It has been decided (at lunch today) that the correct response to a knock at the bathroom door whilst you are inside, taking care of business, shall be "just a minute."
We considered "yeah!?!" and "yeesss?" but those seemed to initiate dialog and talking with your pants around your ankles just feel wrong. "Just a minute" is just vague enough to not make the situation too uncomfortable. Anything more specific, such as "this could be a while" or "just a few more wipes," was a bit creepy. Because the quick double-knock is usually immediately followed by an immediate knob jiggle, I thought you could get away with no acknowledgment. Assuming the door was locked, the person trying to enter should be able to figure it out, but others thought that was rude. On that topic, I think you should allow at least four seconds after a knock for a response; if you're going to knock, you should at least see what happens.
Posted by Matthew at September 21, 2004 10:49 PMHow about "Get lost!" or "I'm doing the dishes" or "C'mon in, the water's fine!"
I find that if I clear my throat loud enough it avoids the whole problem.
Posted by: Jack at September 22, 2004 10:16 PM