Got stuck doing a rush edit from a coffee shop bathroom stall in Austin last Tuesday

I had a stomach bug hitting hard but a client kept texting 'where's the file' so I huddled in a stall with my laptop for 45 minutes. Has anyone else had to work from a gross public bathroom and found a better backup plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

ruby_bell472d ago

Did those 45 minutes include actually taking care of business or were you just sitting there with the laptop on your knees? I'm trying to picture how you balanced the laptop on one leg while handling the stomach bug situation. That timing sounds like a nightmare, especially if the stall was one of those with no hook for your bag.

gray3141d ago

The 45 minutes included maybe 10 of actual business and 35 of me praying my laptop wouldn't slide off my knees into the gap between the stall wall and the toilet. I tried the classic bag-on-the-back-of-the-door move but the hook was broken, so I ended up wearing my backpack like a weird turtle shell while hunched over the keyboard. Worst part was having to sanitize the entire laptop afterwards because who knows what kind of particles were floating around in that tiny bathroom.

troyc171d ago

Wait, people are really acting like this is some kind of war story or something? I mean, idk, it sounds like you made it work and nobody died. @ruby_bell47 makes a good point about the balancing act though, but honestly most public bathrooms have a spot where you can put your bag on the floor if you're really desperate. Maybe it's just me but I feel like a 45 minute stall session is a lot of drama for something that could've been a quick email saying 'hey I'm sick can I send this in an hour'. I've definitely worked from some sketchy places before but that's when you just admit to your client that you're gonna be five minutes late instead of making yourself miserable.