Only if it’s about hockey, poutine, or maple syrup….. 
Typically, no..... once in a while, yes. To some degree it depends on how many are in the room or at the urinals.... a general comment/observation to everybody-and-nobody in a room with several people would be made more often than talking to the adjacent guy. And now you know!!
Edit: I assume the dude in the video used a v-e-r-y loose interpretation of "stall" [or was/is "full of it."] ... ^^ applies where there is no dividing wall or partition or actual "stall" ... if there is it occurs even even less frequently. And now you really know!!
Edited by - Owen on 05/17/2022 21:34:24
I'm quite sure it's not true!
Certainly, a group of men in the lavatory would not discuss such a thing as, "poutine". It's just rude and out of the bounds of social convention. A true gentleman would find a discussion of any "poutine" to be inappropriate in any venue! I honestly don't understand how such rumors get started! Why back in my day, ... yes? What's that? French Fries? Really? Gravy and cheese curds? Oh, ok then ...
Never mind.
Only if the stall is out of toilet paper & the occupant is looking for change for a $5 .
I do remember being at a high school football game one time and I went in to pee and there were 2 stalls and a half dozen urinals. Two guys in the stalls having a very lively conversation and there rest of us were just cracking up. But that is literally the only time in my 53 years I've encountered this.
As a born Canadian with almost 75 years in Vancouver my answer is yes or no. If you are downtown you are aware that the crowd is full of weirdos ,crackheads , and hustlers so any loose conversation could be regretted. Half of the people in town are clumsy with the English language so I would have a problem understanding them. I don't converse between toilet stalls but I'm not adverse to a comment or two at the trough. That guy couldn't understand how she knew he was American. As soon as he says one sentence you know he is American. He has to be either American or a visitor from Africa. Montreal and Halifax do have a large black population but they are a long way from here. Believe it or not black men in Vancouver are somewhat of a novelty. The young women probably liked what she saw. Crusty old white men never get that sort of welcome [trust me!].
No conversation, but the best graffiti I ever saw was on the wall of a washroom stall in the Toronto Eaton Centre. Someone had written, "The South gonna do it again." Underneath that, someone else wrote, "What, lose?"
Schadenfreude. Well, it would be, but the writer of the original screed probably didn't see the rejoinder.
I wouldn't trust anyone who would talk to someone else while doing their business.
Between stalls...OR on the phone.
I have no comment on the subject...just marvelling that the lyrics to the song 'Oh Dear, What Can The Matter Be?' sprang straight to mind.
quote:
Originally posted by Paul RNo conversation, but the best graffiti I ever saw was on the wall of a washroom stall in the Toronto Eaton Centre. Someone had written, "The South gonna do it again." Underneath that, someone else wrote, "What, lose?"
Schadenfreude. Well, it would be, but the writer of the original screed probably didn't see the rejoinder.
In the late sixties I worked in the chem lab at Stelco in Hamilton. The washroom stalls were categorized for graffiti and one had cartoons, one had dirty jokes, one had philosophy, one had poetry. . . These became wonderful collections and all of the employees were very careful to put their graffiti in the proper stall.
One day we came in and found that the cleaners had removed all of the graffiti from all of the stalls.
The next day I saw, written about eye level on the back wall of one of the stalls, over top of one of the toilets, in very neat handwriting, a message that said something like "Frig off Cleaning Ladies!"
This remains my favourite graffiti.
Edited by - Jim Yates on 05/19/2022 03:29:41
Back to the initial question. I am a Canuck and have never initiated a conversation (and can't imagine ever doing so) with someone in an adjacent washroom stall. I have also never had someone in and adjacent stall initiate a conversation with me.
At a Boy Scout Jamboree near Colorado Springs in 1960, the crappers were 4 or 5 holers with no partitions and in that case there were conversations with the other people/person relieving themselves.
Jim, does that ^^ mindset extend to elevators and store queues?
At our yocal grocery store the other day as I was stepping up to the conveyor a guy who I figured was 13ish [acompanying his mom?] was doing a check to see which cashier he/they should use, I quipped: "You'll get it wrong more than 50% of the time." As I followed them out, I added: "Shows you how much I know!" While no conversation ensued, the kid did kinda gave what I took as a smile of "satisfaction."
Fwiw, I occasionally make observations (?) about the decidedly glum looks on peoples' faces as they line up to hand their money over during our "festive" season(s). Mostly people don't respond, but I figure if the shoe was on the other foot I could come up with something not totally depressing.
Would you remain silent if, when using a cubicle, from next door came an appropriately timed: "Not bad for a 1/2" woofer / tweeter."? I haven't had the opportunity [yet] ... but, like a good scout, I'm prepared: "Well, I get lots of practise."
Edited by - Owen on 05/20/2022 12:24:35
Owen, conversations in elevators or store queues are not uncommon nor uncomfortable. I can recall in my high school days, we would often step on an elevator and not turn around to face the door, just to see the reaction on the other folks' faces. I haven't done that in over 50 years.
I used to work with a guy who loved to mess with people and if he was in a toilet stall, and someone entered the one next to him, he would stick his hand under the partition and introduce him self and offer his hand to shake. He was a nut though.
In my working days downtown I would often visit the Bentall Centre. It was 3 office towers with about 30 stories each. The security manager was a middle aged Scottish lady who lived a couple of blocks from here. We know her from a local church group. One day during one of my company visits she was quite upset as she explained a couple of investigations that day. A small group of men were spending their idle time around a restroom. One of the tenants reported a 2 inch hole crudely bored between two toilet cubicles. I don't know if cameras were involved but there was enough evidence to ruin that day for a few men who had just become recent employees or renters in the building.
Edited by - donc on 05/22/2022 18:49:02
