Going to the bathroom in the comfort of your home is paradise in itself; being able to do your business with no pressure or distractions, just you and the toilet. That’s when reality hits, you are bombarded with a repugnant odor of fruits and urine and a crowd of girls spilling the latest gossip. Waiting in the painfully long line was bad enough, but now you find yourself stuck in an enclosed space, claustrophobic and vulnerable, waiting for the chaos to end.  

Many elements  contribute to the unstable environment school restrooms hold, but the worst of them all is the people. There are three types of restroom regulars: those who gather in the bathrooms to exchange gossip, those who make the bathroom their personal vape café, and those who are too excited to be part of a devious lick.

Listening to gossip is entertaining every once in a while, but when it is constant and inappropriately-timed, it becomes very irritating. The worst part is when that chatting group blocks all access to stalls, sinks, and towels. These walking gossipers only seem to know how to use their mouths, while their legs are apparently incapable of moving themselves out of the way and finding a different place to talk about their most recent breakup.

Things get worse as the already repulsive smell of urine and feces gets added to the smell of artificial berries and nicotine. We cannot all enjoy tranquility, but perhaps try to send that fruity smoke somewhere else. Sure, you want to look “cool” or “mysterious,” it is only normal for teenagers to have these strange desires, but you will only look like a stoner, deteriorating both physical and mental health, and annoy those around you. 

There is no reason to walk in and find a sink demolished in front of you, trash cans on top of stalls, and soap dispensers no longer available. The devious lick trend was never that funny. It did nothing but deprive schools of resources and give students nightmares when they realized there is no more toilet paper to clean themselves with. Students would have to be looking forward to a hefty fine and serious consequences that could damage not only their school records but also criminal ones. Apart from stealing, the lack of hygiene and incredible damage that was done to the bathrooms is astonishing. Bathrooms no longer function properly which hurts those who actually need to go.

Floors filled with trash, hair, and a liquid you hope is not pee, distorted mirrors and a door that will not close. This unfortunately is a problem we created for ourselves by destroying these bathrooms via vandalism, sneakiness and dirtiness. The bathroom is not a social room, raging area, nor the place where manners do not exist. This place is a public area that is necessary for both students and staff, and due to janitor shortages, we are the ones responsible for keeping these areas clean for everyone. There are many ways we can contribute to ending this hellish reality, that is quite literally just moving, smoking somewhere else, and refrain from stealing or destroying any school property. So do us all a favor and leave unless you need to pee.