Someone in our office has a really weird habit

Dear Aunty B,

We share a bathroom with another company, which has just employed a young Asian girl who speaks almost no English.

Anyway, she has this really bad habit. When she uses the bathroom she cups handfuls of water and splashes them over the tops of the taps after she has washed her hands. At first I couldn’t work out why the hand basin and mirror were constantly flooded with water when for years we have kept the very nice bathroom very clean.

Then I saw her at it and figured out that she thought that by hurling water over the taps she was saving us from her germs when she first turned on the taps after she used the toilet.

Anyway, the result of her hygiene attempts are that our pristine vanity and mirror now look wet and grubby. Last time I saw her I tried to explain that she didn’t need to do it but she just kept backing away and bowing and indicating that it was her pleasure to do so.

There is no use putting a sign up as I am sure she wouldn’t be able to read it. And I don’t see how I can knock on the door of the other company and ask her boss to tell her to stop messing up the bathroom.

What would you do Aunty?

Dear What would you do,

Look, the only reason I have pulled your silly missive from the metaphoric bottom of my drawer is that everyone has gone on holiday, is Christmas shopping or lying in a gutter drunk and they have stopped sending me problems.

So I am trying to pretend to care. Really. I am! I have imagined myself walking into the bathroom only to see a nice woman hurling water at taps and yes, I actually felt annoyed for a split second.

So channelling that I have come up with this solution. Put up a big sign with hands splashing two taps and a big red cross through it. Under that I would write, “Don’t waste water”. There is no use going the hygiene route as she will just think you are a grubby person from the next door office. She will probably be able to read the water wastage sign and of course she will see the sign and so will immediately desist ruining your day with her thoughtful actions.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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