Was today typical?
It was about as typical a day as I could get. I showed up to work early, waited for lunch to roll around, got locked in a bathroom stall, had to wait for facilities to jimmy me out, missed lunch…
Let me pause there and rewind the day a bit. Yes, I actually managed to lock myself in a work bathroom. Quite the unexpected turn of events, I must say.
First, keep in mind that our bathrooms are like public restrooms. They have tall stalls with a little reach room underneath in case someone needs extra toilet paper. The walls are a dull beige, and the floors are a nondescript gray, giving the whole place a rather drab feel.
In a hurry, I unlatched the door and pushed it open, only for it to groan. I tugged at the lock. Pulling it apart superglued would have been easier. Finally, after attempting to shimmy under the door, I took out my smartphone and stared at my nearly nonexistent cellular signal. Dialing the company number, I silently chanted for my last hope to pick up.
“This is the clinic; how can I help you?”
I shouted the nurse’s name, surprised that a smartphone could connect to a company line with no bars, and hesitantly explained the situation. It was quiet for a second, and then she asked, “I’m sorry you broke up. Could you repeat that?” When I repeated the circumstances, she began to stutter. She was laughing. After sputtering, she said she would get facilities, but the line died. Her misunderstanding was so comical, it lightened the situation a bit.
Settling against the wall, I texted my boss I would be late to the assembly line, explaining why without the little details. Suddenly, a voice called, and I urged them in. A fuzzy head popped over to the next stall and asked if I tried pulling the latch to the stall. When I showed him it wouldn’t budge, he muttered something about the hinges and disappeared. He reappeared with a flathead screwdriver and the EMT for our facility. Together, they brought the door down, and I was finally free. The relief was palpable. With three minutes left of lunch, I purchased a chocolate pudding and a parfait, tossed them in the company fridge, and hustled back to the line.
After explaining what had happened to my boss, he told me it was too bad I had missed lunch and sent me back to work. My stomach threw a hissy fit, complaining for five hours that I had skipped lunch. I was never more glad to see yogurt than at the end of this shift. So, it was about as typical as a zombie attack, with my stomach growling like a pack of hungry zombies.
Should I ever go zombie, I know who is first on my grocery list.🤣
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So sorry to hear about atypical day and frustrating experience with the bathroom stall. I understand your “pain.” It brought to mind my story.
Once, I had just finished eating with my family at a local Taco Bell, and since we still had quite a trip ahead of us, I headed to the bathroom. Unlike your stall adventure, this was just a bathroom with a sink and toilet. After finishing my “business,” then washing and drying my hands, I went to unlock the door. The lock didn’t disengage, but just kept spinning and spinning around. The lock was stripped on this heavy steel door. My sons and husband all tried to open the door from the outside, but to no avail. My sons were in a panic (but, hey I’d already eaten!), but my husband went back inside for help. The manager and the staff didn’t have any more luck at opening the door with the few tools they had than my family or I had, and the lock was such that only a locksmith with the right tools could get it open. Unfortunately, it was the Labor Day weekend, and the local locksmith took what felt like forever to arrive and drill out the lock. Eventually, I was freed, but I have to say that I don’t recall ever going to the bathroom at that particular establishment again. Other Taco Bell restaurants, yes, but not that one. ~Nan
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