The Timekeeper

[Nashida]

School's back in session for me now, so I've moved back to college and I'm living in one of the dorms on campus. The dorm I'm in is all female, and features single rooms. There's also three bathrooms on each floor, with 5 shower stalls. This is important.

So it's Saturday. After being up until almost 2 last night (or I guess this morning...) I wasn't up and moving around until 10:30 or so. My room is right next door to one of the bathrooms, so when I gathered up my shower stuff I headed next door, only to discover the single shower in there is in use. No trouble, I just headed down the hall to one of the bathrooms with two showers inside. I set up shop, go gung ho, and step in. It's about 10:35 now. This is also important.

I've barely had the water on for two minutes when I hear another girl turn on the shower next to mine and get in. Water runs for maybe 5 minutes, then she gets out and starts brushing her teeth and stuff.

I step out two minutes after that, and she greets me with a friendly "Hello!" after I push aside the curtain and have gathered up my stuff.

"How was your long-ass shower?" she asks me. "You were in there for a half an hour." She goes back to whatever she was doing. I just say that I'm half awake and head back to my room to dress.

When I get back my clock reads 10:50. I've been gone for 15 minutes, including the time I took using the restroom, stripping, washing, then cleaning up after myself. If I nixed the extra stuff, I was probably under the water for about 10 minutes. This sounds short, and it is, since I recently cut my hair and now it barely reaches my shoulders. It does not (and should not, unless I somehow slipped into a coma) take me a half hour to shower. Maybe 20 minutes max if I have to shave or something.

So either she missed the several years of grade school where they taught you how to tell time, or 15 minutes is the new half hour, or she's just that dumb. And if 15 minutes is long compared to her five, well....as least I know I'm clean.

[LillFilly]

A little passive-aggressive wasn't she???

I remember in the military, it was mandatory in our squadron to take a shower at LEAST 3-Minutes long. No skimping on hygiene!

Not that you can't get clean in 5. I assume that girl's shower contained some sort of portal that distorts time and space! Not like you were hogging the only shower!
'

[blas]

Maybe she's one of those uber Green people.......ya know, those freaks who want people to use one square of 1 ply toilet paper per potty session and to only bathe every other day or only a couple days a week to save water.

Ish.

[BookstoreEscapee]

She must be an SC...customer time even applies to her showering...

[Food Lady]

Why does she care how long you took? You weren't keeping her. I went through this kinda stuff w/ a former roommate. Apparently I was vain & self-absorbed in my looong bathroom times. Nevermind if you have long curly hair like mine it WILL take 30 mins. to wash it and shower. Found out later, as she admitted, she was jealous 'cause she thought I was prettier than her. *sigh*

[chainedbarista]

yah, i also had that issue in basic training; 60 women, about 12 showers and 15-20 minutes for all of us to get in, out, dressed and ready for training.

she's taking a luxury shower compared to us, lol, if she wants to be picky.

not that it's any of her business how long you shower in the first place, she either needs to reset the clock in her head, or better yet, mind her own damn business.

[bainsidhe]

Maybe she's one of those crass and rude people that think insults are part of a typical conversation. "Good morning Bitch, how was your shower? Oooh you have a bath blanket to dry off your fat ass! Smell ya later!"

[Kheldarson]

Yeesh...I guess I was lucky with showers in my dorms. And sure, five minute showers can be pulled off...if you don't wash your hair if long...or don't shave...or have really short hair. I pulled that short a shower at camp one summer, but my hair was cut to my ears. >.< Never again.

[TexasT]

What does it matter how long it took you? She's crazy. I wouldn't want to smell her, either.

[Hobbs]

15 mins is bloody long, if you ask me. Then again, I spent a month taking 1 min or 3 min showers, tops...

[Seshat]

It also depends on your particular skin type, and/or levels of ability/disability.

I have some areas of skin I must pay special attention to if I don't want to develop problems. I also have to be careful balancing. My partner needs to apply special treatments for other skin issues.

Sure, people who are healthy, with no skin problems, and no particular difficulty reaching and balancing can have short showers. The rest of us just plain take longer.

[MergedLoki]

even if you WERE in there for half an hour... how is that a problem unless someone else is waiting for the shower?

oh wait.. IT"S NOT.

I mean i CAN take short 5 - 10 min showers if i HAVE to. But if I have the time i take 15 - 20 min and just relax.

and if my gf jumps in with me it can be signifigantly longer

[AriRashkae]

I could spend an hour in the shower, easily. But generally it's 15 mins or so, adding time if there is shaving or hair dye to be rinsed out. ("Rinse dye out until water runs clear" -- yeah that ain't gonna happen fast.)

I helped my best friend dye her hair red one time (about 3 feet long, dark blonde originally). To rinse it, she knelt over the tub to use the flexible shower head.

I have never wished for a camera so badly in my life. For almost 3 minutes, it looked like I had cut her head off and blood was just gushing into the tub.

[Teskeria]

Should have moved a little closer to her, made a face like you smelled something bad and asked "Are you sure you spent enough time in your shower?" Then walked out.

[BlaqueKatt]

And sure, five minute showers can be pulled off...if you don't wash your hair if long...or don't shave...or have really short hair.

Time management-work in a clean room with timed 4 minute showers-when you have to wash all of yourself and your waist length hair in that time-because the water shuts off, and the next employee needs to get in-you learn quickly how to do it.