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Writing’s on [bathroom] walls

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on February 19, 2010 3:03 AM

By Meg Lister, Gavel Writer -

Every day, every person, somewhere, somehow, sits down on a toilet. Approximately 20 percent of these squats take place in a public bathroom. Moreover, a significant percentage of these public bathroom stalls are graffitied with personal reflections, confessions, poetry, prose, questions, and answers. We’ve all seen these markings, and perhaps even contributed to them. Each sentence or phrase is totally anonymous, untraceable, and yet provides an interesting insight into our culture.

The Boston College campus is relatively remarkable for its scantily written-on stalls — in high schools and Dunkin’ Donuts, the damage is much more widespread. The most popular stalls are the most public ones, including the O’Neill Library, the bathroom outside the CTRC, and select stalls in Gasson and Devlin. (Note: as the writer is a member of the female sex, all data is reported from the girls’ lavatories. Certain facts and tales of boys’ lavatories have been gathered second-hand.)

Dormitory floor bathroom scribblings are rare, and private suite bathrooms are always un¬marked. Bathroom stalls are meant to be anonymous confessionals; a writer takes no chances of identification. Even within chosen bathrooms, there are a relatively few number of stalls selected. People are hesitant to start their own threads and will usually respond only to existing, topics.

Once begun, a conversation is often continued and may extend along most of the door or stall wall, fragmented by both individuals and time. A respondent is never sure if he or she is replying to the original author, one of his/her supporters, or perhaps a devil’s advocate. These topics are never closed until painted over or scraped off by the janitors, and it is not uncommon for a visitor with a dark marker to rekindle an old conversation.

We’re scared to blatantly or publicly deface university property — for the most part, bathroom walls and mirrors are left unblemished, save for those around urinals. The nature of anonymous postings signifies reluctance to reveal ourselves to friends or family. Usually, posted deeds are not particularly heinous — in most cases, these secrets are run-of-the-mill “he booty calls me … I try not to go” (women’s bathroom by the CTRC).

Bomb threats and reputation slurs appear far more frequently on high school rather than college campuses. The bathroom bomb threat is a particularly poignant case of the juxtaposition of dan¬gerous words and a non-aggressive medium. It is nearly impossible to trace the perpetrator, but one cannot simply disregard their words. The threats are certain to command attention through their visibility, but the protection of anonymity allows their presence, both jokingly and seriously.

The more cheerful “Live, Laugh, Love!” (women’s bathroom by the CTRC, again) is more frequent on a college campus. The classic “I f*cked your boyfriend!” (numerous women’s lavatories on and off campus) is a not-too-naughty secret perfect for bathroom stall posting. Though the writer may not want to tell her friends, the bathroom stall is an op¬portune medium to post this secret. Nobody will ever know who she is, or whose boyfriend she victimized, but she’s had her say. Once inked, however, writers quickly attack her statement. Other girls provide uplifting, though off-topic, moral statements (“Jesus is always there!”) or aid her self-esteem (“You’re not fat!” both from women’s CTRC bathroom).

There is something inherently endearing about all bathroom stall postings, no matter how judgmental, scandalous, or bizarre.