I consider myself a bit of a traveler. At least in this country anyway, The only time I went to Canada was because Dad missed all three signs that said last exit before customs. <3 my Dad! I have been to almost all states with only a couple of exceptions. In my travels I have learned a few things I would like to share with you.
Rule #1 Never ever use a droppie in Yellowstone. It is worth the couple of miles of driving for a flushie. Trust me on this one.
Rule #2 The bathrooms at the shore that cost a quarter are worth it! Pony up the quarter you won't regret it!
Rule#3 If you can wait for a flying J do it. At least through Wyoming their bathrooms tend to be cleaner than any other truck stop.
Rule#4 If you can find a grocery store use the bathroom there. Too many travelers come in and out of truck stop bathrooms all day. Plus they normally have drinking fountains which are free and water sits way better in a traveling tummy than sugar drinks.
Rule #5 When at Wal-mart and a trip to the bathroom is inevitable ALWAYS and I repeat ALWAYS use the bathroom in layaway. They are a million times better than the ones up front.
Today I was at a Wal-mart and forgot rule #5. I was wondering why in the world I was braving this restroom and not just waiting until I got back to my office. SoI have a question for you and if you are reading this I want you to really think about it and answer, you even have the option of an anonymous comment. Okay anyway... the question. What is the worst bathroom you have been forced to brave? Also, if you have a rule to add please do. Share the info with the rest of us please!
My answer I think would be the outhouse at our cabin. It is older than my mom and I have been afraid I was going to fall in since I was a small child. Which is a valid concern as most of the outhouse is rotting away. I was also plagued by stories of my aunt disturbing a bee hive when she made the inaugural trip to the outhouse one season. Alas, I always choose the outhouse over the woods because it at least affords me a small amount of privacy.
P.S. In my family if we say we have to go put something on layaway you now know just what we mean.
I still can't remember where I was, but I was with a bunch of friends. I was forced to use an outhouse that was almost all the way full. That is the worst experience I have ever had. Or the gas station on the way to Idaho that me and my 2 friends stopped at and we all got stranded at the same time. UGH! Good memories.
ReplyDeleteWorst bathroom experience (not exactly what you were looking for, but still worth reading): I was working in AK the summer between getting my BS and starting grad school. I worked at the front desk at a hotel, and housekeeping was BUSY, so when they asked me to run a plunger up to a room, I obliged. I gave the old man the plunger and walked away. (PS Most of our guests were old people; I think it's on most senior citizens' agenda to tour AK. Just sayin') ANYWAY, later, my friend Jamie called down to the front desk and asked me to pick up the plunger. The man was gone (had checked out), so I used my keycard to enter his room.
ReplyDeleteI walked into his bathroom to discover the man had taken what must've been the dump of his life, and chopped it all to bits with the plunger. Only the plunger didn't really do its job. Oh no, the toilet backed up, and this man's...business...was all over the floor.
WHY I STUCK AROUND, I'LL NEVER KNOW. I think I must've felt bad for Jamie, because after I called her up, I helped her clean the mess up! When I was being paid to do front desk duties! Ugh!
So that's my worst bathroom experience ever.
The nastiest bathroom I was forced to face...had to be at girl's camp one year. I think the latrine was dug up at the turn of the century or something (the 20th century, mind you), because BOY HOWDY was that biffy all sorts of nasty! Seriously, if forced to choose between using that latrine again or else digging a whole, I'd totally dig a whole. You couldn't even pretend to breathe whilst in that outhouse. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteWhen traveling this last several weeks I was reminded of my worst bathroom ever. And, I also must say, that every single one of your rules is correct. Infact, it is even better to pull the car over and pee by the side of the road than use a droppie throughout Yellowstone!
ReplyDeleteThe worst one was on a hockey trip with Mike and Jeli. We were in Flagstaff AZ. I saw the gas station and remembered the experience. They handed us a key hanging on a pole to an outside bathroom. I should have known by the extremely dirty handle that they bathroom would not be better. There was poo smeared all over, not a single space was free of dirt and filth, and I felt like I got more dirty by washing my hands there.
Oh...and never ever, no matter what, use the bathroom on a grayhound or any sort of bus trip! Wait till they stop some where. It is like a hot box droppie! Yikes!
My worst bathroom experience goes right along with Rule #1.
ReplyDeleteI was at Yellowstone with my parents and had been howling forever that I had to go to the bathroom, so finally they pulled over. I walked into this porta potty, saw the poo piled up to like a foot below the lid, (with flies zooming EVERYWHERE) and turned and marched right back out. My mom asked me what I was doing and I told her I wasn't going in there. She said she hadn't listen to me complain forever for me not to go and I WAS going to go in there.
So I had to use it. Awful awful awful!
ReplyDelete