EAVESDROPPING IN AIRPORT RESTROOMS

On the way back from a meeting, I had a 45 minute delay at Denver.  I deboarded for coffee and a trip to the restroom.  In the stall next to me, a lady was urging her little one to hurry up and go potty.  As a captive audience, I listened while she continued urging the little guy to take care of his business.  She sounded fairly impatient and began snapping her fingers as she said ,”Go potty!”. “Come on little man, go potty!”.  (snapping her fingers again)  I felt sorry for this little kid and thought, “That’s how I get my dogs to go potty, but it doesn’t sound like a good way to potty train a toddler.”   She continued, “Buddy, I’d feel a lot better if you would go potty.”.   It occurred to me that a parent traveling with a youngster may think this is quite important with good reason.  At about that point, the little one popped his head under the stall, and I began laughing, having visualized a toddler and seeing a fuzzy white lapdog, with an expression that showed he was not quite comfortable with having to use a potty pad in an airport restroom.  <g>