Answering the Phone While In the Bathroom

[jimithing]

Does anyone else find this extremely rude?  I hate it.  It completely grosses me out that I know that someone is doing their business while talking to me on the phone.  My brother will do this, and I tell him to call me back when he's done.

My coworker just had a 5 minute personal call in the restroom, which I could hear, 30 feet away.  I thought that maybe he was washing his hands or something, while talking to the person on the other side, but no, because I just heard the toilet flush. 

Blech.

[jais]

I hate it.  I call businesses all day long.  Some people have given us cell numbers to call, and I've had 2 people in the past month answer in the restroom and then TELL ME.  YUCK!!! 

[jimithing]

I hate it.  I call businesses all day long.  Some people have given us cell numbers to call, and I've had 2 people in the past month answer in the restroom and then TELL ME.  YUCK!!! 

I can usually tell because I can hear the echo. 

[wonderfullyanonymous]

A friend and I will do this, at home, from our home phones, and we are the only people we talk to no matter where we are. I really hate when I am in the bathroom, and someone comes in and starts talking on their cell phone.  It's at this time I wish I had a really, really big whoppie cushion, or maybe 2 to play with.

[ZipTheWonder]

I was taught that you turn off the volume on the TV if you answer the phone, so you know there's no way I'm picking up on the toilet.

But, for the record, this new openess people seem to have with sharing their toileting experience with others?  Well, I blame it entirely on draconian school restroom policies.  

[evilbeagle]

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...

[Venus193]

I don't have a problem with this because the only people I do this with are very old friends (20+ years).  I would not take a call from a potential boss under these conditions, nor would I call one.

[katemonster]

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...

[WildChild@Heart]

My Mom does this and it drives.me.crazy. we'll be chatting and then I hear the toilet flush! 

Can't you at least wait until the call has ended to do that, so at least I don't have to know that your on the pot during our call?

[DottyG]

Zip, that was funny!

[purplemuse]

I get the opposite thing from my mom-- if I miss one of her calls because I was using the facilities, she says I should have taken the phone in with me.

Um... no.

[SaphireSnap]

When my parents bought their house, there was a phone in the master bathroom.  In fact, the phone and the toilet are closed off from the rest of the bathroom in a little closet type room.  I don't think anyone has ever used that phone.  If it is an emergency, I would like to think the caller would leave a message or call back.

And as for conducting business on the phone in the bathroom, well, I think that person would have just lost my business.

[BettyP]

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

[Ulla dances in a silly way]

The only time I will answer my cell in the bathroom is if I am on my way out.

If I'm at home and REALLY need to go RIGHT THEN and cannot get the person off, I will very quietly take care of things but not flush until I hang up. I would never attempt that in a public bathroom.

I have a few freinds that we both will just announce what's up. But, we are both ok with it!

[Lisbeth]

I think it's inappropriate in business situations.

In personal ones, I might answer the phone and take it into the bathroom, but I would not flush until the call is over.  The person at the other end doesn't need to hear the sound of the toilet flushing or even know that I was in there, and I would be squicked out to hear it if I called someone who was using their bathroom.