There are loads of shopping malls over here in Dubai. Huge Ones, Medium Ones, Small Ones and with them come hordes of humans from all walks of life.
We went shopping for a no-frills plain white shirt for my daughter, which is required for a school programme (last week it was a red one, for flag day, I wonder what it will be next week) and mid-way trawling the shops she needed to use the ladies.
We duly went to the ladies and I felt it was also better to do a little tinkle just in case, luckily like every standard up-to-date mall, rest-room convenience is easily accessible and over here, they do a very good job at keeping it spick and span.
As usual, the ladies-room is filled with women; young and old, re-doing their scarves, patting and brushing their hair, dusting their noses, powdering their faces, pouting their lips and squinting their eyes as they apply the required make-up mask. It is really a bee-hive of femaleness.
My daughter came out and I observed that her skirt was somewhat askew, so I had tried to adjust it a bit and that required a little lifting to straighten the lining.
From the corner of my eye, the not so young lady stood in front of the mirror directly in front of our view (we were caught in her reflection) after all her primping, she started pouting her lips in all manners of contortions and NO! you don’t say, went clicking happily on her phone, taking pictures in the TOILET.
I counted to 10, telling myself to just go, but the little imp in me refused to let go of the bone.
I told her “my dear lady, I don’t think that taking photo shots in the restroom where other ladies are milling around is a proper thing to do!”
She stared at me in disdain. I don’t know if she understood English or not.
I proceeded to explain better in sign language gesticulating all over the place, asking her to check if her pictures had caught people in the rest-room and to delete it.
She simply went into a tirade of Arabic and left in a huff.
I also went into a tirade of Igbo (my native language) and left in her wake in a huff.
These selfie absorbed moments can get ridiculous at times.
How smart is a human who takes pictures in a public rest-room where you have so many other users? Why not wait until you get to your private bathroom and then you can say all the cheese and contort all the pouts required?
I don’t get it! I think rest-rooms should come with big signs of ”No Photography Allowed.”
© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha
you go Jacqueline!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some things are simply irritating!
LikeLiked by 2 people
“no selfie zone” should be everywhere!!!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Seconded!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel you…its amusing, baffling or should i say funny how some people’s brain works. Some people would post just about any picture on-line!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Absolutely ridiculous. These days when I am out and about, I try to avoid taking pictures that involves people and if per chance a human is caught in it, I actually tell the person or let it go. Sometimes it’s unavoidable but not it the toilet for crying out loud.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The way people behave just to take a selfie is ridiculous and extremely annoying!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know
LikeLike
Hi Lady,
Well done! I believe in speaking up when people decide to be silly.
The toilet is a really ridiculous place to take a photograph
The visual image of that tirade in Igbo really cracked me up. XD
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Well she started it by speaking Arabic, so me I quickly changed my gear. Absolutely silly behaviour we experience these days. I am sure she will be mindful next time. Hopefully 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hilarious!
LikeLiked by 2 people
At least I made you laugh 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yea, nice one. It got me really laughing
LikeLike
Had that been done in a “Men’s Room,” the offender just might have had to go to the emergency room to remove an impaled object.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😄😄😄😄 I doubt men have the time for such primping toilet selfies
LikeLike
I absolutely agree with you Jacqueline. The whole selfie charade is becoming unbecoming. People taking pictures at every slight chance they get. Well done for speaking out.
But quick one, do you live in Dubai or Houston?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I moved to Dubai from Houston in July. Not sure how long we will be here (at least a year). Thank you for your supportive words. It is a very unbecoming behaviour.
LikeLike
Oh that’s great news. My husband and I are considering spending Christmas in Dubai. If we decide towards it, I sure hope we could link up. Would absolutely love to meet you in person 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be lovely. I hope we will be around because we are considering using that time to go to some of the neighbouring emirates for the holidays. Not sure yet but we will see how it goes.
LikeLike
We will definitely see how it goes. Will let you know as soon as we decide. Really hope it works out in both our favor 🙂
LikeLike
Lol!! In the bathroom? Really? That is not pretty. I’m glad you stood up for your daughter and everyone else:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seriously, Nena it does seem that with each day that passes, crazy and silly attitudes gets a notch higher. Thanks dear for your supportive words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Unfortunately, you are right about that. And I have your back, Jacqueline 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahahaha. They do it allllllllll the time! I remember when I used to live in Abudhabi the bathrooms are a hub of all sorts of things.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think they tend to relax in the bathrooms because outside their faces are hardly smiling. Not the first time I observed the bathroom hub of a thing though, just that something in me just couldn’t take it this time around.
