Answering the Phone While In the Bathroom

[StressedGroom]

I travel a lot for work and work out of a home office so my cell phone is my only work number.  I live on that phone, and the only place I won't answer it is the restroom. 

It always blows my mind to be in a public restroom and hear someone in the next stall over on a phone call.  Normal etiquette would be to be quite when someone is on the phone, do I go to e-hell for flushing excessively in these cases?

[ettacat]

When my parents bought their house there was a phone (landline) installed next to the toilet in the master bath. Squickity squick squick squick. A cell phone is bad enough...

Well, I could see that if it were a person who was ill or elderly, or had a child who was ill. Especially before cordless phones became the rage.

[Chivewarrior]

I have to take the cordless into the bathroom with me when I'm home alone. If I don't pick up on the first try when my mother calls, she'll freak out... I think she's nearly called the police about such things at least once.

[SammyKit]

I have never done it but this is something I would only do with a mother, child, best friend or husband.  If I was discussing business matters with someone and heard a flush in the background, I think that would end the relationship.

[evilbeagle]

I have never done it but this is something I would only do with a mother, child, best friend or husband.  If I was discussing business matters with someone and heard a flush in the background, I think that would end the relationship.

I agree. I wouldn't even answer the phone while on the toilet. When I have to go and it's not my sister on the phone, I will hang up and continue the conversation after nature's call.

[kathrynne]

I firmly believe that the toilet in my powder room has a sensor that's connected to the landline here. It sends a signal to my mother, my sister or my best friend that NOW is the perfect time to call. I may or may not make it to the phone before the machine picks up, and sometimes I don't even try, but I'll happily call back.

Then again, that sensor appears to be something passed through the family like the short legs and hot temper. I'm great at catching Mom JUST as her lunch or dinner is ready, and catching my sister just as a major crisis breaks out. That's not so hard to do, though, since I think my sister has a new major crisis about every other hour.

Now, when it's a robocall that the sensor has tripped I get pretty outraged. Sometimes I wish there was a human on the other end so I could say, "I'm on the Do Not Call list, and not only are you not allowed to call me, but you interrupted a perfectly good ...."

[Squishygirl]

My DH does this all the time with me. I don't know if he does it with anyone else but since he works away from home during the week, he tends to call me at all times from all places.

I started asking him not to do it about 12 years ago but all that happened is that he stopped doing it when he was sitting down and keeps doing it when he's standing up, so to speak.

The worst of it is that he's lost three phones so far, from a case of not having enough hands to cope with phones and sufficient waggling of his tackle and flushing the thing. Three phones have so far been lost to the loo because even he wouldn't use one afterward!

However, he does also drop phones in his coffee too - how he still has phone insurance I truly do not know! Although I can say without doubt that Sony Erricson phones will function well even if they get dropped in coffee provided that you dry them out properly.

[SquishyMooMoo]

Um, ew.

As far as moving into houses with phones installed near toilets... I know my grandparents had/have one in their bathroom in case one or the other of them was unable to get up or fell down or something.

One time my grandma and grandpa got stuck on the couch--my aunt/uncle/cousins had been over and they all sat down to take photos on the couch, then all the others leave, and my grandparents realize that between my grandma's bad knees and my grandpa's bad health, neither of them can get off the couch unassisted. Not all home bathrooms are equipped with hand rails by the toilet. My point being, if there's a pre-existing phone installed in a bathroom, there could be a legitimate reason other than someone just loooooooves to chat and can't stand to miss a call, no matter what they're doing.

[Pixie]

If you hear my toilet flushing while we're on the phone its because I'm cleaning it. I don't stop cleaning to take a phone call, but I will not use the phone while I am using the bathroom.... I just won't.

[hobish]

I hate it and find it rude unless I'm on the phone with my sister. We seem to provoke the need in each other when we are on the phone and it's sort of a joke between us.

I can't believe I just admitted this on an etiquette forum.

Uhm... I like carrots... er... uhm...

I'm ... uh ... liking carrots right along with you. My sister and i do the same thing.

When my parents bought their house there was a phone (landline) installed next to the toilet in the master bath. Squickity squick squick squick. A cell phone is bad enough...

When my friend Dan remodeled his house he put a landline in the bathroom. It was a bright red phone and was right at the level to be whithin easy reach if you were sitting. The phone worked but was really intended as a joke. It's an emergency! To the red phone!

At work, or really anywhere in public i wouldn't answer my phone in the bathroom.

[ZipTheWonder]

I had this happen recently! I was totally "squicked" out -- I LOVE that word.

I returned a gentleman's call about something he wanted to donate. We're chatting, I'm getting info, telling him how we handle possible donations, and the next thing I know... "FLUSH...GURGLEGURGLETOILETNOISES...GRUNT..GRUNT....Water running..."

During this whole thing, he kept talking to me, despite the occassional grunting.

I didn't take lunch that day. I guess I should thank him for helping me with my diet, but YEESH. UGH. No donation is THAT important, trust me.

Anna

WHAT???   

That is so nasty.

I'd like to think I've heard it all now, but something tells me that I've still only heard 89% of it.

[BettyP]

Oh Zip, I'm sure I'll have some interesting tales over the course of my time at the museum. We get some interesting phone calls. I truly have a folder on my table labeled "Tin Foil Hat People Messages."

Then there are the kids who think it's fun to shoot spitballs at our buffalo, throw things down a hole in the floor into the lobby, etc....

And I thought I'd deal with more polite people than in retail...........

Anna

[CynthiaBelle]

If it's my momma, I don't really mind. I'm sure it could still be considered rude, but I don't mind it, and I have checked and she doesn't mind it either.

But if it is a business setting, or a public setting, or basically anyone else I find it very rude.

[Venus193]

I've got a story for that, but it deserves to initiate a thread.

[Brentwood]

The bathroom is the one placed I can usually be assured of a modicum of privacy. No, I'm not talking on the phone while in there.