Look, obviously a women's bathroom. Even if you can't read the word, "WOMEN", you still know. Her....stylish shirt dress gives it away at first glance. And, if you are still lost and think it may be a kilt, you can simply compare it to the sign on the other door.
While it is true that people can wear pants regardless of gender, I think the point of these are pretty clear.
I had always figured this was common worldwide. If I could tell the difference between cartoon humanoid cutouts and knew the words for men and women in whatever language was native, I'd be fine.
I was wrong. Oh, the naivety of me.
This is what I got for assuming others do things the same way Americans do.
What?!?! A circle or a triangle, what is that supposed to mean? Wait, I'm a smart woman. I made it through engineering school. I've taken 14 years of math. I should be more than qualified to tell the different between basic geometric shapes. I can logic this out.
Which to choose? Which to choose? Hmmm, do I think women are more likely to be represented by circles or triangles?
I guess we're curvy so maybe we're round, like circles.
But, I am wearing a skirt, and it is rather triangle-shaped.
And, we're known for being nice so would someone really consider women to have such pointy edges?
Really, do I want to consider myself a circle? I think that implies I'm fat. Stupid circle.
Argh....this isn't getting me anywhere.
Geometric shapes do not seem like a good alternative to little humanoid cutouts. Thankfully, some university students helped me out and I was able to avoid stepping into the men's restroom and being yelled at to leave in Polish. Or worse, stepping into the men's restroom and not being yelled at to leave in Polish.
Make sure to remember women are circles and men are triangles. It may come in helpful some day. Maybe I should start drawing people like this to try and ingrain it in your mind.
On second thought, I don't think so. Neither Josh nor I look very happy. I vote we stick with the humanoid cutouts.
Until next time, God bless America.
Funny. I assumed women would be circles, but I don't know why. Speaking of the humanoid cutouts, I've walked into the men's bathroom twice once in Burger King and the other at work and did not realize I was in the wrong bathroom until I saw the urinals reflected in the mirror. Embarrasing! Luckily I was the only in the bathroom in both cases.
ReplyDeleteI did that at a movie theater once. I didn't look at the signs and walked right in, and then urinal. Thankfully, no one was in there.
DeleteMaybe the circle has been subconsciously etched in your mind. When I was looking for a picture, many of them showed the little humanoid woman over a circle and the man over a triangle. Maybe we've seen it hundreds of times throughout our lifetimes and never noticed.
Hmmm...maybe women have a circle-like breast, while men have another loosely triangular-shaped anatomical feature? I feel like asking people for their interpretations would be an excellent psychology test.
ReplyDeleteThat would be interesting. I would have guessed wrong because I see a stick figure skirt. And, you could argue the male anatomical feature you are discussing is round at the end. I'm not sure which is right. I just want to step into the correct bathroom.
DeleteMy reasoning would have totally went:
ReplyDeleteCircle... Kind of male. Like the testicle. Maybe he lost one in an unfortunate biking accident.
Triangle... That's totally a vagina.
But my mind may just be in the gutter.
Hugs!
Valerie
I chose to forgo allusions to certain body parts to try and keep it PG. But, I definitely see your point.
DeleteI don't know, I think an ambiguous circle would make me look fat. Can we change it to an oval?
ReplyDeletePerhaps. That would be quite an improvement. Maybe we should start a petition and in the mean time draw over all the circles with sharpies.
DeleteI hope I don't run into those signs, I'll probably have forgotten your advice by then! If I were to come across those, I think maybe I'll pee in their sink, just to make a point...better signs!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with Super Sunday Sync!
http://dawnsdisaster.blogspot.com/2012/10/super-sunday-sync-4.html
We hope to see you next week :)
If you do forget, I think you should just loiter outside the doors until someone else goes in or out. You can be not-so-subtly "check your email" on your phone to make it clear you are not just standing there for no reason.
Delete