Urinal etiquette explained
On the Allocation of an Unoccupied Sanitary Chamber
QUESTION 1/20
An empty room is frequently mistaken for a room in which no judgment is required. The absence of occupants removes one variable; it does not abolish the distinction between positions.
The situation
Classic Marble · Entrance: Lower right.
| Position | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Available |
| 2 | Available |
| 3 | Available |
Recommended position: 1
The vacant baseline
With all three fixtures available, interpersonal clearance supplies no reason to prefer one candidate. The central fixture nevertheless leaves two exposed flanks. Positions one and three each reduce this number to one. Terminal preference therefore narrows the field before entrance proximity is considered.
The remaining distinction
The entrance lies on the right. Of the two otherwise equivalent ends, position one is more remote from arriving traffic. Its selection follows the complete CED sequence without requiring an imaginary neighbour or an invented urgency.
Conclusion
Position one is recommended. The room’s current emptiness should be treated as a temporary observation, not a constitutional guarantee that nobody else will enter.
In plain language
Nobody’s there. Take the far end, away from the door. You have the whole room; there is no need to prepare a welcome committee.