You Barely Occupied Their Thoughts

(My husband and I stop at a gas station on a trip to the beach. We both decide to use the restrooms. The doors on the individual stalls have unusually large — to me — gaps at the bottom, at least a foot high. While I am in one of the stalls, a woman comes up and tries to open the door.)

Me: “Occupied.”

Woman #1: *bangs on the door* “Somebody in there?”

Me: “Yes.”

Woman #1: *bangs again* “Helloooo?”

Me: “YES, OCCUPIED!”

(The woman bends down and peers under the door, not just looking at my feet, but she actually makes eye contact with me!)

Woman #1: “Oh. There’s someone in this one.” *to someone else* “This one’s being used.”

(She walks away and goes to the stall beside me. Another woman comes up and looks under again, this time without knocking or anything.)

Woman #2: “Oh, yeah. This one, too.”

Woman #1: “No, that’s the one I just told you about!”

Woman #2: “Oh.”

(When I left the stall, the second woman was still waiting. As I passed her, she huffed and said, “Finally,” under her breath. I wasn’t in there for more than five minutes! When I told my husband about my encounter, he said I should have winked at the women since they were so intent on seeing me.)