Stuck in a Bathroom Stall

I don't know if any of you have read my sister Leesa's blog, but you really should. It's chuck full of great stories. Because she posted an old classic on her blog, I feel justified in doing the same.

Monday, July 25, 2005 - USC

I went to the restroom around 1:30 today. I was through in about one minute, and when I was ready to go, I tried opening the door of the stall, but it was stuck. I jiggled the handle and nothing. I was stuck in the stall! There was one woman just washing up and leaving and I was too embarrassed at first to say anything. I waited for a minute and someone else came in. I got up the courage to speak up as she was washing her hands. She said, “Oh, are you stuck?” because she must have heard me fiddling with the handle. She offered her keys, but that didn’t help. The bottom of the door is so close to the ground that I would have had to dive onto my stomach to get out. I really did not want to do that. She went to ask the closest receptionist to call a custodian.

Then about three people came in at once, one being the receptionist, and they all were making comments like “You’re making history,” “Someone will come rescue you,” and “Well, at least if you have to go, you’re in the right place.” Then Maria, the girl I work with who is pregnant and in the restroom about every hour, was laughing and said “Jessica, is that you?” and that made me laugh so hard that I had tears. Anyway, I stood there for 20 minutes until the custodian came and rescued me by popping the handle off with two screw drivers. While waiting, I was thinking there is probably not a better place I would want to be stuck. I was also imagining a big group of women standing out in the hall clapping for me when I came out, like when Jessica McClure was rescued from the well. Anyway, it was some of the funniest 20 minutes I’ve had in a long time, and it also split up my long and boring day at work.