I haven't seen those since elementary school. That was just horrible.

Oh, yes. Even worse was when I was the first in my 5th-grade class to get her period, and had to deal with pads, etc., in full view of anyone else in that bathroom. Yuck.

I always hang my purse on the hook. I figure the chance of encountering the semi-mythical over-the-door purse thief is tiny and the chance of something disgusting getting on my purse if I put it on the floor is large.

I haven't seen a fold down shelf in ages. I always liked those.

I've seen these in several airport restrooms. I guess they figure folks will be carrying a lot of stuff around while in airports. And when I have my purse, coat, and carryon bag on one of these, there's no way it's flipping back up.

I have never been in a multi-bathroom that didn't have doors on the stalls.

You all had them in your schools? Where'd you grow up, Soviet Canuckistan?

I can't remember if my K-2 school had doors on the stalls, but I do know that the 3-5 school didn't. Junior high (6-8) definitely did, though, so either they started trusting us not to TP the entire bathroom, or they decided the privacy was more important at that age.

Oh, yes. Even worse was when I was the first in my 5th-grade class to get her period, and had to deal with pads, etc., in full view of anyone else in that bathroom. Yuck.

Oh holy crap. I would've...I don't know, made my mother call in sick for me for the week or something. I was the first girl I knew to get mine (summer between 5th & 6th), and I was already plenty mortified without that kind of humiliation. Seriously, I'm sitting here infuriated on your (and any other girl this happened to) behalf. (Can I assume you're ok now, 20 or whatever years later?)

I always hang my purse on the hook. I figure the chance of encountering the semi-mythical over-the-door purse thief is tiny and the chance of something disgusting getting on my purse if I put it on the floor is large.

Ginger is wise.

My elementary school had a big, round, communal concrete sink in the boy's room. There was a bar around the base you stepped on, and metal mushroom shaped thing in the middle that spritzed water like a lawn sprinkler.

Anybody know what I'm talking about? In retrospect, it was verra strange.

I got the bathroom that was accessible only because kids made it too ugly for anyone but disabled folks to use in 7th and 8th. "Kathy Mahoney fucks farm animals," if you're wondering.

"Kathy Mahoney fucks farm animals,"

Isn't that the lost Richard Scarry book?

Where did you go to junior high again, erika?