Those public restrooms. We’ve all had to use them, time and again. Because as we know, when nature calls, it really calls.
Nature calling can happen in many ways. But the way we use it, mostly, has to do with relieving ourselves with the help of the restroom.
Before it was used as a euphemism, the “call of nature” was used to describe our yearning to enjoy the “pleasures of rural tranquillity.” This original meaning was first seen in the mid-18th century.
Perhaps those references to the isolation and quiet of life in the rural country allowed people to pee when and where they wanted to, in the surroundings of nature. Be careful where you squat, though.
Back to civilization and those public restrooms. It was on this date, February 17, 1883, when a man named A. Ashwell patented the toilet lock for those doors. The ones that say vacant or engaged. All of this happened in London.
Apparently, Mr. Ashwell had been riding on a train on his way to London. I suppose nature called, sending him to the loo. And that is when inspiration struck. I’m betting good money that someone walked in on him, and the entire matter became very awkward, very quickly.
He must have thought, “we keep strangers out of our homes by putting locks on our doors, so why not give our toilets a bit of the love?” So he decided the potty needed a bolt. And lock, it did.
The bathroom is truly a primary room in any household. I mean, let’s face it. It is the solution to our personal waste system. Without one, we’d be in a big pile of repeated messes. Call it what you will, the restroom, the water closet, the can, or the john. It is a little mecca of salvation. When I was growing up, in a household of nine, we had one full bathroom on the second floor. The door did not have a lock. Where was Mr. A. Ashwell when I needed him?
Most of us spend at least 92 days on the toilet over our lifetime. Yes. Just the toilet. The average is 5 to 7 times a day. It is much higher for me. Heck, that amount doesn’t even get me to noon. At any rate,this adds up to a whopping 2500 times a year. Depending on how many minutes you spend each time, you could be spending way more than three months there. More like three years for a great deal many people.
So, as I said, the bathroom is prime real estate.
Most people use their mobile phones while in the bathroom. Oh, yes. We all do it. Surveys have shown that most people like to use their phones while on the toilet — either texting, emailing, gaming, or even making or answering phone calls. Personally, I would never take or make a phone call while on the toilet. But wait. I don’t talk on the phone much, to begin with, if I can help it. Anyway. Most of us are guilty of having phone in hand while taking care of business. So. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that 7 million phones around the world find their way down the toilet each year. It has never happened to me, but I’ve heard plenty of splash stories.
Finally, a few fleeting thoughts about how thankful I am for our bathrooms.
As per the data collected by the World Toilet Organization, one billion people in the world defecate in the open. That is one out of every seven of us.
Today, I am glad for the Locking Loo. One of the greatest places on Earth.
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“I grew up with six brothers. That’s how I learned to dance – waiting for the bathroom.”
— Bob Hope
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“Always go to the bathroom when you have a chance.”
— King George V
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“I’m going to go pee. If the universe is bigger and stranger than I can imagine, it’s best to meet it with an empty bladder.”
― John Scalzi, Old Man’s War
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We spend our lives on the toilet. Mostly.
