When Life Locks in You in a Bathroom, Laugh

March 18, 2019 / 34 Comments
This is not a sponsored post.

I would be depriving you all of a great good laugh today if I didn’t share this story with you. Saturday evening as I was getting dressed to go work my closing shift at Torrid, I had no idea what was in store for me. I had been informed via text message that the store was absolutely crazy all day long, so I should be prepared for chaos. Little did I know that I would be a tremendous addition to the already existing chaos. But in the end, I was told that it was a much needed bit of comic relief to end a really stressful day for the Torrid management team!

I walked out my front door a few minutes earlier than usual so I could take some quick outfit photos. I really just wanted them for my own reference and had no intention of sharing these on the blog. But it kind of only made sense to share them now since this is exactly what I was wearing at the time of the incident. I sent a quick text to my co-workers asking if anyone wanted coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts as I had enough time to do a coffee run on my way in. I always think I have enough time, but I never account for the fact that the Dunkin’ Donuts that I go to is always so very slow preparing orders in the evening hours. As I sat waiting in the drive-through for my order of 3 hot coffees, I started getting a little antsy because I was cutting it super close now for my clock in time of 5:30 p.m.

I pulled into the mall parking lot at 5:26 and walked as quickly as I could carrying three cups of piping hot coffee. Just as I had been forewarned, the store was bustling with customers and all the employees were scurrying around trying to meet everyone’s needs. I told the assistant manager, Ashley, that I would be right out as soon as I used the bathroom. And this is where the whole night went to hell in a hand basket. A great big hand basket filled with panic that quickly led to gut wrenching laughter.

My actual bathroom experience was nothing out of the ordinary. I used the toilet, flushed it without incident (that is actually a big deal because this toilet never works properly), washed my hands, and reached for the door handle to exit and start my shift. But uh-oh. The door handle turned without unlatching the bolt. Turn again. Nope. The bolt would not release. Jiggle, jiggle, nothing. It seems the pin had come loose inside the door handle and I was locked inside.

Now keep in mind that these bathrooms inside mall stores are giant industrial sized everything. The doors are humongous steel doors that can’t really be manipulated in any way. Okay, no problem. Thankfully, I had taken my phone into the bathroom with me. I’ll just call the store and ask for help. My manager, Dawn, answered the phone in the typical way in anticipation that it was a customer on the other end of the line. And what she heard on the other end was me saying as calmly as I could, “Um, Dawn, I’m not even joking here. I am locked in the bathroom. The door will not open. Can you please come get me out.” She hung up and was on the other side of the door within 30 seconds. But she couldn’t get the door open from the outside either.

Then Ashley came with the tool box and began her attempt to pry the bolt out of the lock. Nope. That wasn’t working either. Now I was beginning to panic a little. I have a pretty bad fear of being locked in spaces so in order to maintain some sense of calm and not totally freak out, I began texting my husband.

Me: I’m literally locked in the bathroom at Torrid right now. I came in to pee and the door knob broke. No one can get it open.

Husband: [a dozen laughing emojis] Please tell me you are not f*ck!ng with me and I just pissed myself for no reason.

Me: Not kidding. At all. They are freaking out more on the outside. I’m trying to stay calm and not let the claustrophobia get me. Dawn said maintenance just fixed the door knob today. I have to dispute that fact. They went to get security because they can’t find the maintenance people. And they are swamped with customers. Oops.

Husband: [more laughing emojis] I’m sorry, I can’t stop laughing.

Finally, security showed up and told us that they were not permitted to break the door down due to liability issues. Um, thanks for the help, guys! Next step, 911 had to be called! Because that is not at all embarrassing! More texting with my husband as we waited for emergency response to arrive. The text thread illustrates the sequence of events perfectly, so here it goes…

Me: So now 911 has been called.

Husband: You’re making this up.

Me: No, I am not. Ashley said she’ll take pictures when they get here. (She never did, by the way.)

Husband: [a whole bunch more laughing emojis] Whole new wave of laughter there.

