As Jeff Goldblum so rightly says in the movie, Jurassic Park, “When you gotta go, you gotta go.” And I had to go! I had been glancing over my shoulder to see if the line up to the toilet had got any shorter. Walking down the aisle of the Boeing 787, I eventually sighed a sigh of relief as I found myself inside the small and compact toilet. I hadn’t noticed the intricacies while getting in, but while trying to get out I frantically tried pushing the door open. It was the foldable type; it was supposed to fold in half and open.
I studied the picture on the door again and gently pushed, each push becoming more and more violent, but to no avail. I could feel my heart racing and was on the point of working myself into a tizzy. I had visions of myself stuck here for the rest of the six-hour flight. No one was going to miss me. My wife was engrossed in watching a movie and hadn’t even noticed me getting up; other passengers were in various stages of dozing off after a heavy meal and drinks.
Sweating and fuming in the confines of my prison, I decided it was time to spring into action. Yelling at the top of my voice and banging on the door eventually caught the attention of an air hostess who was passing by. Thanking her saw no bounds, even though she told me it was the wrong way in which I had tried to open the door that had jammed it.
This phobia continued throughout the trip in Europe where many washrooms are accessible only on payment. In one restaurant, you either had to pay or buy a coffee to gain access. On entering a code, the door would pop open and then close on you with a mysterious click! All said and done, this ensured that cleanliness was kept to a very high level. The streets too are well maintained and spotlessly clean with beautiful lawns and well-kept parks and public places. Single houses and apartment blocks are decorated tastefully with colourful flowers which spill out from their balconies overlooking the cobbled streets below.
As we travelled from place to place, the countryside offered lush green fields and a feast of centuries-old castles and churches. A comfort stop after two hours of travel is mandatory for all coach drivers. They served as a relief for us too. On stopping, there was a beeline for the restrooms, with coffee and snacks coming only in second place!