“I need to use a restroom!”

A long time ago when there were no cell phones with built-in cameras and actually no cell phones at all – otherwise I would definitely have taken a picture – I saw an interesting notice in a toilet in an office of one company in St. Petersburg, Russia. It read “Dear male employees please be respectful of your female colleagues – make sure the seat is always lowered after use. Thank you” I was very surprised because I expected a different message – something like “Make sure the seat is up BEFORE use”. That was the first time I thought that there is such thing as a toilet culture. And that was the starting point of developing of my international toilet culture competence. That company was American with lots of American expatriates among the staff.

Since then my research has progressed a lot and now I even have a special folder in my iPhoto library where I keep photograps of artefacts representing different toilet cultures. There are a dozen pictures taken in the US so this post is the first one in the series of posts devoted to my «toilet experiences» in America.

First of all Americans don’t use a word toilet. Instead they say a restroom or a bathroom. These words are so weird! Am I supposed to take a rest in that room? Or take a shower? Excuse me! I just want to pee. That’s it! And even if I have other needs I will never consider a toilet as a place for relaxation. Neither do Americans of course. It looks like these words they use to name a toilet are just typical euphemisms. Or there is something behind all that? It might be for example that such names indicate a special status a toilet has in American culture – something that is more important than just a place for relieving yourself. I think it is connected with the high importance a satisfaction of all basic needs has in American mentality.

One of the evidences that supports my hypothesis is that public restrooms are literally everywhere – in parks, stores, gas stations and all places of any gatherings. Even in the middle of nowhere you will find a public restroom. And the most important thing is that ALL (!) restrooms are for free. They are a part of public infrastructure like benches in parks or roads in the city. So obviously it will be extremely difficult for Americans to accept intention of some airlines to charge their passengers for usage of restrooms during the flights. By the way currently this is a hot topic! “Did you hear that? It will cost one dollar to use a restroom in the air! It is awful, unbelievable!”

Americans are used to have no problems with access to toilets. They expect them to be everywhere. Perhaps this is the reason why lack of toilets but not the availability of them is communicated (see the picture). When I first saw that sign I experienced almost the same feeling of astonishment I had in that restroom in the office of American company in St. Petersburg so many years ago :)