Not so sanitary supplies

Pet peeve #79. Not being able to easily dump used supplies!

I work in an office. There are five women and eleven men. We share two individual bathrooms. Each bathroom includes one of the well-designed Workplace Essentials sanitary disposal boxes. These boxes are useful since they include an odor neutralizer, hide the enclosed used supplies when opened (by using one's foot), and do not force women to flush their used supplies and possibly clog the plumbing. What's even better is that the boxes actually work! However, they are very difficult to use from a seated position if they have been pushed to the back wall behind the toilet. I discovered this today.

I didn't check where the box was because I had to pee, badly. After, I removed my tampon in preparation for replacement, expecting to easily toss it into a properly placed receptacle. Must I explain the supreme ghastliness of wanting to remove a bloody tampon from one's fingers as soon as possible, only to discover the box cannot open from the seated-on-the-toilet position? ew! Ew!! EW!!! If I had a hinged foot I could have opened the box. If I had an extendable leg I could have opened the box. If I had a third arm I could have done it too. But I don't have them, because I am human.

I did have two choices. Choice #1: flush the offending item, take care of the next one and be on my way. This action had possible consequences of blocking the piping and forcing the toilet to back up and overflow onto my apricot suede slides with white stitching. I would have to then (presumably wearing sodden shoes) ask for plumbers to fix the pipes. Not a winning option. Choice #2: somehow wiggle said shoes around the box and pull it toward me, all the while still holding the bloody cotton by the string.

Well, I tried it. And I succeeded! I kicked the box forward to the proper distance, and felt so proud and satisfied. I saved the day! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to tell anyone in the office about it, because that would be, well, just a teensy weensy bit sickening. So ding ding ding! Reader, you are the lucky recipient of this strange but true story. I hope this never happens to you, but if you do find yourself in this uncomfortable position, just keep your cool and know that you can prevail. Good luck, and don't get stuck!