Which stall do you choose

You're in a public restroom with three stalls. The bathroom gets a fair bit of use and the cleanliness is average, at best. Which stall do you choose of the following:

1. Nearest to the door and sinks.
2. The middle stall. Identical to number 1 in size.
3. Handicapped stall. Obviously, much bigger. Furthest from the door and sinks. Because it is the handicapped stall, it is likely used less and thus much cleaner than the other two.

All three doors are slightly ajar, meaning you're confident all are available. Which do you choose? Why?

Whichever one is cleanest, with preference towards #1 if they're all equally clean.

Didn't they do a study on this and
found more people picked the stall
farthest from the door because they
assumed it would be picked the
least and therefore be cleaner. The
first stall is used least, the middle
stalls next, and the last stall is
used by far the most.

Assuming my business is serious and not a matter for a urinal, I'll take the handicapped one in the circumstances you describe. I figure a handicapped user coming along is unlikely, and I don't take long anyway, not even at home.

Quote: odiousgambit

Assuming my business is serious and not a matter for a urinal, I'll take the handicapped one in the circumstances you describe.

Typically the most used stall. I used
to use it, now I use the first one. We
all think alike on so many things. I
thought I was being clever using
the farthest one, but so does everybody
else.

I typically take #2, thinking most people would choose #1, because it is closest and they want to have one neighbor instead of two. The reason I posted this is I heard them discussing a study on this on the Today Show this morning. I caught only a few seconds of the discussion, which said that the majority using reverse psychology, and ended up actually with the most used, and thus dirtiest stall. I don't know if a handicapped stall played into it.

Quote: Wizard

I don't know if a handicapped stall played into it.

If there is a handicap stall, it's always
last because they need a real wall to
attach the hand rail to. Like I said,
we all think nobody else will take the
farthest stall when the fact is, most
do if it's empty. We're all just so clever.

Shoplifters get caught the same way,
they make the wrong assumptions.
Like putting an expensive item in
the cart and going to an aisle with
cheap goods assuming no camera
will be watching there and sticking
the item in their pants. They often
get caught because of course surv
is just as clever as they are.

The one with toilet paper.

We had this discussion on a former job. Female did the meeting but had them numbered 1-10, 10 being furthest from the door. Said for the guys to assume they were urinals and not stalls. The women picked various ones. For the guys she asked who would use 1,2,3 and no hands go up. Asked 4,5,6 and no hands go up. Asks 7 and all quiet except for my boss who said, "Look, every guy in here is going to use the furthest from the door if the rest are unused." She asks if it was true and every guy agreed.

She could not believe it. Guys had differing reasons but they were really the same, a kind of jungle-instinct that you want as few people walking behind you or as near to you as possible when you are in a vulnerable position. To her it was a revelation, all the guys could not believe we were wasting time with something so obvious.

I wonder if the answers change with familiarity? Like, say you're a wall pooper, all the way to the end. Suddenly, you can't use that one anymore, whether for traffic or maintenance. You have to choose a different one, maybe for a whole week. Do y'all do so then go back to ol faithful upon its availability? Or do you stay with what works, ie the last poopin stall you used?

I'm NOT a wall pooper. Assuming all are equal-ish, I grab the first available one. Whichever one that so happens to be, whether 1st, 2nd, 20th based on availability, that one, assuming acceptable experience, becomes "mine". I'll use it over and over until circumstances force me out. Currently, that's stall #1.