Post 9: Absence of Garbage Cans

originally created as column nine, October, 2000

I don’t know if it is a particularly Israeli phenomenon or a worldwide phenomenon in men’s homes or in workplaces where the majority of employees are male. I’m talking about the absence of garbage cans in toilets. Now what does this have to do with sex? Well, if there was no sex, then there would be no need for females or menstruation. When we women have our periods, we need to dispose of our tampons or pads in a garbage can/rubbish tin/disposable container. In most bathrooms designed by females, there is often a covered garbage can, often with a plastic bag lining it, and sometimes with a pedal. It might even match the decor of the bathroom and is not offensive.

Then there are men’s bathrooms. Not a garbage can in sight? Maybe in the kitchen, under the sink, or in the sink, but don’t hold your breath. Some men seem to prefer their windows. Now I could tolerate this, or at least understand this if we lived in a country that did a lot of recycling, had garbage compressing systems, or even garbage chutes in apartment buildings. But what do these men do with their dental floss, Q-tips, used razor blades, empty shaving cream or deodorant cans? I am certain they can’t possibly throw everything down the toilet? If they want a girlfriend as a semi-permanent house guest, it would be a grateful gesture to place a garbage can in their bathrooms. Otherwise we females must wrap up the reminders of our femininity in toilet paper, place them in our hands, walk through the bathroom door and begin our search for a garbage can.

Sometimes I think it is easier to find a date than a garbage can. Let’s say that you are lucky enough to work for an office that does have a bathroom equipped with a garbage can, but you happen to wear an outfit without pockets. How do you go to the bathroom with the tampon or pad? Do you hold it in your hands, bring your rolled fists together, take on the posture of a kangaroo and leap down the hall into the bathroom? Do you stick it in your bra and hope that nobody notices that your bra is padded more heavily in one cup than in another? You walk down the hall hoping not to run into the president of the company or your boss who is wondering why you had to take two trips to the bathroom (because you forgot the hygienic protection first time around) within the last 5 minutes.

It could be worse. You could be caught having sex in the bathroom. But since there seems to be no sex in this city, it doesn’t seem likely. And rare are the women (although they do exist) who would want to have sex during their period anyway.

This writer has garbage cans near both of her toilets. They are emptied regularly.