Mysophobia - sounds like a phobia of Myspace, but it isn’tJanuary 25th, 2007 @ 7:01 am
There’s a lady that works on the same floor as I do, over on the side the restroom’s on. She works in a different department, so I don’t even know her name. Of course we’re friendly with each other. If I see her in the kitchen heating up her lunch, I’ll ask about her weekend or what she’s currently working on. You know, the usual office small talk that we all do. But that’s it. Nothing more, nothing less.
Lately I’ve been running into her in the restroom also. There aren’t many women here at my office, so it’s odd to even have another person in the restroom with me at the same time. It seems that when this woman is in there, we’re always washing our hands at the same time. There are two sinks next to each other. So again, we exchange polite office small talk; are you having a good day, how is your project going, how’s your baby? We chat for a second and then she follows me out of the restroom and we both go back to work.
Last week I began to notice that she’s always in the bathroom when I’m in there.
This week I noticed that as soon as I walk by her cubicle on my way to the restroom, she jumps up and follows me in.
Again, she’ll hang around the sink chatting with me and then she’ll follow me out. I started to find it a little odd. Okay, a lot odd.
Then I figured out what the story is. She’s a germophobe* and doesn’t want to open the restroom door. She wants me to get it for her!
She’s totally using me. I don’t like it. But what can I do about it?
*apparently Howie Mandel is also a germophobe. I find this very interesting. Frema, I know you love him. Did you know this?
Work
Amy W
said,
January 25, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Omigosh, that is so freakin hilarious! Is there another route you can take to the bathroom where you don’t pass her by?
Working in a hospital setting, I understand the germophobe thing.
ReDinkyDink
said,
January 25, 2007 at 5:05 pm
Weird!
Rachel
said,
January 25, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Next time, walk into the bathroom and if she follows you, get back out before she has a chance to finish! Ha, take that you germaphobe!
Frema
said,
January 25, 2007 at 5:28 pm
That is too creepy. One day you should psyche her out–she make think you’re going to the bathroom, but really you’re on your way to the breakroom. Just to see how she reacts.
Also, I DID hear that about Howie Mandel, but no worries. I’m happy to keep my hands off of him while we make sweet, sweet love.
Cindy
said,
January 25, 2007 at 5:39 pm
Be thankful thats ALL she want you to do!
HollowSquirrel
said,
January 25, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Um. Weird. Let me think on how best to get her… I’ll get back to you. That is soooo damn weird though. Like she needs help.
Durga
said,
January 25, 2007 at 6:34 pm
LOL!
That’s SO funny! Plus, if u two are practically the only women on the floor…u ISabel are the only one using the door handle….which means that lady is freaked out about getting Isabel germs…hmm.
U should bake a cake with laxatives and give her the cake as a goodwill gesture. ha! she’ll be running to the bathroom all by herself and staying there!
anne nahm
said,
January 25, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Try to get her as your secret santa this year - you can get her a bottle of hand sanitizer and special bathroom mittens.
It would be super bad karma to lure her into the bathroom and then sprint out, leaving her trapped.
frannie
said,
January 25, 2007 at 7:20 pm
buy her a pair of gloves!
frannie
said,
January 25, 2007 at 7:21 pm
oh, and I knew that about Howie Mandel and that’s all I can think about when I watch Deal or No Deal! I know when the contestants touch him he is totally freaking out inside, but can’t show it!
Carrisa
said,
January 25, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Yeah I knew that about Howie… that’s why he doesn’t shake their hands he does the fist thing.
Isabel, you should first and foremost ask this woman her name. If you two are this tight you should know names. Secondly, I think this is hilarious and I love that you have made a new bathroom friend. It wouldn’t bother me that she’s “using me”. It would only bother me because I would want some privacy in the bathroom so that I can totally fart when I pee.
Emily
said,
January 25, 2007 at 7:53 pm
So you think if you just kept washing your hands waiting for her to finish and leave you’ll would be in there all day?
