Most often, when I travel, I find a book to read to pass the time. The irony is on this trip, it was The Help. I was at the part where Aibileen is told, by Ms Leefolt, she has been given her own bathroom in the garage. As politely as Ms. Leefolt can she's trying to convey how this new bathroom for Aibileen is the only one she wants her maid to use. Aibileen gets it and reassures her she'll be taking herself to the garage to use the bathroom for now on.
All this talk of bathrooms has me wanting to go myself. My seat is in coach class. The plane is a small one with double seating and a single aisle passing through the middle. It's been a long time since I've been on such a small plane, most of my international travesl have me on a large plane with 2-3-2 seating and two aisles going down the length of the plane.
I look down towards the end of the plane and see two flight attendants fixing up the food and beverage cart. Oddly enough, I see no bathroom or doors on either the left or right of the plane in front of them. I look through the crack of the first class curtain, dividing the rich and average, and spy a man leaving the bathroom. My thought is I better act fast or find myself trapped when the cart begins its journey through the aisle.
Releasing my seatbelt, I leverage myself up so as to not pull on the seat in front of me or hit my head on the compartment above, I inch my way into the aisle, through the first class and to the bathroom. The flight attendant in charge of first class suspiciously eyes me as she asks if she can help me. I smile brightly, as my mother has taught me throughout my life because it helps you get your way, and tell her I am here to use the bathroom. In the most obvious "tsk-tsk" manner possible she informs me I must return to coach and use the bathroom back there. I'm confused as I hadn't noticed a bathroom back there.
I pass through the first class curtain back to where I apparently "belong" and head for the back of the plane. How embarrassing that I am going to actually have to ask for directions as to where the darn bathroom is! This plane is so small! As I approach and am about to ask where the bathroom is, a young boy opens the door behind the flight attendant supply area and exits. While I stand blocking the aisle, with the flight attendants blocking the space between the aisle and bathroom, the boy has to maneuver himself out and then I do the same to enter the bathroom. There isn't even enough space to open the door all the way!