question for the guys regarding work bathroom etiquette

[Skittles]

I chitchat with our Latino cleaning gals and one of them told me that the newest member of our team, Jeff, pops into the men's room while they are cleaning it and says, "DON'T MIND ME" and goes about his business. I was outraged and made another male team member, Jose, instruct him to stop doing that. Jeff told Jose it was, "No big deal" but agreed to go find another bathroom when the gals have that cart outside the open men's room door. My question is, have you ever heard of anyone doing such a thing? Is this behavior as way over the top as I find it to be? To make matters worse, Jeff is from New York and people are asking me if this is a New York thing (as a native-born Illinoisian I've apparently been dubbed an expert on the north). I tell people no, it's an asshole thing although Jeff does not come off as an asshole - he's actually a very nice guy. WTF? What sayeth you?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Kick his ass

that is just sick

[DS1]

2. power tripping asswipe

in both respects

[Orangepeel]

3. in a stall or at a urinal?

I think it is odd but no big deal if the cleaning women hear him pee in a stall. But if he exposes himself, it is not only odd but seems like it would be illegal.

[Skittles]

8. no exposing involved

the gals just find it odd that he comes in at all and I do too - I mean, I'm a woman and I don't go into the Ladies room while they are cleaning it because, well, I guess it is a respect thing - there are other bathrooms available

[Orangepeel]

21. then it is weird, but no harm, I guess

the cleaning ladies have heard people use public restrooms before, when they are in them as "customers"

[KitchenWitch]

4. He needs to stop that.

Not okay at all. But those are my midwestern sensibilities showing.

[Book Lover]

5. This native New Yorker calls ultra-bullshit

Jeff's getting off on pissing in front of the ladies. Nice guy my fat Italian ass.

[two gun sid]

6. Completely fucked up.

He needs to stop.

[Pierre.Suave]

7. way beyond wrong

he needs his ass kicked.

[Skittles]

9. oh I know that

I got Jose to speak to the gals to make sure I was even hearing it right because the cleaning gals do tend to talk cryptic English but I did hear right. I guess I was just wondering if this behaviour is as egregious as I find it to be :o

[Pierre.Suave]

10. yes it is

If I was a boss and found out someone was doing that he would have a hard time convincing me not to fire him...

[harmonicon]

11. I think it depends....

I always think that it sucks when I really need to go and the bathroom is being cleaned by women. I've noticed that in some places, especially in Europe, people will just go in anyway, especially if it's in an airport or something where people are in a hurry. Is there another bathroom? Is he just supposed to hold it? I mean, I guess I think it's weird, and personally, I would try to hold it for awhile or find somewhere else to go, but I don't really see anything wrong with it..... I guess they could just step out for a second.... unless he's... you know... going in there for 25 minutes with a newspaper, in which case, that's fucked up.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

12. Ever been to Europe?

It's not unusual for a men's public restroom to have female bathroom attendants. However this is America and we're not so open minded.

[Kutjara]

23. Beat me to it.

Throughout Europe, public building have female attendants. They just do their thing while the...erm...customers do theirs. No big deal and civilization has yet to collapse because of it.

[Aristus]

26. Oh yeah. I saw that a lot in Europe. Both in England and in Germany.

Women are the public employees most often hired to clean restrooms open to the people. They are there usually at all hours. You walk in, and there they are, keeping the place clean, replenishing the soap dispensers, filling the paper-towel holders, mopping the floors. Nobody pays them any attention. They just go about their business. It's all very European.

Nobody made a fuss. Not when the public restrooms are always so incredibly clean. I imagine the W.C. ladies are fairly well-paid. It wouldn't surprise me at all to hear that they had a union. I think it's perfectly fine. It's just over here that people make (excuse me) a stink about it.

And behavior is a factor. Is the guy going in there and discreetly taking care of his business? Or is he making a spectacle of himself in order to harrass the cleaning ladies?

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. Nothing wrong with it - only uptight America and fundamentalist Islam countries find problem with it

I see women in the men's rooms in Japan all the time; hell, even in the men's bathing area of the public baths. Europe is fairly the same.

There's no reason that anyone should mind.

Unfortunately, in America this is a great big goddamn issue. America and fundamentalist Islamic countries, that is.

[Skittles]

15. ?????

I see it as an issue of respect, not pissing around someone who is WORKING

[quakerboy]

14. ok...

I will be in the minority here. It seems odd, but not immediately disturbing to me.

I don't know what the deal is with this guy. Maybe it is a little fetishy on his part, in which case, that is a bit disturbing. But I have known guys who just were not that concerned with privacy in restroom matters. And if he is one of those, then he may just not have been aware it was a concern for others. If that is the case, now that he has been alerted to the issue, he will stop, and done is done.

