There’s an old saying: ‘Children should be seen and not heard’. I’m not sure if I agree with that (although I probably did when my own kids were little) but there’s one thing I’m very sure of: what goes on inside the smallest room in the house should be neither heard, nor seen!
Which is why a story I came across this week has left me perplexed. The story told of a tourist who entered his New Zealand hotel suite to find a toilet cubicle in the corner.The cubicle was made of glass which, although frosted, was still quite transparent.
What’s more, the cubicle walls did not extend to the ceiling, making it effectively an open air affair. Now I’m no prude, but in my mind, this is just not on! Firstly, the semi-transparent glass situation reveals too much. Ablution activities are a private matter, surely. I would not want anyone looking in on my toilet activities and I’m certainly not interested in a visual display of theirs.
As for the cubicle walls, the only acceptable situation for toilet cubicle walls and doors that are not floor to ceiling is as part of an outdoor toilet block. In a park or at the beach is acceptable, but that’s it.
As a cricket player I come across cubicles that share a same-room pace with change rooms. Unless those cubicles are floor to ceiling and near vacuum-sealed, no – just no!
Such a thing is bad enough when you’re putting your cricket gear on, but it should never, ever be found in a hotel suite where you might be reading a book, watching TV, or even ‘getting in the mood’ for romance.
Do you agree?