to Flush?

When you are in the bathroom and talking to someone do you let them know that you are in the bathroom? Is it OK to let them hear the toilet flush?

I went into the bathroom at work and heard a guy talking on the phone in a stall. I flushed the toilet in the next stall and had to run out of there laughing.

bud8879 says:

Toilet Talk

I personally don’t have a problem with talking while on the toilet or talking with someone else while they’re on the toilet, but it’s kind of annoying when a person doing this is making straining sounds, grunting sounds, and magnifies the relief “ahhhh” sound after the plop plop fizz fizz. Those things I can do without – most phone have mute capability – people should use it.

Mark (profile) says:

pervasiveness

“You’d almost expect people to become more forgiving about when and where people use their phones as they become more pervasive”

Actually, the reverse — as it becomes more pervasive, even inherently obnoxious people have come to realize how unpleasant it is when someone else discusses their prostate exam in the middle of a movie, and how much you look like a moron for answering the phone when you clearly should have shut it off in the first place. It’s like boom boxes back in the ’80s. First reaction: “Hey, cool! I can bring my tunes with me and blast them as loud as I want!” Second reaction: “Uhhh … maybe not such a good idea.”

TriZz says:

I had this girl last night call me, and I was expecting her call – but the call of nature was hot on my tail (if you catch my drift). She called while I was dropping a loaf, so I answered.

I didn’t tell her that I was turding it up, but I did have the common courtesay to say “Can you hold on a second?” while I flushed.

Afterwards, my attention was much more fixed on her.

Slater says:

Talking on a cell phone in the bathroom

OOOOHHHHHHH this one really gets me. This happened to me in a bookstore bathroom. A guy tookup the stall next to me and proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with his wife on the phone. She could hear everything and was asking “What was that” when I flushed. He says “thats the guy in the stall next to me”. I felt like kicking in his stall door and giving that stupid bastard a 4 flush swirly.

Sam

Anonymous Coward says:

I had this girl last night call me, and I was expecting her call – but the call of nature was hot on my tail (if you catch my drift). She called while I was dropping a loaf, so I answered.

I didn’t tell her that I was turding it up, but I did have the common courtesay to say “Can you hold on a second?” while I flushed.

Afterwards, my attention was much more fixed on her.

Wow, she is one lucky girl!

Dolla Bill says:

Potty Mouth

I like to talk while “dropping the kids off at the pool”. It gives me something to do. Its not to bad for me though, since I try not to go in public places, I’m usually in the solitare of my own house. Besides It’s either talk, or read 2 year old copies of Readers Digest… Not to mention it isnt as bad as eating in the bathroom…

al perkins says:

talking in the bathroom

Whil’st in the Sky Harbor (phoenix), airport restroom, the gentleman in the next urinal seemed to be talking to himself while urinating. I haven’t kept up on the new cellphones of late and thought this slightly off center. I mean this guy’s talking yes dear, ok hunny, i will, by by, and i do love you.. I going dam,,,, any how i sorted wanted to confront this guy but dam…. Anyhow, as he turned and left , there was a small microphone by his ear….. dam was that a cell phone? I guess I should get to town more often. ha,, good question, thanx, Al perkins

melanie (user link) says:

good lord

when will people realize that answering and talking on a cellular phone in a public bathroom is NOT APPROPRIATE. If my cell phone ever rings in the bathroom, I turn it off and retrieve the message later. I am SO sick and tired of people with cell phones forgetting that there are OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THEM as they have their conversations. Thank you very much, I don’t need to have my bathroom noises sent over the airwaves in someone else’s conversation any more than people should be talking about private matters on cell phones in public places. And while we’re at it, can we PLEASE get people to realize that it is NOT COOL to hold up the check out line at the grocery store because you’re on the cell phone and not paying attention to anything the checker says? GRRR!

Artist Schmartist (user link) says:

Toilet Talk

Absolutely disgusting. Probably 40-50% of men don’t wash their hands after using the facilities. Guys are talking on the phone while they’re taking a leak or crapping…then they just walk out of the bathroom. Makes you really think when you consider borrowing someone else’s cell, yeah?

There is absolutely no conversation so critical that it can’t wait for five friggin’ minutes while you use the bathroom.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Toilet Talk

Yes yes, I too don’t wash after using the rest room… I have been questioned by many about it too. They all pretty much say the same thing. “In ____ I learned to wash my hands after using the rest room” And I always reply back with “Yes, but my mother taught me not to defecate on my hands, but since your mom wasn’t so smart, I’ll wash my hands”.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Both hands

Dude, who taught you that pushing ’em out requires 2 hands? And exceptional cases aside, cleanup usually doesn’t require 2 hands.

