re: Space awareness in campsite loos

[Mindyourownbusiness]

Went camping this weekend, lovely little break, great very spacious facilities, shower rooms, long row of loos and handbasins and mirrors opposite (about 12 in a row). Also a row of mirrors with just worktop/ shelf (no basins) for make-up, hair drying etc I suppose.

First morning - in l goes with my toilet bag to do my oblutions. I was standing in front of second to end basin looking in mirror cleaning my face with cleanser/cotton wool with a headband on etc and thinking - ' oh this is nice /great facilities etc etc ' ( last place we stayed they were very very basic and not good ). There was no-one else in at all.

With that in she comes - a youngish woman about thirty/thirty five, walks past the whole row of sinks to get to the end one next to me, maybe eight inches between our elbows, then proceeds to vigourously brush her teeth.

Why ?

This sort of thing has happened to me before and l just dont understand - l really dont.

I even went back in later with my friend and l pointed out where l had stood and where she stood and there was no extra space or extra light or any other factor at all to explain why she chose that sink. Also l observed lady later interacting with her group and she seemed intelligent , polite etc etc.

Very puzzling and makes me more than a little l'm afraid.

Rant over.

I'm actually getting annoyed while reading this thread. I'm soooo anti-social! When we go to the cinema I always sit in the back row right at the corner, so I have nobody behind me, and DH sits the other side so I have no stranger near me. If I'm in a queue e.g. in M&S for coffee, and someone keeps bumping my tray, I take step forward then turn and say to them, "give me a bit of space...no need to stand so close". In a restaurant I always sit with my back to the wall around the edge of the room, so there's nobody behind me or trying to creep past my chair.

re the shopping thing - I reckon such people get terrified you're going to get something and they're going to miss out

Hecate
"I think your mistake is looking for sense where there is none. Looking for logic where it doesn't exist"

No No Nooooooooooooooooo !!

I have to know

It's obvious these people are just sheep and following the herding tendency. Be thankful you're not a sheep yourself!

I'm actually not that thankful not be one of them - seeing as they exist (and I wish they didn't) surely they're the lucky ones. They go out into the world and find it just as they want it; unbothered, and in fact comforted by stiflingly close proximity to complete strangers - unlike me who is sometimes pushed to near-panic by the ridiculous behaviour, I've had to leave queues when almost made it to the till just because I can't stand the breathing down my neck anymore. YUCK!

I'm with Mindyourown - we MUST get to the bottom of this. I beg a cling-on to come on-thread and explain. We won't be mean or tell you to back the hell off - promise! We just want to understand so we can bloody well locate the cure asap

Yes I'd like to know as well. I get panicky and stressed when people are too close although my main issue is toilet cubicles and I mustn't lose sight of the importance of a solution to that problem.

I've got a friend who almost leans against me when we're walking somewhere. Much as I love her I feel like running away at times

Yay Superslinger I have an ally in my quest.

We could wear sharp black suits and stilletos and have guns , sort of 'Women in Black'

A friend of DHs fits security cameras , we could get him to fit some in public loos and then one of us lie in wait and the other be a honey trap for one of these 'space invaders'. When one attacks we could bundle them away in a car to MNHQ (Justine wont mind l'm sure ) our 'Headquarters' for 'questioning'.

Can I join you (at a discreet distance)? Or are 3 a crowd? I wouldn't want to join a crowd.

Yes Vikinglady you can be Head of Alternate Cubicle Security and providing you're not slimmer/younger or better looking than me will also be issued with a sharp black suit and stilletos.

.

Ah yes ladies, l can see us now - being presented with the Nobel Peace Prize, for ridding society of this curse and saving the planet.

Do you think Justine & co. will try and get a look in and steal some of our thunder and get in all the photos ? Us being founded on Mumsnet and all .

Ooh we need a name - This is sooooo exciting.

It's a herding thing . We were in Disneyland Paris recently . There is a big cinema inside a huge restaurant . I sat down with baby ds and it was completely empty . Along comes a couple and sat right in front of me !!! I asked them to move because he was sat on the bench and was enjoying it . I had buggy ad bags because we had checked out and dh and dd had gone off to go on a ride . Why oh why?? I usually go to the furthest point from people !!!

I'd like to help too.

Ok so the toilet thing.....I confess, at work there are 3 loos and I ALWAYS choose the middle one. Its cleanest and always has loo roll....because the rest of the world is in the end ones. Same anywhere, i always choose the middle.

The odd woman in the ladies...tis me

Jins of course you can. You are obviously dedicated to 'the cause' to deter these washroom clingons and I found your vow in your above post resume not to lose sight of our goal particularly impressive.

You're in ! providing you also are not slimmer/younger/prettier than me sharp suit and stillettos on way.

In fact l will make you Head of Media and Public Relations.

Part of your task is to think up a slogan for us cos l cant think of one.

'

Oh my God - we need shades to complete the look - of course - how could l not think of that.

Jins get onto it straight away.

I'll be older, fatter and uglier I'm sure but I'll get on with a slogan.

Ladies - we have a live one.

I think territory needs to be in the slogan somehow.

If you were at the end sink (furthest frmo the door) and she came and stood at the one next to you, is it possible that seemed "neater" in her mind? If anyone else came in it was obvious where they were in the sink hierarchy, there was no messy walking between people just to realise the sink between them is full of vomit...you walk in, you are presented with your sink - the next one in the queue?

Hmm - having read the whole thread, I think I may exude either a 'stay clear' ice queen type of froideur or the world's most revolting body odour. People do not tend to congregate in my direction, or the direction of my car, when there are other spaces they could be in...

[Fervently hopes it's the former]

I have the opposite situation - no-one ever comes near me! I do wash honestly! And I think I look fairly normal & don't mutter to myself.
If I am on a bus the seat next to me will be taken last, unless the passenger is a woman & the only other seats are next to men. I can sit in pubs quietly. Even sex pests seem to avoid me unless they are very drunk & presumably miss my negative aura.
I suspect I have Aspergers, although not diagnosed and wonder if I don't give off 'normal' social signals somehow?

Costa coffe virtually empty lots and I means lots of free tables. Myself and a friend having a great old chat when two lunatic strangers sat right next to us at the same fecking table!!!!!!

I think I used to emit quite a decent fuck-off field, but then I had a baby. Now all sorts of random nutters overly friendly people seem to think it is acceptable to press up against me, breathing at me, whilst poking and prodding my pfb. And apparently it is rude to object. Personal space, people!

I've been googling - mainly to find a slogan - and have found some interesting facts.

There's a theory that or amygdalas are involved in personal space issues.

From wikipedia

The amygdala processes reactions to violations concerning personal space. These reactions are absent in persons in whom the amygdala is damaged bilaterally

So obviously there is something wrong with these space invaders