This incident happened two weekends ago at a certain popular large bookstore in Orchard Road area. My girl and I were standing last in line to go to the restroom. There were about 8 ladies in the line. Because it isn't as large as the bookstore, we were forced to stand outside the restroom and wait, in my girl's case, impatiently since she was kind of in a hurry.

Right next to where we were standing was another door to the handicapped toilet. There is also another door next to it for baby (diaper) changing room, which in this story is not relevant. So anyway, the handicapped toilet glass door was slightly ajar and there's a hand holding it opened from inside, which turned out to be a woman cleaner. She was just about to finish cleaning the toilet, with a tong in her other hand. She looked at us and gestured us to use the handicapped toilet since she saw that my girl was jumping left and right. I smiled at her thankfully and both of us went in to do our business.

While we were washing our hands in the facility provided in that room (not more than 5 minutes I believe - there were two of us you know), suddenly there were three very loud knocks coming from the glass door. The sound of a metal and glass knocking onto another. TONG!! TONG!! TONG!! My girl and I jumped out of our skin because it was so damn bloody loud for us in that small handicap room. I believe it was the cleaner whom I remember was holding a metal tong.

I yanked the door opened and glared at her. Really glared. She nearly killed me and my girl with the loud knocks. Then she pointed to a real handicapped in a wheelchair man behind her. I thought, so what? Just because I'm not handicapped and I'm using a handicapped room, I have to give way to a real handicapped? I have to stop my business halfway (the cleaner didn't know if we're done, did she?) to accomodate a real handicapped person? Oh please! She was the one who gestured us to use the room at the first place!

Still glaring at the cleaner, I turned to the handicapped man and his wife (she was at the wheelchair handlebar) and was about to give them an apologetic smile when the wife nagged in Mandarin about what were we doing so long in a handicapped room when there's an able restroom for us to use blah blah blah and that they have been waiting for us to come out blah blah blah. Maybe she thought I didn't understand her. She was acting as if the world must give way to her husband just because he's a handicapped. I was so shocked by their (she and the cleaner) behavior because I believe, we were in there for less than 5 minutes. Why can't they wait for a little while more so that we can finish our business? I'm not heartless but I was there first. I'd have said sorry to keep them waiting. But no, they had to spat at me.

I glared at the wife and the cleaner. I don't usually feel angry at strangers but that I can't tolerate. They may think I was irresponsible or whatever they want to think, but I feel that if they would have been nicer, I would have said sorry and helped them with the heavy glass door. I am always passionate with the unfortunate ones.

However, I believe the whole thing was triggered by that loud knocks on that glass door. Others may curse or voice out their unhappiness but what I did was just glared and walked away with whatever pride I have left cos A LOT of people waiting in line were watching.