Office/Bathroom Stall, Really?

We pulled over to get gas and I quickly hopped out to retrieve the restroom key from the gas attendant. He hesitated at first, and then explained that someone was in the restroom doing paperwork. I looked puzzled, but then an older gentleman started walking our way and the gas attendant seemed relieved and said, "Oh never mind, here he is now." Feeling a little bit clueless I thanked him for the key and headed off in the direction that he pointed me to.

As soon as I had made my way around the suburban JilleeAnna caught up to me and exclaimed that she needed to use the restroom too. So we quickly walked to the designated door and once there I put the key into the bottom lock, as instructed, and opened the heavy weighted door. Once the door was pushed open I could see out of my peripheral vision someone grabbing an office type trash can out of the little doorway/bathroom stall that was directly in front of the main bathroom door, and since the garbage can was not cooperating it took a lengthy awkward amount of time. Yes it was an office, because there were yellow post-it notes tacked to the drywall above the little desk, and the desk was full of paperwork right beside the said garbage can. The man was trying frantically to shut the makeshift door to their office/ bathroom stall. It was so strange that I never looked up to meet eyes with the man, but quickly shot a look to JilleeAnna who was equally dumbfounded by the strange moment.

The makeshift door to the itty-bitty office/bathroom stall was now shut, but I had already determined that I was not going to use the toilet that was on the other side of the office/bathroom stall, and was trying to remove the key from the bathroom door as quickly as possible so as to not have to explain myself to the man in the office/bathroom stall. I couldn't get it to budge though. As I had my back mostly to the office/ bathroom stall door I gazed around the tiny two stall (but now one stall and one office) bathroom and saw that it was surely just a bathroom with a sink, toilet, and mirror. JilleeAnna said the office/bathroom stall door even had a little window cutout so that he could see out of his office into the bathroom. I suppose so he wouldn't become claustrophobic? Now mind you it was NOT facing the other toilet, but it was definitely invading the bathroom privacy. Plus the bathroom stall/office was so makeshift that there was no sound barrier between the toilet and his office.

I couldn't believe it. I mean who would use that bathroom? How desperate would a lady have to be? Plus, how miserable for the office employee stuck in that bathroom stall/office trying to get any work done, and add to it, that at the end of the day he has to have some hysterical stories to share with his family and friends.

JilleeAnna and I were all decked out in our dresses to go to a funeral and here we are in the dilemma of deciding how badly we have to go to the restroom. Crazy! So after a really long tug of war with the key from the main lock we finally were able to back out of the space and allow the door to shut automatically. After the door was shut soundly behind us we both just looked at each other wondering if both of us just experienced the same weird bathroom experience, and yep, sure enough we did! We giggled all the way back to the gas station.

When I returned the key and told them that we would just pass this time, the gas attendants wouldn't meet my gaze. I also didn't make a point to stress the oddity of the whole bathroom/office decision made by Chevron.

But it did take my mind off of the need to use the restroom....I guess I only thought I had to go to the bathroom really bad! lol