LikeLike
There are many women in the Emirates who don’t want their pictures taken, especially uncovered in a bathroom. You were spot on in calling her out. At the university where I taught in Saudi Arabia it was haram (forbidden) to even have a camera on the women’s campus. She was being more than disrespectful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for saying that even though it seems here in Dubai people are a bit more relaxed though there are a lot of security circulating around just in case of any incident.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In the restroom, really?!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It happens a lot. You will be surprised.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my word! Is nothing private anymore? I would have been mad, too. Can you imagine if someone were adjusting something sensitive and she managed to catch it in her shot? Good for you for saying something!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Meg I have actually seen a bad shot floating around on Facebook and I think it was shot in the rest-room. Its really annoying. There is hardly any privacy anymore.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I guess we have to be on the lookout so we don’t get caught in it! Good grief!
LikeLiked by 1 person
True!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good for you! We need more people like you around these days! I didn’t know you lived in Dubai!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am occupying space here for now 🙂 Thank you very much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow…you did the right thing. That was very selfish of her to take a pic in that manner and yes, she should have waited until she was in a private restroom. A no photography sign is brilliant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tasha dear the things that go on these days are simply baffling. Meanwhile a friend told me that it was a common sight for her. She has witnessed it several times herself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t take many selfies so I don’t get it. I just don’t quite understand why some people need so many pictures of themselves on a daily basis…but I realize that these pictures are getting posted on social media which is another reason why there should not be any taken in a public restroom. That’s just tacky. I wonder where your friend lives?
LikeLiked by 1 person
She lives here. A new friend. She surmised that maybe it is due to the fact that the ladies don’t have the opportunity to show their faces which is hidden behind their scarf, so in the bathrooms they just go gung-ho. Meanwhile when we just moved here in July, I was in a spa when two ladies came in and were snapping away in their full robes. I think my senses were just lulled that for minutes I couldn’t speak, but when they saw my look they moved on.
LikeLike
Lol I can only imagine what look that might have been!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very “angry you don’t say look!”
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s kind of amazing that people can be so self-absorbed and not realize how wrong and tacky some things are. You handled it like a lady, very admirable.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you my dear. Sometimes, we just have to step out of our comfort zone and address these things that need to be addressed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a really strange thing to do!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very!
LikeLike
Your post and string of comments are very amusing. I’ll just join in with “Good Grief:”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good grief for real!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, I agree with you completely!! That is so absurd and ridiculously rude! I’m so glad you did say something to her, I’m sure she got your meaning and hopefully will think twice next time!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A lesson learnt by her, I hope. Thank you for your support.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dubai is truly exciting with everything artificial and sparkling, if she was a tourist I could see how one can easily get too absorbed wanting to capture every scenes on camera – best way to do this could been to wait until the area is empty of users, or if there is a couple of people around ask for permission that she wanted to take a photo of tiles or design.
This does not excuse her action in anyway and of course when indicated one is not too pleased with her action, the best thing to do would have been to present what she had captured so to make feel at ease neither you nor your daughter was in it.
I liked that you said something, she’s likely to think about this in future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that you say it, it is likely that she is a visitor and therefore taken with all the glitzy shine shine 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You were absolutely fair to tell her off, the nerve of such impolite behaviour.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These days, so much negatives seems to be in a hurry to take over the positives that it is just tiring. I am sure she will reflect on it before doing it again elsewhere. Thank you for your support.
LikeLike
I seriously hope she reflects and realize she was way off. Do you in private or a public private setting but have some compassion for a rest room where woman fix their clothes. You a picture unawares post it on social media and you have a girl in the background with her panty showing. The picture goes viral for the wrong and the is the one who goes through the emotional burden.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly my sentiments!
LikeLike
Reblogged this on itsgoodtobecrazysometimes and commented:
This made me chuckle, I wish every toilet had a Jacqueline to tell these people off
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks my dear lady 🙂 I appreciate the gesture.
LikeLike