Bog Off - Exhibit 18, ENID
Thanks very much to BSS reader Rachel who sent in this bog off. In her words....Hello Bendygirl,
I've been following your bogoff exhibition and couldn't resist this one that I came across in so-called disabled toilet (I'd rather call it an accessible toilet, but that day it was falling short of that) in my local hospital - off all places. The emergency cord was tied up so high that even a standing up person, even the tallest person I've ever met would have needed a step ladder to get to it - in fact they must have used a step ladder to tie it up.
So having decided to photograph it I wanted a picture that took in the whole scene, including the toilet so that it could be see just how high up it was, but in order to do that I ended up scrunched in a corner of the room, on the floor (which did seem fairly clean or I really wouldn't have been there). Just as I was doing that there started a furious rattling on the door handle. I pulled myself up just in time to catch the door handle that had been shaken loose and come apart. I did manage to open the door, and there was an ENID (Elderly but Not in-any-way Disabled) who could have gone to any toilet but wanted to go to that one because she paid her taxes or somesuch whatever. Anyway.... I said "You might not want to go in there, that door handle is broken, and if you can't get out, there emergency cord is out of reach and you'll be stuck", she didn't respond, but shoved the door handle back onto the door and pushed past me. I repeated my advice, she said "Well, I've got to go" and was past me by then and I had to point out that I need to get my walking frame out or else she would have shut the door in my face.
There was a part of me that wanted to leave her to it. But I'm not actually a total git, so I went to a reception desk just around the corner to tell somebody. There was no-one there so I started writing an explanatory note. Somebody in a uniform, could have been a paramedic or a SJA volunteer turned up just as I was finished and I showed him the note and left him to deal with it. As I left I heard the unmistakeable sounds of ENID banging on the door....
3 comments:
oh dear.
While I do have sympathy for any human being in a "Need To Go NOW!!!" kind of emergency, a dark corner of my soul finds it very satisfying that someone who was rude enough to be rattling on the door of the (in)accessible loo got themselves trapped inside.
Maybe ENID will have learnt her lesson! But somehow doubt it unfortunately.
x
Reminds me of the time I was in a hospital, 4 weeks post op from a hip replacement and still on 2 crutches. I asked a NURSE for the disabled loo and she looked at me and asked if I couldn't use the ordinary ones. WTF? I was still a bit out of it on painkillers otherwise I would have reported her but instead I said no I needed the higher seat and a rail to help me get up.
You were more gracious than I would have been to ENID. I would have left her there (I am slightly ashamed to admit that).
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