For the things you wanted to say
As seen scrawled into the back of a stall door in the ladies washroom at a rest stop off the I-5 North:
TRUE LOVE WAITS
For what?
A confirmation number
I love reading the things people write on the walls in the stalls of bathrooms.
At first glance, most bathroom graffiti typically looks like trash—you know, the usual suspects of “JESSICA WUZ HERE” and “JT+BS FOR EVA”—and if you take it for face value, it’s nothing more than that. But if you really think about it, everything written on those walls has a story behind them. People do everything for a reason, even if they don’t consciously know the reason for it at the time.
Whenever I read the things people write on walls, I simply can’t help but wonder about the author’s life: Are JT and BS still together? What’s Jessica doing now? … And when you read particularly chilling words like “I can’t take this anymore”… Are you still hanging in there?
It’s such an odd thought, looking over a cluttered wall and knowing that many, many people have been exactly where you are, and of all those people, some of them felt particularly impressed to write something on the walls surrounding them. They’re each strangers to the next, all going through different things in life, some coming in, some going out… But the one thing these strangers all have in common is the wall. They wrote on the wall.
We’re not all that far apart from each other as may we think.
What’s the most memorable thing you’ve ever seen on a bathroom wall?
What’s the most memorable thing you’ve ever seen on a bathroom wall?
… A tampad stuck to the bathroom mirror.
Oh sorry you asked about the wall. Erm… Well I’ll make sure I pay attention to bathroom wall writing from now on. :P
Reply: LOL! …. I hope it wasn’t used?
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:31 pmI love reading what’s written on bathroom walls. I even used to “collect” those messages! I took pictures of it with my cellphone camera. Now I don’t because I changed my phone for a new one, and its shutter sound is really loud and it can’t be turned off.
Anyway, I think I blogged about it once, but the most interesting message that I’ve read in a bathroom wall was something about a student that found college too hard and wanted commit suicide, being afraid of failure and all. Another person answered to the message and then the original depressed student answered back, and so on. Now that I read your entry I wonder how the girl’s doing. I haven’t heard of anyone at my univ killing herself, so I don’t think that happened.
I’ve seen other interesting things at my univ’s bathroom walls, like people discussing the Iliad and Greek philosophy. That’s what we take in freshman year, so I guess it’s understandable that it’s a very popular “chat topic” in the bathrooms of the Freshmen building.
In the bathrooms of the humanities school there are A LOT of political messages and requests of sex partners, lol. At the science and math school (where I study) they tend to write about their sex adventures. It’s funny sometimes!
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:46 pmThat’s an interesting point of view. I’ve never thought of it like that before.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 pm“Most people came here to take a sh*t, but I came here to leave one.”
Best. Quote. Ever. :)
June 4th, 2008 at 4:08 amI enjoy reading bathroom messages too. It’s almost like Postsecret in that everyone shares just a little bit of their soul.. until it gets painted over. The most interesting one I’ve seen was a conversation between three different female writers about some quote of sobriety. I don’t remember what it was exactly, just that the other two writers were asking her questions about the quote and that she answered them with some philosophical The End Is Near spiel. The most interesting thing about it was watching it grow because every few days I’d use the same restroom and there would be more added to the conversation.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:03 amThere’s this one stall in the art and design building on campus that is covered in written notes. I can only remember a few. There are things like, “I left the love of my life since he was an alcoholic” and “I slept with my brother” and a very long debate about the existence of God that covers nearly the left half of the door. I think it’s really fascinating.
June 4th, 2008 at 9:22 amI don’t think I have taken the time to mull over what people scrawl on the bathroom walls and doors. Perhaps it’s because I have a slight aversion to the public toilet that I prefer to do my business and get out of there as quickly as possible. I have caught myself think about the authors behind those writings from time to time, though, and I tend to give them the same regard as those people rushing to places during rush hour, and I wonder where they’re heading off too, what issues/problems/thoughts occupy their mind, and if they do think about the same things about other people as well.
I do not remember many of the things written in my high school bathrooms, but I do remember the following: “Smile and the world stands with you. Fart and you stand alone.”
It’s been six years since I graduated high school, and I am sure they repainted the doors, so I doubt that scrawl is still there for people to read.
The “JT+BS FOR EVA” thing, I immediately thought of Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. =P
Reply: And with good reason … It’s their initials! When I thought, “Who’s initials can I use as an example that can’t be mistaken for a couple I know in ‘real life’?” theirs came up first. :P
June 4th, 2008 at 12:03 pmBeing a guy you dont really see scribblings on the walls as it’s just not done to do a sh*t in school. In england anyway ha ha. But whenever I’ve been in there to be sick and get some toilet paper for a runny nose, Penis’ always make me laugh.
