You all had them in your schools?

Yep. From what I remember, though, there were two multi-stall bathrooms in my elementary school, and only one of them had stalls without doors. So we just avoided that bathroom as much as possible. I think it was in the wing for younger kids anyhow, so dealing with periods, etc., wasn't an issue.

They had those in the football stadium bathrooms at one point. I remember an early problem with them was that the water pressure varied so sometimes they'd overshoot the basin area.

You could also screw with other kids by hooking your foot under the bar to keep the water from spritzing, or to keep it to a trickle so the kid leaned in, and then let it go so they sprayed themselves.

That sounds like a sink for doctors, so they can turn the water off and on without touching anything with their hands.

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

we had them at camp .

I always though the hook thiefs probbably happened -- but I'm stareing at it - how far is it gonna go before I notice it moving and grab it... how long before I notice some one at my door. the only place it might be a problem is one of those big public bathrooms with an entrence and an exit

I went to Palo verde, a few years ahead of you, bon. And I got the graffiti-laden bathroom...it was, um, an education in its own right.

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?)

You're so sweet! Thanks, but I'm cool. It helped that, even though I was an early pubescent (training bra in 4th grade, period in 5th, hit top height of 5'8" in 6th), I ended up right in the average range in terms of bra size and height. I still have body issues, but they're weight-related, not puberty stuff. (The memories of having my teacher notice that I bled through my light-colored pants, the female classmate who liked to drive-by pinch my boobs, being mistaken for a teacher in 4th-grade, though, those are everlasting. Yay.)

I'm one of those people who hate chatter in the bathroom. It's worse than chatter in an elevator.

Other day I waited for and rode an elevator with some fellow talking on a cell phone. And his end of the conversation went like this: "Right.... right.... right...... uh huh..... right .... that's right.....right..." I wanted to reach out and smack him.

I'm one of those people who hate chatter in the bathroom.

Why? I ask this as someone who detests it, but since I don't mind it so much at home, I wonder why.

I wanted to reach out and smack him.

No jury in the world would've convicted you.

Bathrooms should be temples of silence. The business to be conducted is of a highly personal nature and unless you're talking to yourself, there's really no room for discussion.

But at home I don't mind it so much either.