Me: My coffee is out there. I want my coffee.

Husband: At least the toilet isn’t overflowing.

Me: No, that happened on my last shift! At least I had my phone with me.

Husband: And you’re still getting paid?

Me: Ashley just went to clock me in so yes I am! Effing 911. I just can’t.

Husband: Makes for a great blog story.

Me: You think? [laughing emojis]

Husband: Oh, hell yeah.

Me: So funny. At least there’s a toilet in here if I have to pee. Unlike the time I got stuck in an elevator for two hours and had to pee the whole time.

Husband: Very true. Gotta hunt for the good stuff.

Me: It’s a bit of comic relief for the stress they have all had today!

Husband: Putting smiles on people’s faces no matter what you do!

Me: Security was here and said they couldn’t be liable for breaking the door. So we must wait for 911. They are allowed to break the door. I don’t know how they are going to break a steel door, but I guess I’m gonna find out soon.

Husband: You’ve gotta be kidding me, that’s like some dumb Army rule.

Me: They are breaking it down now! It’s really loud.

Husband: I bet. Hammers and metal usually are!

It was an axe, by the way, not a hammer. A firefighter and an axe. That’s what it took to get me out of the bathroom at work on Saturday night. After 45 minutes of hanging in the bathroom, I was finally free! I think I will pee with the door open from now on!

I am literally still laughing about it. So the lesson is this…if you can’t find the humor in the crazy things, then you might just be doomed for life! Thanks Ashley and Dawn for diligently taking the necessary steps to release me from my bathroom prison! Thank you to the nice firefighter who swung that axe with skill and strength to get me out! No thanks to maintenance for your failed attempt at fixing the door knob earlier in the day. And security, you may want to escalate the defects in your protocol up the management chain! Not cool!

Have you ever been locked in a small space for an extended period of time? Please share your story with me!

Oh, and while you are regaining your composure, remember to enter here for a chance to win $100 off your very own Jord wooden watch!

Laughing on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

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34 Comments

  • jodie filogomo

    March 18, 2019 at 3:52 pm Reply

    Now that is the best story to start the day, Shelbee. Not that it was fun for you while it was happening. But how many people can say they were stuck in a public bathroom like this. Makes you yearn for those ones with the opening at the bottom that we used to crawl under, huh??
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 18, 2019 at 3:59 pm Reply

      Oh my goodness, it was definitely one of the funniest things I have ever experienced. It wasn’t like the traditional public restroom with stalls. It was the employee bathroom in the back of the store so it is pretty big with shelves for storage and just a toilet and sink, no stalls. Those doors are enormous and heavy and the hinges were on the inside and I had no tools in there to pop the hinges off! And you certainly couldn’t slide anything under the door except a piece of paper. Ha.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Amy Christensen

    March 18, 2019 at 4:49 pm Reply

    Oh, Shelbee, that is a funny story, and yes, the exact same thing happened to me, locked in the bathroom at work. Fortunately, my assistant manager’s dad lived nearby and was rather handy. He was able to disassemble the door knob and get me out. I’m not a big fan of small spaces either, but having people who knew I was in there and were able to do something about it really helped. Good thing you had your phone with! Ha, ha. Love the outfit! So cute.
    – Amy
    http://stylingrannymama.com/

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 18, 2019 at 9:21 pm Reply

      Amy, thanks for sharing your experience! I once got locked in my basement and freaked out just because I couldn’t get out. I had plenty of space to move and breathe but that feeling of being trapped is kind of scary. The way this door was constructed, I really had no idea how they were going to get me out! Ashley said that might need the jaws of life…hahaha…and I said if they bring the jaws of life in to get me out of a bathroom, there had better be a newspaper article about it!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Nancy

    March 18, 2019 at 7:38 pm Reply

    Whaaaaaa, oh that’s horrible! Was the coffee still warm though😂😂😂😂 what an awful experience. But you and your husband do have a good sence of humor.

