People at work who do their make up in the staff toilets

[cheif]

I'm pregnant at the moment so have noticed this more as I need the loo more often but these people really annoy me!

Our office has those toilets where the wall of each cubicle doesn't reach the floor, so you can see the shoes of the person next door to you.

That's off-putting in itself when you need to do a big loud wee or rustling with tampax wrappers. But there are two ladies in the office who go into the loo and spend ages at the mirror/sinks reapplying their already perfect makeup, and I can't go for a wee when they are there! It's deathly quiet compared to the hum of the office and I get stage fright and can't wee!

It's like my body won't let me so I end up just flushing the loo and coming out and washing my hands in a grump. Why the need to reapply and be in there for ages multiple times a day!

AIBU that they should do what we all do, which is usually just a quick touch up after we've been to loo and washed our hands and then leave rather than a mammoth makeup session.

Do all you people who try to hide the noise think that we don't know why you're in there? If you don't make any noise do you think we all think you're just having a sit down?

It's a toilet. You've gone in to use the toilet. Hiding the noise doesn't erase that knowledge from the other people in the room. I really do wonder how some people function in adult life sometimes.

Don't put paper down the toilet first. That's the most idiotic thing people do in the toilet. It just ends up blocking it up once you've done your business and then added more paper from cleaning up. Ever wonder why public toilets always have toilet paper still stuck in There? It's because people or too much in and it won't all flush. Bloody stupid suggestion from a pp. Don't do it.

Literally never had this experience, because I’m talking about 4 sheets of paper, not great fistfuls of the stuff. No need to be such a drama queen about it...

This is the more extreme reaction to public peeing.

Paruresis is believed to be a common type of social phobia, ranking second only to the fear of public speaking. ... In severe cases, a person with paruresis can only urinate when alone at home. The condition is also known as 'avoidant paruresis', 'shy bladder syndrome', 'psychogenic urinary retention' and 'pee-phobia'.

The problem is, people do use fistfulls. And I don't believe for a second that you've never seen a public toilet stuffed up with toilet paper.

It's also a complete and utter waste of paper. And completely unnecessary. You're using the toilet. If you're so embarrassed that you can't let someone hear you urinate when you're in a toilet then you need help.

YABVU for expecting people not to do their make up because it puts you off using the loo.

where else are they supposed to do their make-up

At home, before they come to work.

Flushing to mask the noise, or putting paper down is ridiculous and so wasteful.

Some people are just like this. I knew a nurse who could not wee if someone else was in the loos and would hear. She was a nurse, she berated herself for being a nurse and not able to wee when others were there. Just telling her to 'get over it' would not have worked people! It rarely does!

Shock! Horror! People react differently to different things. It doesn't mean you are superior to people who are different from you! Just instructing them to be more like you is not likely to effect change..

I get the 'stage fright' too but I put my hands over my ears so I can't hear it myself. Like if I can't, neither can they. Weird but seems to help!

I used to be annoyed by colleagues doing their makeup in the loo, especially when they should be working.

They were a pain being in the way when I went in to actually use the loo.

In my opinion, they never looked any different from when they started.

I remember two women who wouldn't leave the office without touching up their lipstick, off went their computers, mugs into sink, desks tidied, out came compacts followed by lipsticks, all before their finish time.

I hate it cause they're getting in the way, taking up sink space, spraying perfume and generally being a nuisance. I'd be in favour of removing mirrors from the toilets...that might put them off doing their slap in there. I find it hilarious that people who are saying to OP to get over her body issues with peeing when others can hear...maybe the people who need to do their makeup should get over their body issues? Hmm...

Tampax when pregnant?

hate this when you need a poo!

I think it's pathetic that women need to re-apply make-up at work; don't women realise how much this kind of thing undermines us? Women are still fighting to be treated equally in the workplace and need to focus on doing a good job - not wasting their employers time and fretting about what they look like. I thought we wanted to be valued for what we can do - not what we look like FFS?!

Where do you suggest they do it, at their desks?
Back in my carefree days when I actually went out after work, all trooping into the loo to make up and possibly change clothes at the end of the working day (usually involving some ladies in underwear talking to each with cubicle doors open while others wee’d, asking if anyone had a spare tampon or whatever) was the norm. It was nice actually, a mix that could be the humblest office runner, secretaries, managers, directors, all together chatting as complete equals just getting ready for an evening out.

You need to relax a bit: no-one is listening to you.

I do my makeup in the toilets 😆 soooo I am one of the offenders.
Makes me wonder if I work with you Op... yesterday I went for a wee then touched my makeup up ... cubicle next to me there was closed but not a peep out of them.
Not even a rustle or a cough, I wondered if they were still alive at one point!
Was that you OP?!!!

@emmylousings I’m valued for what I do, but I also care about my appearance at work. So yes I am pathetic 🙈

Put paper down first to drown out some of the noise.
Apparently Japanese women turn the tap on to drown the noise, only works in a toilet that has a sink obviously.

Our office is very corporate and there is no way one of the directors would be using the loo with the door open and chatting away! Would be horrified if they did to be honest!

I'm not talking about doing make-up before say, Friday night drinks. It's during the day and multiple times a day and not just touch ups but very long make up sessions. It takes over the sink and mirror area. I do my make up at home in there morning but at work I only take a lip gloss to touch up when it wears off so maybe I'm the minority.

Have taken to glancing over at said colleagues to see if they're at their desks and if so I know the 'coast is clear' for me to use the toilet

Those wondering how I cope in the World without immediately admitting myself for psychiatric help, would be horrified at another thing that happens...

I can't be the only one that gets stage fright as once I ended up going into the loo at he same time as a lady from Marketing who I don't know very well other than nod and hello in the lift each morning.

We ended up in the cubicles next to each other politely clearing our throats and clearly waiting for the other person to start their business first. A "Wee-Off" if you will.

Both of us obviously having been born with deeply routed issues were unable to wee (unless she did so completely silently?!) that we ended up just flushing and washing hands and leaving.

@cheif I have to say the wee off made me laugh 😂

Am chuckling at the idea that reapplying your makeup in the loo makes you pathetic or somehow implies that you're not focusing on the work.

I work in a male-dominated field, have been promoted several times, am the youngest by 10-15 years at my level, earn 6 figures in my early 30s: I assume all this implies I am taken seriously at work, despite taking time out at lunchtime to freshen up my makeup.

But perhaps I am wrong! Who knows what heights I might achieve if I didn't do that - I mean, the mind boggles! Thanks for the valuable career advice @emmylousings.

@mrsgandy

I'm not like this in public toilets or in restaurants or where I don't know people. I couldn't care less if they heard me. But it just happens at work and is made worse by the 'make up colleagues' long pampering sessions.

One was painting her nails in there once when I went in! She was in it for the long haul as she had a bottle of top coat too. No chance of doing toilet duties on that occasion. Think I just turned on my heel and left

its ok Chief i too have a shy bladder and i cant go if i know someone can hear me, so like you i either dont go, or i go super slowly, or i line the loo with toilet paper, or if i think i can rush it i flush and go as hard and fast as i can till the noise stops, i cant even pee in front of my husband or if i think he can hear me... get creative, turn on some music on your phone, or flush, or a few sheets of paper to stop the tinkle sound, or sit forward so it hits the front wall of the bowl

Clearly something wrong with the company. So much stress for the women about their office looks.

Nope. Nothing wrong with the company and is actually a nice place to work. We're all a mixture of big, small, some who wear make up and some who don't. Some who come in with wet hair from the shower, some with extreme piercings and tattoos and we don't bat an eye lid at any of it as we have no office dress code. We would always dress more formally if meeting clients though.