I'm going to tell you a very embarrassing story, and I'm not going to tell you when or where it happened. Indeed, it could have taken place yesterday, the week before, or five years ago, in Europe, America or Asia. The only thing you can know for sure is that it happened, and it happened to me.
On an unspecified day, in an unspecified place, when I was participating in an unspecified event, with an unspecified set of friends, I suddenly needed to take a dump. It was one of those that you simply can't postpone. One of those that are half way there already and the need to release it is put on your brain's list of priorities right up there with breathing. When I got to the toilet, it was fairly busy with people constantly streaming in and out. There was only one cubicle available, it was free and I went in.
Problem number 1:
The door did not fucking lock.
As I said already, the toilet was fairly busy and with only two urinals, people were bound to try to push on the cubicle door to check if it was occupied. And if I was in there doing my business, and that very thing happened, who would be more embarrassed? It would obviously be me.
Luckily, I was able to take the dump whilst pushing on the door with both my arms. And when I said I pushed, I pushed hard. You know that scene in Star Wars, where they're stuck in the rubbish dump and the walls start closing in on them? That's exactly how important I felt it was to keep that door closed. So after I had taken the dump, I encountered...
Problem number 2:
THERE WAS NO FUCKING TOILET PAPER.
YES. YOU READ THAT RIGHT. TURNS OUT IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN IN SEINFELD, IT HAPPENS TO ME TOO.
I'm sure you've been in situations like this before. Maybe not exactly the same one, but you know what I'm talking about. In situations like this, time ceases to exist. Suddenly there is no future, there is no past, there's simply the predicament you're in, and you're in it now.
So what did I do? Well, I did something. Something that got me out of the situation with no one even having the slightest inkling of what had just happened to me. But I'm not going to tell you what I did, because I want to know what you would have done.
Here are the resources I had available to me:
- A toilet.
- A toilet brush.
- An empty toilet paper dispenser.
- An open window.
- My mobile phone.
- My wallet.
- My clothes.
Remember that:
- The cubicle door does not lock.
- There is only one cubicle.
- There are no paper towels outside the cubicle.
- There is a constant stream of people going in and out of the toilet.
What would you have done?
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Rob (not verified)This is actually fantasic! It's like one of those murder mystery riddles!
If I am to guess what it is that you did, (which is what I'd far rather do than have to think my way out of that mess) then I'll need to know what you were wearing, specifically, any excess garments such as vests or shirts. And also: what was on the other side of the open window?
Addendum
By PhilipI was wearing:
- Hoodie.
- T-shirt.
- Jeans.
- Belt.
- Boxers.
- Socks.
- Shoes.
The open window led to outside.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Rob (not verified)The T-shirt and potentially the socks ended up outside. I can tell.
The saviour you and everybody else always mocked
By MichaelAhh! A familiar predicament I must say. Well, that's why I always carry a handkerchief. Who's laughing now, eh?
Re: Burrows
By PhilipYeah sure. It would never happen. That's what I thought. But the truth is, when you have to go, when you really have to go. You have to go. And nothing, nothing will stop you from going. Not even the lack of toilet paper.
Although in this case I did not check beforehand. There was only one thing on my mind.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PhilipBurr, you don't normally carry a 'chief around with you, do you? You seem like the kind of person who would though. Or maybe a packet of Handy Andies?
Re: A Sticky Situation
By ThomasI'm going to be honest and say this situation has happened to me before and concur with Phil that sometimes you just HAVE to go. I went for use of the boxers I was wearing, as my first option of the toilet tube dispenser proved impossible.
In other 'taking a dump' news, I had a different problem to Phil when in Paris. Staying with a friend in this old lady's house, I discovered that her toilet did not lock. Worse, I couldnt do the 'star wars push' on the door because the toilet and the door were too far away from each other (and projectile dumps are physically impossible as far as I know).
Of course in most situations there would be no chance of anyone picking the 5 minutes I chose for my dump to open that door. Or fail to respond to loud shouts of 'NON!' when they began to turn the handle on the door. No chance whatsoever.
Unless you were in Paris of course....
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PhilipPerhaps Burr is in the minority if it has never happened to him. Yet. It's only a matter of time, my friend.
We often joke that our conversations always seem to bring up the topic of 'taking dumps'. I think the uncharacteristic inundation of comments has confirmed our obsession with the subject.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Nigel (not verified)Seeing as you were so desperate to take this dump, I'm going to take a guess and say you may have had one of those dumps that come out so fast and with so much brute force that it does not leave a trail which needs to be wiped.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Jonny Baillie (not verified)Hmm, i'm going for the option that phil had some receipts in his wallet which did just enough to cover for toilet roll... Though the mention of a an open window makes Rob's suggestion sound more believable. I trust you'll reveal the mystery at some point, or as someone apparently said in explaining a colonoscopy thing - "we'll get to the bottom of this..."
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Philip@ Nigel
I'm afraid it was a sloppy, loose, slurpy effort. The ones that you're constantly farting for about two hours beforehand. Although I do know the one's you're talking about - it's always so surprising when you go to wipe and nothing appears on the toilet paper.
