Everybody needs some “me time” once in a while, a chance to be alone for a few minutes to recharge and collect your thoughts.
But for many people, there’s only one place you can really get some definite privacy: the toilet.
Yes, the porcelain throne is an unlikely fortress of solitude for many busy people, a way to get a few minutes of quiet time from your spouse or kids. It’s such a convenient excuse that a lot of us have at some point used the bathroom even when we didn’t have to use the bathroom.
If you’re guilty of this, you’re not alone: a study revealed that men spend an average of seven hours a year hiding in the bathroom… as a way to get away from the wife and kids for a moment.
According to The Mirror, a study by bathroom company Pebble Grey polled 1,000 British men and found about a third of them fessed up to “hiding” in the can once in a while.
Reasons included avoiding “nagging” wives, hiding from the kids, or just getting a quiet moment to check ones phone. Others admitted to doing it to a void chores and housework.
Which sounds a bit harsh and selfish, but we all lead busy, hectic lives, and if a guy needs a few minutes to recharge in the can, who are we to judge?
“We all need a little bit of time to ourselves – to take stock or switch off completely,” a company spokesperson said. “And the bathroom appears to be the go-to place for those moments – it’s very much a sanctuary, somewhere we can cut ourselves off from the outside world, albeit just temporarily.”
“As the results suggest, peace and quiet is sacred and clearly men take the opportunity to get this where they can – often in the bathroom.”
Not that this escape plan is foolproof: the study also found that 1-in-10 visits to the bathroom gets interrupted. (Possibly by your wife who’s figured out you’re just avoiding those dishes.)
And ladies aren’t off the hook: the same study found that one-fifth of women admit to doing the same thing… although 72 percent of women say they’re the ones keeping the bathroom clean, so really, they’ve earned it.
So to all the people reading this article on the toilet to avoid their kids, know that you’re not alone.
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