Tall water fountain/Small water fountain etiquette

[bad beetz]

So there is a new style of water fountain that came out about 5 years ago when everything became wheel chair accessible. I’m sure you’ve seen this; it’s the normal height water fountain adjacent to a lower water fountain. Average size people can drink from either with no comfort issues. However, this invention has placed a small but very new and unthought-of etiquette issue in our hands.

So lets say some is drinking from the taller water fountain. You could easily sidle up next to them and drink at the smaller one. But common practice is to wait until they’re done. But waiting makes me feel like a deushbag, because there’s a perfectly good unused water fountain right in front of me willing to dispense water RIGHT NOW and I don’t have to wait for it.

Please let me know your thoughts, I don’t want to have to wait for a Seinfeld episode to answer my question.

[baggins]

it's the same as using adjacent urinals in a men's room w/out barriers between - you don't.

seriously though. it's up to you, really. i prefer to wait 5 seconds. it's not that hard.

[Homer]

Just use the small one if you don't see someone in a wheelchair within 10 feet of you.

-- Homer

[daryn]

right.. you don't. but do you ever think about how urinals are just totally wasted like this?

[LetsRock]

Niether - you just walk up and club the guy that is using YOUR fountain.

You passive guys just drive me nuts. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Wake up CALL]

Simply walk up to the fountain and take a whiz in the short fountain, very shortly you will have both fountains to yourself! Of course after this excercise I highly recommend choosing to drink from the tall fountain. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Men the Master]

It's not really a good idea to use the shorter water fountain when someone else is using the taller one. The reason is because the water that comes out of the taller fountain bounces off the mouth and lips of the person who is using that fountain and sprays it down to the face and left ear of the person using the shorter fountain.

This exact thing happened to me at the Mall yesterday. There was this little girl who was lifting his younger brother up so that his mouth could reach the water that came out of the shorter fountain. I then went to drink from the taller water fountain. As I did, the water that came out had such a very high velocity that most of it bounced off my mouth and got sprayed on to the smaller fountain where the kid was drinking. The end result was that the water that bounced off my mouth were making it to this kid's left ears and left face, and I'm sure my saliva was there too. He didn't mind though. Neither did his older sister.

[baggins]

totally. and then i realize that the one exception to this rule is major group functions, like concerts, sporting events, plays, movies etc. when you have 50-300 men using one bathroom - often in droves during intermission and after the movie gets out - then everybody knows that you just piss and don't worry about it. so that's when the urinals are not being wasted.

but usually, yeah. what a waste. what's a real waste is when a bathroom has exactly 2 urinals. what's the point? could have put in only one and been fine. i also hate when i walk in and there's a guy in the middle urinal.

when that happens i go to a stall. seriously. you know you do too.

[Clarkmeister]

1. I use the small fountain without a second thought.

2. If the only stall open is the handicapped stall, I use the handicapped stall. What, am I supposed to wait *in case* some handicapped person comes in? Bah, if they do, they can wait like everyone else.

3. I frequently hit the "auto open the door" button rather than have to phyisically do it myself. This habit used to drive a former g/f of mine absolutely nuts. /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
If the only stall open is the handicapped stall, I use the handicapped stall. What, am I supposed to wait *in case* some handicapped person comes in? Bah, if they do, they can wait like everyone else.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think the handicapped stall is like a handicapped parking spot. I think it's more like a ramp next to stairs. It's for all to use, handicapped or not. And I think it's a disabled stall. Or something.

[ QUOTE ]
I frequently hit the "auto open the door" button rather than have to phyisically do it myself.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's kind of weird, dude.

[ThaSaltCracka]

the water fountain issue is no where near the same thing as the urinal. First of all there are no johnsons invoved, hopefully, at the drinking fountain. Walk right up without hesistation.

[M.B.E.]

[ QUOTE ]
Please let me know your thoughts, I don’t want to have to wait for a Seinfeld episode to answer my question.


[/ QUOTE ]
You never know, maybe they'll do a reunion special to address this important matter.

Frankly neither Seinfeld nor an online poker forum is the best place to resolve issues of etiquette. You should write to Dan Savage (http://www.thestranger.com/authors/dansavage.html).

[blackriver]

You are a duesch bag. why are you in such a rush?