@ JB
I'm afraid unlike George Costanza, I do not keep receipts in my wallet. (What's the point?) And as for revealing what I did... it might be best if I didn't. It may just be a bit too shocking, even for mm.
Re: Colonoscopy joke
By PhilipThat just reminded me about PBL on Tuesday when someone asked the facilitator (who was acting as a Down syndrome patient) whether she was feeling 'down' (as in depressed).
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Rob (not verified)To provide us with such a mystery and then not provide us with an answer is just evil, you can't do that!!
You CAN'T!
"Just one more thing." General opinion is that the boxers would have been used then discarded out the window. However, I would argue that removing shoes, belt, jeans, boxers in question, then replacing them all the others again would be next to impossible to accomplish while ensuring the door remained firmly shut. A T-shirt would be easier to remove, one arm at a time. Whatever happened, something went out the window, didn't it?
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PhilipHonestly, it's for your own benefit that I don't tell you what I actually did.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Rob (not verified)But that must mean...
your HANDS?!
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PhilipHaha. Who knows?
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PorterThere are two awesome things about this post
1) "The Star Wars Push" now becomes a phrase we can all use and love. There have been many times I have needed to have such a phrase at hand. Urban dictionary anyone?
2) It has been graced with a comment of mine.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Anonymous (not verified)This is obvious.
Simply pull up your underwear, trousers, and leave. Squelch out and find another bathroom
If you try to wipe with them, and its not enough, you have jettisoned the safety net that will keep your trousers clean.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By MichaelI don't see what the big deal is here. I don't ever wipe.
Re: A Sticky Situation
By Anonymous (not verified)I don't ever shit
Re: A Sticky Situation
By PhilipReverse peristalsis?
Nope.
By MichaelNot reverse peristalsis, just the Burr.
Phil- you have to tell us
By Lisa (not verified)Phil- you have to tell us what you did, please!!!! Personally I would not make such a rookie error- ALWAYS check the toilet roll situation. But if i did i would probably go for the underwear up, run home option myself lol. And also- I don't think i have ever heard you say 'dump' before lol.
Re: Phil- you have to tell us
By PhilipWell, as I said, the only thing on my mind at that point was to drop the load. Fast.
'Dump' is a favourite word of mine. I started using it ever since House said it in an episode in season 2. I guess it just never comes up in conversation with you. Unlike when I'm in back in Belfast, when it seems to come up in conversation every single day.
I cant believe this topic is
By Jonny Baillie (not verified)I cant believe this topic is still going, oh but Phil also remember you promised you'd reveal all @ the grad ball! Though looking over the suggestions i kinda think the pull trousers up and find another to wipe is the best option, though if you say its so disgusting for the mango it makes me think you did something totally rediculous.
Readers of a nervous disposition stop reading here.
1. Did you pick up the dump, and put it back inside the back passage?!!! Then wash your hands?
2. Did you walk out with trousers down and use the handryer to blow dry your backside then go home and shower it clean?
3. Was there a dead bird at the window you used the feathers from to wipe?!
Am sure you'll agree, all equally likely.
Jonny Bizzle...
By Philip"Then wash your hands?" - LOL.
Need the reveal
By David Hammond (not verified)Phil,
You need to do the right thing and tell me what you did. I want to know so that whenever I find myself in the same situation, I can draw from your experience on how to handle it.
Why have I not received the reveal?
By Chopsticks are lame (not verified)And why is my comment being ignored? This sort of thing makes me want to cancel my Google Reader subscription in disgust.
WHAT THE HELL DID PHIL WIPE HIS ASS WITH!!!
Don't do that now...
By PhilipDon't do that now...
If I told you the reveal then you would just forget about this whole episode and it would disappear into obscurity. The fact that I haven't told anyone has meant that this story is slowly becoming a thing of legend.
You've made me very angry
By Phil is lame (not verified)Stop trying to be 'Lost'. If you're not going to tell what you did, it's not a story, and there's no point in putting it in your blog. You're just being annoying, and it seems like you enjoy that. I'm just going to purge this story from my memory, and thereby kill your legend. I will also unsubscibe this blog from Google Reader, so there's no chance of me coming back to check for a reveal, since you are just trying to be 'Lost'.
You had your chance, and you blew it. Goodbye.
PS, I hate the TV show Lost as well.
I don't believe you.
By PhilipI don't believe you. I think you're going to keep subscribing because you think there's a chance you might find out eventually. And you might. As you say, it's just like Lost. Lost always wins.
I'll give you a clue. Would you like a clue? Here it is...
Five minutes after I discovered my predicament... I found a hidden underground bunker.
Clean your ass with that
By Michael1) Phil always wins. He's like John Locke. He cannot be killed. He cannot be beaten. My earliest memory of Phil winning was when he called my bluff at the age of about 9. His cognitive function even back then was phenomenal.
2) Lost the TV show is awesome.
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