Urinal etiquette explained
Directional Observation and the Distinction Between Distance and Exposure
QUESTION 5/20
A visitor whose attention is directed towards adjacent fixtures introduces a directional privacy problem. This cannot be described adequately by counting empty bowls alone.
The situation
The Stadium · Entrance: Lower right.
| Position | State |
|---|---|
| 1 | Available |
| 2 | Available |
| 3 | Visitor looking left |
| 4 | Ordinary visitor |
| 5 | Available |
| 6 | Available |
Recommended position: 6
The observed side
The visitor at position three looks left. Positions one and two lie on that side of his attention. They must not be described as private simply because one of them is comparatively distant. The ordinary visitor at four supplies a separate source of interpersonal proximity on the right.
The unobserved alternative
Positions five and six lie to the right of the observer. Among these candidates, six leaves position five unused between the player and the ordinary visitor. It combines avoidance of the specified gaze direction with a genuine gap and a terminal boundary.
Conclusion
Position six addresses both relevant occupants. The Institute distinguishes being far from an observer from being outside the direction in which he is looking.
In plain language
The creep at three is looking left. Go right, all the way to six, and leave a gap from the bloke at four.