It’s such a lad thing to do and you get all these funky designs and weird ways of drawing them – gross I know but when you’re throwing up and you see you mates’ initials sribbled underneath – it really cheers you up. =)
Obviously there have been scribbles and things but none of which I can remember. I’ll look next time – just for you!
June 4th, 2008 at 2:02 pmYou’ve given me a whole new light to looking at simple things we just forget shortly after coming out the stall. Or wherever. But yeah I guess you’re right: that is the place we all have in common, that place we have all seen, been in. It’s a scary thought really that so many different stories (humans) have come in and out.
I think about the people behind the little scribbles and doodles too. Most of the one’s I’ve seen have been pretty stereotypical, though, like your JT and BS. And the “I can’t take it anymore”. Sometimes I’m too absorbed in the people and things surrounding me that I forget there is still a bajillion people out their with their own worries and life. The toilet door brings that all back into perspective, hah.
I do this when I’m sitting on the tram too. I see someone with a business suit on, and my mind invents a whole new character of a lawyer who lives in some expensive apartment in the city and has a mean boss. (Bad example, I know.)
June 4th, 2008 at 11:10 pmIn one of the buildings at my school, there is a stall in the ladies’ room where a girl scrawled something like, “I’m giving up on all this.” And over the next few weeks at least 20 or so replies were added to the stall – most were inspirational “don’t give up”/”hang in there!” type messages, though there were a few rude ones like, “Why are you writing on the bathroom wall – GO TO THERAPY!” and whatnot. I was impressed by how many people responses were added to that one girl’s cry. I go to that stall every time I’m in that building just to see if anything new has been added. I hope she got through whatever was troubling her.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:41 amFor some odd reason, I was totally touched (if that’s the right word) by this post. Back when I was young and was still naive enough to poop in the malls, I usually read those bathroom posts and try to guess the story behind it, just like you. The same goes for any kind of scribblings I see; vandalism on school desks, gossips written on the bathroom walls, notes hidden under my desk, the gum under my desk, you name it!
Reply: Oooh, notes hidden under desks! I love picking up notes that have either been carefully hidden or thoughtlessly thrown. :)
June 6th, 2008 at 5:34 amToo bad all of the interesting things have to be in public restrooms. I avoid those things at all costs.
Reply: As long as I don’t sit and there are paper towels to turn on the faucets and open the door, I can deal! When I was in [the Kingdom of] Jordan I had a lot of appalling public restroom experiences and so I think that has made me more indifferent of restrooms in North America. :P
June 6th, 2008 at 9:16 amLove this post! I love reading what people write on walls too, and like you I try to figure out what the author is all about and up to aswell. I’ve seen a maxi pad on a bathroom stall wall, that was cute.
Reply: Glad you enjoyed it. :) … Maxi pad on a stall wall? I hope it wasn’t used. :P
June 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pmAt my school one of the stalls reads, “If you sprinkle when you tinkle be a sweetie and wipe the seatie.” Nice, right? The stall right next to, however, is a wee bit more blunt, “If you’re going to piss on the seat, wipe it off!”
Reply: I have seen that first one before! Actually, that reminds of a sign I saw in a co-ed bathroom (university dorm) once… it had a picture of Jessica Simpson in her classic denim short shorts and it read, “When Jessica drops her kids off at the pool, she doesn’t leave them there.” … It was probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in a bathroom, ever. Why Jessica Simpson?!
June 7th, 2008 at 9:19 pmMy favorite ever is still up on the wall of a bar I frequent, I should go take a picture someday :) I can’t remember the exact quote, but it’s something like “Ben [last name] is a CHEATER and a LIAR and an ASSHOLE! If you agree, call him at 123-456-7890″. Very lol-worthy, but I give her points for creativity!
June 11th, 2008 at 7:50 amYears ago, when I was much younger, my family and I would go camping quite often. The walls of the stalls were usually covered in Shakespearean-quality verse such as –
Some come here to sit and think,
Some come here to shit and stink
I come here to scratch my balls,
And read the writing on the walls
And –
I was walking through the jungle holding my dick in my hand,
When I looked up at a tree and saw a monkey throwing shit at me, …
(I don’t remember the rest)
Another choice selection involved Jack and Jill going up the hill to smoke marijuana.
Yeah. Quality.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:50 pm