Christar
said,
January 25, 2007 at 8:38 pm
Holy cow! That would make me so mad! If I were you, I’d totally get back at her by walking to the bathroom, and having her follow you, and right as you get to the door, go, “Oh! I forgot my purse!” or something, and turn around. That way she’ll have to open the door, haha!!!
anna
said,
January 25, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Oh, I think you should try Emily’s idea of just washing your hands for a very long time. If your hands start to get pruney, you could always fix your hair and touch-up your make-up.
anna
said,
January 25, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I think you should totally do Emily’s idea of washing your hands for an incredibly long time. If they start to get pruny, you could start to fix your hair or make-up.
janet
said,
January 25, 2007 at 10:09 pm
can I just be judgemental for a minute and say that that is really stupid and annoying! if she really thinks that somehow following you to the bathroom is saving her from coming into contact with germs that is just silly!
okay, I’ll go back to nice janet mode now….
anniem
said,
January 26, 2007 at 12:06 am
You are totally talking about me aren’t you? I am one of “them”. I never was like this until I had my first baby and thought I’d lighten up with my second…no chance. I still make people wash their hands before touching my precious babe. It’s OK you can call me crazy, it’s a big joke in my family.
But, the bathroom thing, I am not that severe I don’t think. I grab the dor handle on the way in but on the way out I use paper towel. However…if there is no trash can by the door, the towel go on the floor. I know I need a therapist, STAT!
meritt
said,
January 26, 2007 at 1:14 am
I sat here and thought about this… putting myself in your position.
I guess this would piss me off. I would want privacy in the bathroom - so her following me in every day would start to get me angry. Then to have her ‘use’ you to open the door… well - I just couldn’t do that. I would come up with ways to psych her out.
1. Walk by and pretend I’m going to the rest room but as soon as she followed me in I would say “Oh I forgot I was supposed to make a phone call!” and hurry out… leaving her stranded in the rest room.
2. Walk by her on the way to the rest room but as soon as she stood and started to follow I would pull the “hmmm I forgot something at my desk!” bit and turn around and go back to my desk.
I would repeat this every day for a whole week.
3. Wash my hands, touch up my makeup and waste time just to see what she’ll do.
4. Say “No, You go first” when it’s time to leave.
amy
said,
January 26, 2007 at 2:34 am
as i was reading the comments i got to anniem and totally agree with her. i have an o.c.d. when it comes to germs. i wash my hands and use the towel i dried them with to open the door.
definitely weird, though!
Erika
said,
January 26, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Seriously? That’s seriously why? Good grief! There are people here that use the towel to open the bathroom door to leave (and also folks who throw that paper towel on the floor, come on anniem!!! that’s gross too!!), but then also use it to open the door to get back into the office. So thanks, I wouldn’t be a germophobe if you didn’t spread your bathroom germs all around!
I still have not recovered from that email about how many germs are on the bottom of your handbag that you put on your desk/table/etc.
Desiree
said,
January 26, 2007 at 6:07 pm
I don’t care if she is a germaphobe, she is using you and that is rude. She could use a kleenex to open the door for herself. Or you could gift her with a can of lysol and say “listen lady, I need to pee in peace” and let that be the end of it.
SJ
said,
January 27, 2007 at 12:39 am
Odd to say the least. I wonder what she would do if you went into her cubicle and touched all her stuff?
This makes me think about a lady that works with me. As she does not follow me into the bathroom, she does wash her hands for a very long time. And she has a very strict process for doing so. Somehow I always manage to end up in the bathroom with her while she’s doing her routine and I can’t help but stare….
ODD!
Chas
said,
January 27, 2007 at 5:30 pm
My husband is a germophobe. He will open bathroom doors when he’s going in, but after that he has a whole routine. He flushes with is foot. He turns on the water, then gets his paper towels, then washes his hands, takes the paper towels and dries, turns off the water with the paper towel, and uses the paper towel to shield his hand from the door handle on his way out. Then throws the towel away at the nearest trash can. Of course, that’s only in public restrooms (so far).
hola, isabel » Blog Archive » Nice to meet you, but please don’t expect me to shake your hand.
said,
August 9, 2007 at 4:20 pm
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