I’ll text, email and browse while on the pot (or in line at the register not when its my turn, or at the theater before and even during a movie, or wherever if I’m waiting somewhere by myself), but I avoid talking on the phone in such area.

There are exceptions. If my wife calls when I’m at the grocery store, I’ll answer it because its likely quite location-relevant. But she usually has the sense to text or AIM or email.

But man, the dillholes who do their PTT mode in public locations are the worst. The world becomes their jobsite.

m.sherman says:

We live in a society, people!

For those of you who don’t wash your hands (or even just run water over your hands to “pretend”): You are sick, sick people and need to realize that we don’t want your fecal matter over all the door knobs and everything else you touch.

What is wrong with you people? Talking on the cell phone in the bathroom? Not flushing? Not washing hands? Do you all have any common sense whatsoever?

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: We live in a society, people!

Yes… I understand where you are coming from for those that use their bare hands to wipe, but since my mother potty trained me correctly, I don’t pee or poop on myself. And since I bring my own wipes, I don’t have to deal with the paper breaking… lol. So, on the-ever so few-occasions that I do get anything on my hands, You bet I do wash it off with a vengence.

As for answering my phone while on the can, that is a NO, unless the call is from “unknown”, “Toll Free”, or some other “blocked telemarketer” mode. Then I’m glad to give them shit, and plenty of it. Sometimes I even get in some real good taco shits for them.

OMG! says:

i was just talking to friends about this

everytime i am in the bathroom at work i hear people in the stalls scrolling/typing on their blackberry, and even a couple of times heard one ring and THEY PICKED IT UP! I didn’t think self-respecting people would do that. one guy was actually talking to his girlfriend while he was shitting. like “oh ok where do you want to go for dinner? *plop* yeah sure we can go there. ok babe *plop* love you. bye”

Anonymous Coward says:

As I started reading this post and the replies, I had a sudden urge to take a dump. So now I am writing this as I push them out.

As far as having fecal material on our devices, I put them down/away before I wipe and wash my hands before I touch them. I also use TP to wipe, not my bare hand so I am sure the risk of fecal contamination is minimized.

Anonymous Coward says:

To speak potty or not to speak potty—that is the question.

Well, in my opinion, it’s okay to answer the phone in the bathroom—if your’e just doing your hair or painting the bathroom walls, but other than that,

I wouldn’t want to listen to some guy talking sweet to me if he’s doing ” his personal business ” while sitting down on the toilet.

I say, if you have to go—then do it in private.

The same goes for going to the bathroom in front of your spouse—there are some things that should be private to one self, even if you happen to be married and truly in love.

k says:

So, SO wrong.

I don’t think anyone should talk in the bathroom. At all. Ever. I don’t want to say “Hi.”, discuss lunch plans, the weather, my project, or anything else.

The bathroom is me time. I do not wish to interact with other humans in any way. I don’t want to hear them talking either, even to someone else. That’s what the hall, or your cubicle, is for.

Talking on the phone in a public space is bad enough, but doing so in a place where the unwitting audience is captive due to bodily functions is a fucking war crime.

It’s bad enough that I have to hear and smell all the foulness occurring, but to have to deal with that *and* listen to your meaningless, banal drivel… it’s like you’re taking that crap in my ear.

On the other side, if I’m ever talking to someone and it becomes clear that they’re in the bathroom, they go on the “maybe not worth ever talking to again” list. There are places I don’t want to accompany you to, no matter how close we are. It’s just plain wrong.

I have a simple solution. All public bathrooms should have large, loud fans mounted above each stall. I don’t even care if they vent anywhere or just move the air around, or just make noise. It should be loud enough that a) i can’t hear the guy next to me taking a dump and b) no one can comfortably talk. Beautiful white noise so I can pretend I’m the only person in the world for those minutes or seconds.

Google (user link) says:

Google

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Unikorn (user link) says:

Talking on the phone while in the bathroom

People talk to each other in the bathroom yes? Yes, they do. So what difference is it really if they talk on their cell phones? I say who cares? If you can’t handle someone speaking next to you whether in the bathroom or office or grocery store. If you’re in a public place/space, chances are “speaking” is allowed. Deal with it or go home…lol!

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