The Lumberjack

Issue date: 8/22/07 Section: Trend

Media Credit: Ashley Mackin

A ball hops and rolls, hops and rolls around and around a wheel. Eventually it falls into one of 38 pockets. This game is called "Roulette" and it's about coincidence.

A woman enters a bathroom, takes one step and turns sharp left. Immediately she steps into the first stall. This is called "A woman's likely behavior in a public bathroom" and it has little to do with coincidence.

The majority of female Humboldt State University students tend to choose the first or second stall in public bathrooms. Just ask Kevin Russell, 48, of Eureka, a custodian at the Humboldt State Library. "You can determine it by the use of paper," he said, "The first and second stall are used the most." Russell knows what he is talking about. He's been cleaning these bathrooms for 14 years now.

It's not a Humboldt State-library phenomenon. Linda Spencer, 59, and Dan Adams, 39, of McKinleyville, work as custodians in Founder's Hall. There, the first two stalls enjoy great popularity, too, they both said.

Why do so many women make the same decision when it comes to bathroom stalls?

Kara Fales, 32, of Eureka, often takes the first stall. "I don't know why though," she said and shrugged her shoulders.

Tybie J. Fitzhugh, 21, Riverside, is a representative of the second stall lovers. Why? She is not quite sure about that.

Others are more conscious about their decision. Jennifer Sowle, 50, of Arcata, is part of the Humboldt State Library staff. "Staff always have their preferences," she said.

In her case, choosing the first stall is the result of a highly analytical process. In which stall do I have to use a paddle to flush? Which flush works the best? Which seat material is the most comfortable? And the winner is: Bathroom stall number one.

Independent from unstable reasons like flush or seat quality, the explanation could also lie in our need for security. Having a wall on one side, the dangerous bathroom enemy is only able to attack from one, and not both sides. There may be another, very simple explanation, too. It's called pure laziness. True to the motto: Isn't a student's life already exhausting enough to make more steps than necessary?

Explanations are vague, one thing is certain: Once you have chosen a stall, you are likely to use it again. Human behavior is not like a ball moving in a wheel. We are predictable. Dr. Gregg Gold is an associate professor at the Humboldt State Psychology Department.

Continued...

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