What Goes in the Bathroom, Stays in the Bathroom

Concerned reader Teresa writes the following:

The women in my office have asked the men to discontinue taking the community newspaper into the restroom. It is hitting the men’s room about five+ times/day. We do not feel comfortable reading the paper when it returns into the office.

Any advice on proper newspaper-bathroom etiquette?

Have you ever heard the saying What goes in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Well, it’s the same thing with the newspaper. Once that newspaper hits the bathroom, it should never leave the bathroom again, except maybe on a nonstop trip to the recycling bin.

If you want to take a book or a magazine to the bathroom at home, fine. If you want to bring in your own book to read on the toilet at work, fine. But public, communal or shared reading material stays out of the bathroom.

And one more thing – don’t put the newspaper on the floor to read it! I know the newspaper is big and awkward, but public bathroom floors are disgusting. Once that newspaper hits the floor nothing short of a hazmat suit should be used to pick it up again. So whatever you do don’t put it on the floor, then pick it up and put it on a shelf like nothing ever happened. Yuck.