Friday, April 23, 2010

No joke: Auto-flush toilet overflows on me

I am uncertain I agree with those who say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. For instance, I was sitting on an auto-flush toilet today when it overflowed. My butt, pants, shoes, chair, service dog, everything got wet, coated with who knows what. And for the life of me I do not feel stronger.

I wrote about auto-flush toilets being a bad idea a while ago, but I honestly never thought an overflow would happen, not with me sitting.

There I was, though.

It didn't flush automatically for a time, but then I sat down rather quickly and that caught its eye. I didn't even notice the water touching my butt. I heard it hit the floor and looked at Claren to see what she did. Instead, I saw the water trickling toward her. I yelled at her to move, but we were in a bathroom stall with the door shut. She had nowhere to go. Finally, I managed to stand up, open the door and motion her out.

That was about when the toilet overflowed again. Lovely. I pulled up my pants and sat down on my chair and got the heck out of the stall and water. I did not even button my pants as I fled down the elevator to where Mom was waiting to take me to give blood for some potential Friedreich's ataxia treatment in the test stages. Needless to say, we did not make it there. I did, of course, tell security to call maintenance.

I got home and showered. Mom, Dad and my little sister washed Claren, my chair, etc., and here I am, still alive but not stronger.

Damn it all.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

damn it all indeed. I have heard from some friends that they put sticky notes over the sensors, but I imagine that would present its own challenges. Let's think instead about how the day ended with a bike ride around the blocks with your littlest niece and nephew who adore you. I love you and am sorry.
xo
ejd

Anonymous said...

At least it was at a point when you could easily go home and shower! Better than trapped wet and unhappy in the middle of a work day.

jess said...

I swear to God, automatic flusher are the work of the devil.

You could get together with my kids and start a campaign to banish them from bathrooms everywhere. My little one is TERRIFIED of them.

I stand in solidarity - down with auto-flush!

Anonymous said...

that totally stinks, no pun intended.
sdt

Matt said...

Another reason I hate auto-flush: because they do not always flush. Fine, you can leave your business without flushing if you are so inclined, but I can't sit over someone else's business. So I have to force a flush but it is a real pain.

marypat said...

Post-its over the sensors. A trick of moms with freaked out kids everywhere. The other day the kids and I were in a bathroom where everything was automatic. There were three of us in the little "family" room, and every time anybody moved, the faucet went on, the toilet flushed, and the dryer started up. We were in hysterics by the time we got out.

Matt said...

So now I have to figure out where to carry the Post-its.


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