Is Cell Phone Use in the Washroom Socially Acceptable?

If you’re like me, I talk and text in the bathroom; even public washrooms (get a few looks with this one)!  Even though many of us do it, no one really talks about it; so we will be the trailblazers on this topic. Maybe it’s one of those things not socially acceptable, because no one talks about it. Mind you, I don’t do this on a regular basis, but once and a while, it’s necessary (I’m already starting to retreat). It seems to me, the only way to make this more acceptable is if all of us fess up and admit it. The first step is admittance and hopefully other will have the courage to follow.

In the before time (before cell phones), if you were sitting on the commode (for lack of a better word) and the phone started ringing, it was tempting not to run and pick it up; or if you had to someone on the phone and couldn’t find a break in the conversation and did not disclose the issue or hated to hang up abruptly (oh we Canadians are so polite), you just sat there feeling uncomfortable. Tada… along comes the cell phone but soon find that has problems too; like how do we not have the person on the other line know where we are. They are blissfully unaware until you have to flush the toilet and wash your hands; how do you silence the dreaded toilet flush or running faucet. There are not many ways to solve this problem other than waiting it out or embarrassingly disclose where you are. Maybe the next big thing will be a phone app that will drown out the sound of the flush and running water, why not, there are thousands of useless apps out there and this one would actually serve a purpose.

And next comes the smart phone, so now, not only can we talk and text, but can browse, read articles and watch videos online; even in the tub. The poor newspaper and magazine business has really taken a beating with less people buying paper copies, now to add insult to injury, the paper news or magazine may soon be replaced by the smartphone in the toilet. OK, there are some problems with this too, like the phone dropping in the bath or toilet, but if we are using the Smartphone in the washroom, are we not already proven risk takers.

If the day comes where this is socially acceptable, more will be disclosed with some great hygienic tips and rules to follow, most likely they’ll be posted on Facebook (boy do we reveal too much information to people we barely know). And I know talking and texting is illegal when driving, but pretty sure they won’t make talking and texting illegal when … (I’m not saying it); will they? Uggh, they’ll probably find a way to make us pay for this too.

Whether you take your cell phone or smart phone in the bathroom or you find yourself in this situation in the future (don’t judge us just yet); it may not be acceptable, but we think it happens all over Canada and maybe the world. Uhh, you may not want to borrow your friend’s cell phone unless they promise they never do this (wink).