[Tektonik]

16. I piss in mall restrooms all the time as the cleaners are cleaning

:shrug:

[DarkTirade]

17. How laid back is he? It COULD (not saying it is, just saying could) be that he just doesn't see it

as as big a deal as some people do. It's a semi-public bathroom, if he's the laid-back hippie type he might not even be thinking twice about it. :shrug: Some people are more comfortable with their bodies and bodily functions than others.

[rug]

18. It's not like it takes all that long to piss.

[GOPisEvil]

19. WTF?!?!

What's with that exhibitionist crap? It's wrong. He should wait for the cleaning staff to finish.

[Orrex]

20. When the cleaning staff has the bathroom temporarily out of service

I just use the sink in the kitchenette.

Don't tell!

[Orrex]

22. A serious answer, after my super-funny one

When cleaning the women's room, the male cleaning staff would knock on the door, open it a crack, and shout "cleaners" into the room. If no one answered, they'd prop open the door, hang an "out of service" sign, and start cleaning.

When cleaning the men's room, they'd prop the door and start cleaning; no sign equals still-in-service.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

24. I'd never even ponder doing that.

Unless of course, the cleaners were men. If I come into a bathroom and women are cleaning it, I turn around and make new plans. Run to the woods lads!! ;)

[fizzgig]

25. i asked my guy and he said he wouldn't do that

but when asked why not he replied 'i don't know'

yeah, he's a lot of help sometimes :P

[Book Lover]

27. Funny how

only the men responding in this thread think it's OK to piss in front of the women cleaning the bathroom.

[Pierre.Suave]

34. I am a man, and I previously responded that it is not ok...

In fact, I think it is appalling behavior.

[Book Lover]

35. I apologize

That big smiley with the blood on it was blinding me. I apologize, jasonc.

[Pierre.Suave]

36. ...

?

:shrug:

[Book Lover]

37. Post 13 (nm)

[Pierre.Suave]

38. Oh, him

why did you not respond directly to him and avoid all the confusion?

[pnutbutr]

28. Wow, lots of uptight people

Sounds like a lot of people are uptight about this. As long as you are not swinging it around I see no problem with using the restroom while it is being cleaned. Everyone pees, it's not like it is something dirty or sexual in nature.

[Richardo]

29. Of course *you'd* say that, "Jeff"

:eyes:

[pnutbutr]

30. *confused*

Wat?

[Richardo]

32. You answered as I expect the guy in Skittles story would have.

Humor attempt. :yoiks:

[Jamastiene]

31. Some people just do not look at the "call of nature" as

that big of a deal. Having said that, it would be courteous to find another restroom until the cleaning staff have cleaned up that certain restroom. :shrug:

[scarpa43]

33. I kind of did that recently

The lady was in there cleaning and all i wanted to do was wash my hands, I went ahead while she was there but even that felt weird.

[Taverner]

39. Is it a stall or a urinal?

And I've usually been able to get the cleaner to interrupt their work momentarily if I say Tengo Prisa! Es emergencia!!!

That is, if it is an emergency.

If not, I just pee in the break room sink.

[krispos42]

40. If it's a big bathroom it probably isn't a big deal...

But if it's just a couple of stalls and a couple of urinals, well, hell, I don't want to get in the way!

Although if I knew it was woman cleaning in there I don't think I would use it regardless of size. Wouldn't want any misunderstandings. Besides, the people that use the bathroom aren't in there to look around. The people that clean the bathroom must look around; it's their job to look around and find things to clean.

Men in a public bathroom try very hard to pretend they're in there alone, and it's mutual. With cleaning staff in there that's a lot harder to do.

[petronius]

41. I tend to wait until cleaning staff are done before using a restroom, it just seems courteous

to let people finish their work before peeing on it. However, I would assume that the absence of a 'Closed' sign meant the place was accessible, so if I needed it I would go. I would use the stall if female staff were present, just because that would be the US approach (in Europe I would use the urinal no matter who was there).

I think Jeff's behavior is OK if it's the only reasonably close bathroom and he's gotta go. However, if he's saving up his need until they're there, then he's way out of line. And, if he continues to go in after being told that this particular staff doesn't like it, then it's a massive breach of courtesy at best...

[Lil Missy]

42. I agree, I'd consider that rude, if not boorish. Seems like an exhibitionist thing to do.

[snooper2]

43. It's etiquette

For the cleaning people to leave the bathroom

At least in every encounter I've had like that...work, gas stations, etc.,