What Would You Do If the Opposite Gender Entered the Wrong Bathroom?

What would you do? What would you do if you are at the mall, a shopping center, a concert, or some public place going to the restroom and a person of the opposite gender walks in? What would you do if they walk in on their cellphone and don't acknowledge they are in the wrong restroom? If you are with someone, does their reaction affect yours? While there are many gender-neutral bathrooms these days and people identify differently, there are some places, like Twin Falls, where it isn't as welcomed as other places in the country yet. Your age may play a factor or your beliefs, but if you find yourself in this situation what would you do?

Walking into the Wrong Bathroom in Twin Falls

A coworker of mine was recently at the Magic Valley Mall with a friend, when they had to use the restroom. While in there, a man came in on his cell phone, never acknowledging they were even in the restroom. Both women decided it was best to leave the room and had a decision to make. Do they leave the scene and go about their day? Do they tell mall security to alert them that a man is in the women's restroom? Do they stand outside to warn any potential women or girls that need to use the bathroom? It was a tough choice, but they decided to wait outside to see how things played out and to warn any potential restroom users of who was inside. The man ended up leaving, still on his phone, and never seemed to notice his mistake. He continued to walk around the mall on his phone, never-ending his conversation.

What to do if Wrong Gender Enters the Bathroom

There are multiple ways to dissect the situation above and how to handle it. Was the man too into his cell phone to realize his mistake? Is the man somebody that identifies as female and went into the restroom that fits him best? Was the man faking a phone call and a pervert that wanted to go into the women's restroom? The answers to these questions will likely never be answered, but did my coworker and her friend act accordingly, and did they do what you would? In today's society, where identity and gender are not as black and white as they once were, it can be tough to know how to handle a situation like this, especially if you are uncomfortable and have never experienced it before.

Cellphones Distracting Idahoans in the Magic Valley

After speaking with my coworker about the situation, her takeaway was not so much the man being in the women's bathroom, as much as the fact he was on his phone when he entered, left, and afterward while walking around the mall. It raises the question of when are you too indulged in your phone. If the man honestly was too into his phone call to realize he made an honest mistake, then that should be a sign that he was more concerned about his call than his surroundings. We have all tripped or walked into someone or something when texting or looking at our phones, but going into the wrong bathroom is a little less common. Let this serve as a reminder that anything can be put on hold for a few seconds or minutes while you take care of your business.

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While there is a lot to take away from this situation, it does serve as two reminders, to be aware of your surroundings and not live in your cell phone, and also to have a plan, if you can, for if you find yourself in a situation where the opposite gender enters the bathroom while you are in it. For some, it may not be a concern, while for others it may be a big issue. Generations may play a factor, in your beliefs, your open-mindedness, or what kind of mood you are in that day. These two ladies handled the situation in the way they thought was best for them, but if you find yourself in a moment similar to this, what would you do?