  • Paul

    March 18, 2019 at 7:51 pm Reply

    ok, I am glad you can laugh about because this is comedy, this is such a funny true story, thanks for sharing beautiful

  • Jacqui Berry

    March 18, 2019 at 8:32 pm Reply

    Oh Shelbee how funny – i would dread that happening to me! Just as well you knew the other people there – kinda makes it not so bad! Have a better week my friend. x Jacqui Mummabstylish

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 18, 2019 at 9:08 pm Reply

      Thanks, Jacqui! Actually, they were all so sweet on the outside. They kept checking on me to make sure I was okay! I told them I would call if I started freaking out and they should just concentrate on getting me the heck out of there! Hahaha.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 18, 2019 at 9:46 pm Reply

      Oh my word, Lorena! That is actually a huge fear of mine! Getting locked outside without proper attire. Ha. I just watched that video! I wonder if it would have worked! I had scissors inside but no plastic bottles. Although, they could have tried that from the outside. We were trying something similar with card stock but it wasn’t strong enough.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 18, 2019 at 10:59 pm Reply

      Mireille, thanks for stopping by! Oh my, you got locked inside the apartment! How strange is that? But I guess being locked in anywhere is still kind of frightening! You have to get out somehow. Thanks for sharing!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 19, 2019 at 10:26 am Reply

      Thanks so much, Radi! I think you might probably do the exact same thing I did! Sit and wait until someone got you out and then laugh about it! Have a great day and always take your cell phone into the bathroom with you!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 22, 2019 at 10:05 am Reply

      Thank you, Claire! I was amazed at myself that I did not panic! But everyone was so great and they got me out, so that’s all that matters. Ha. And I will definitely tell that story for many years to come. It’s too funny not to!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Laurie S

    March 22, 2019 at 5:29 pm Reply

    Hi Shelbee… found you via the Friday Favorites link-up… In hindsight I’m sure this “event” was funny – and so glad you found your sense of humor – in a way it’s so crazy it has to be true. My bathroom “locked in” story takes place on a moving train in Sweden – I think it was my stupidity and I forgot to lock then door when I went in, so I locked myself in trying to get out. I can panic easily, so I fiddled with the lock and probably made matters worse. Then I pounded on the door (from the inside), and a fellow passenger opened the door FROM THE OUTSIDE. I haven’t told my husband about this, 2.5 years later. I’m too embarrassed to!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 22, 2019 at 5:35 pm Reply

      Laurie, thank you so, so much for sharing your story! I literally just laughed out loud! I am so sorry that you found yourself in that predicament on a train no less. And I would have absolutely panicked in a tiny train bathroom. I was fortunate that this bathroom was quite large which helped to keep the panic at bay! My fear of tight spaces is much worse than my fear of being locked in, but both are pretty intense fears that I would prefer to avoid if at all possible! And while you may not have necessarily actually been locked in, thinking you are still creates the same exact fear. So no shame or embarrassment in that…just laugh it off as the funny situation that it was! Thanks for stopping by today and have the most wonderful weekend!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Emma Peach

    March 25, 2019 at 3:35 pm Reply

    Oh my goodness Shelbee, what drama! It is a very funny story though! A few years ago a load of us spent a weekend at a big house in the country, which had a sauna in the basement. Pete persuaded me to go in, but when I got too hot and tried to open the door it was jammed. He pulled it so hard the handle came off! At this point I was hyperventilating on the floor while he banged for help. Eventually two of his friends came rushing down…just as we realised the door opened outwards and we’d been pulling not pushing! Oops! Needless to say, I didn’t go back in and we both felt very silly!

    Emma xxx
    http://www.style-splash.com

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      March 25, 2019 at 5:14 pm Reply

      Emma, thanks so much for sharing this story! That gave me a great chuckle! And I am sure there are plenty of people who have freaked out about getting locked in somewhere when they were trying to open the door the wrong way! I am certain that has happened to me a time or two before. And with all the steam from the sauna, I’m sure it contributed to foggy brain. I am glad you got out and were only slightly traumatized!

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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