When I was traveling this weekend to a graduation in West Virginia, I was missing something at every turn. What was it you ask? It was a freakin’ hook for my purse! You’re thinking, “Huh?”. Well, as a feminine representative of human race, I carry a purse like most women. When entering a stall, I need a gosh darn place to put it!! The floor is NOT an option!
On our trek to and from West Virginia, we made A LOT of potty stops (with 3 kids, it happens!), and I have to say I can’t remember any hooks at any of the on-the-road stops. I’m talking restaurants, rest stops, gas stations – it just didn’t matter. What the &$*^!?
According to this ABC news article (I also saw something similar on the Today Show last year), putting a purse on the floor can kill you (okay, not kill you, but make you really sick!):
Your Purse Could Be Making You Sick / A Microbiologist Found Millions of Germs on Purses / By ELISABETH LEAMY / Aug. 8, 2006
Quote from the article: “It matters because you can move germs that can cause illness from one location to another,” he said. “You can later touch that purse and get them on your hands, or you could put your purse near a food preparation area and transfer germs to areas you may touch during food preparation.”
Men must design ALL public bathrooms – there can be no other explanation. It’s a standing joke that there aren’t enough stalls, but COME ON! In the few stalls that have been made available to us, you can’t put a damn hook in the stall somewhere? Does it require too much forethought?! Are they too expensive? Is there a shortage?
Okay, so at each stop, I consider different methods of keeping my purse off of the floor:
Should I balance it precariously on my knees? Hmmm. . .maybe not.
Should I set it up on top of the tank, if there is one? It’s probably dirty, but can’t be dirtier than the floor, right?
Should I try to hang it on the corner of the door? I’ve tried this before and sometimes this doesn’t take and I do worry if someone will snatch my purse.
Hang it around my neck? Hmmm. . . . that seems potentially dangerous.
Should I balance it on my head? I’d have to practice this method first before attempting it in a stall.
After mulling over my options, I just get mad that I even have to spend so much time thinking about it! For goodness sake, I just need to make a pit stop!
The Engledow Chronicles 
EGADS! Very effective picture of the loo!!! I just shivered!
LikeLike
Hang it around your neck! That’s what I would do.
Who designs bathrooms? Idiots, that’s who! For example, how about the exceedingly clever design layout where anyone standing in the hallway has a direct line of sight to the urinals whenever the bathroom door is opened. Talk about idiotic!
Or how about a door with a handle that you have to pull to exit the restroom? Ah, thanks so much for the parting gift. Now I have to grab a handle that the 80% of non-handwashers use? Bite me! I grab a paper towel (if offered) and use it to open the door, block the door with my foot, and for the property owner’s sake I hope there is a nice free throw shot to the wastebasket. If not, that paper town is going on the floor. That’s right, I throw it on the ground! I refuse to be a part of your system!
Nice post!
LikeLike
You’re right about the design layout – it seems I’m usually one of the unfortunate ones the walk by just at the right moment!
The bathroom designers must literally not give a sh!t what the bathrooms look like.
LikeLike
I had the same problem with where to put my pepperoni rolls! I finally did put them on the floor as far from the toilet as possible and threw the bag away as soon as I got home!
LikeLike
brass door handles are very elegant looking that is why we always use them at home –:
LikeLike