What to Do if You Were Locked in a Bathroom.

It’s not funny when you are the one this is happening to.

It happened to me twice, once in a public washroom and the second time at home. Fortunately, I had my cell phone with me for both.

Because of my experience, I will tell you what to do if you were locked in a bathroom. I know what you are going to do. Offer suggestions which I am going to write here.

Locked in a Public Washroom.

First, I am going to start with public washrooms. But, of course, you already know that to get yourself out of a locked stall, you need to crawl underneath it.

And you already know that there are public washrooms without doors in places like the mall. But I am referring to those places that still have doors.

Now when the doors close on a business, someone usually works there to check to see if there are still people in the bathroom. But what happens if you can’t hear them?

You can try all the techniques that are going to be in the home bathroom section. But the problem is that the store might be closed too.

In this case, the best way to get yourself out of a public washroom is by using your cell phone to call your family, friends, the business owner or manager, or the last resort would be calling 911.

Years ago, when I was walking in my local park, I had to use their restroom. While doing my business, I did hear someone with a low soft voice (I couldn’t hear what she said) open and close the door. When I got out, I found out that the door was locked. So, I ended up calling my dad and the city Parks and Recreation to get me out. Then I just patiently waited (I am not claustrophobic. I know this from another incident which is another story). Finally, the ranger with the soft voice came with my dad and unlocked the door, and I went home. But I did learn that that park’s washrooms are only open until 5 p.m.

Your Bathroom

There you are, getting ready to go to work. First, you lock your bathroom door to be private. But when you try to unlock it, it won’t budge.

First of all, don’t panic. But if you have to go to work, that might be a different story if you brought your cell phone with you. You can always call your boss and give them a reason why you are going to be late. I am sure that locking yourself in the bathroom is a legitimate reason. Otherwise, if you are claustrophobic, take a deep breath and relax.

Second of all, if you live with someone and they are on the outside. Get their attention to help get you out. I only hope that the other person’s idea of help isn’t just talking. But if you live alone, well, you would have to do it yourself.

Now, there are several things that you can try if you are locked in your bathroom.

• Place a butter knife in the keyhole. But if the knob doesn’t have a keyhole, you can still use the butter knife to get yourself out.
• Use a bobby pin or a nail file to jiggle your way out.
• It’s best to have a screwdriver in the bathroom for this situation. That way, you can easily take out the doorknob.
• Use a credit card. Put it between the door and the frame. Lean on the door and wiggle the card to get you out.
• If your bathroom has a window, try to get out through that. In my situation, there was no window.
• Use your cell phone. If you have your phone with you and you live in an apartment, call your maintenance person. If you live in a house, contact the local locksmith. If you didn’t bring your cell phone with you and you are living alone. Well, the only thing to do is to break that door down.

If you know of other ways to get yourself out of a locked bathroom, please let me know in the comments.

References

Emma — Sunrise Specialty Staff. (n.d.). 12 Ways to Open a Locked Bathroom Door. Sunrise Specialty. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.sunrisespecialty.com/how-to-open-a-locked-bathroom-door

Orlov, R. (2009, October 23). How To: Get Out Of A Locked Room. Apartment Therapy. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-get-out-of-a-locked-roo-99459

Tuttle, R. (n.d.). How to Open a Locked Bathroom Door: 10 Steps (with Pictures). wikiHow. Retrieved November 22, 2021, from https://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Locked-Bathroom-Door