how observant are you?

You don't know us. 

You happen to be in the Target bathroom with Gretchen, Carl & me. 

We are washing our hands as you come out of the stall. 

Gretchen tries to use the hand dryer. 

Carl asks, in his inquisitive form of a statement, "I have to listen to a sound that is too loud and scary?"

I lower Gretchen's hand about 1 foot.  The noise level drops considerably. 
*by the way... Target has recently installed the world's loudest hand dryers and removed their paper towel dispensers.

I tell her loudly, "If you lower your hands, the sound is much quieter."  (it also does not affect how well your hands get dried.  It still works fast to do that.)

Carl tries to cover his ears with his upper arms and keep his wet hands ready to try the hand dryer.  He cannot bring himself to do it and looks at me with a look I know very well.

"Yes, Buddy.  You can dry them on my pants."

By now, you have finished washing your hands.  Gretchen is done drying hers.

You step up and stick your hands way up high in the dryer where the sound is loudest. 

Carl yells and covers his ears dramatically.



Really?  Are you that oblivious that you didn't hear my kid announce his fear of the noise?  Or hear my very loud - and on purpose so you could eavesdrop - directions to hold your hands down lower???  Or, don't you care to make one small accommodation for a special needs child?  Are people really that wrapped up in themselves they did not overhear that whole thing play out?

I try to speak up, but the hand dryer is so loud, I cann't be heard over it.

We leave as quickly as we can.



Maybe I am way off base on this.  Maybe she had a hearing disability and I owe her an apology.
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