Some women will stop at nothing when it comes to getting information on a great pair of shoes, even if it’s in the ladies’ room.

One day, my young son and I were standing in line for the bathroom in a movie theater. I turned to the woman behind me, and told her how pretty her shoes were.

“Shhh,” my young son said.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him.

“You’re not supposed to talk to people in the bathroom. Dad said so,” my son whispered.

Apparently, my husband told our son that men don’t talk to each other in the men’s room, especially when you are standing at the urinal. Quite frankly, I was pleased that my son remembered this, because it had been our practice to teach our son not to talk to strangers.

As I thought about it, I heard other women in the bathroom talking around me. Two were complaining about the line being so long. One woman advised another woman not to use the dirty stall in front of her, and someone let a pregnant woman cut in line.

I started wondering what it would be like if women had little open places just to empty their bladders like men do. We’d be quick to get in and out, too, but not before acknowledging the other women around us. We’d compliment each other on shoes, and ask where they got them. We’d complain about how much our feet hurt in our high heels. We might even trade business cards.

I can remember when I was in college, and a bunch of us would go out clubbing on ladies’ night. The ladies’ room was always packed. It wasn’t just for pee-ing, it was for sympathizing. If your boyfriend just broke up with you, twenty women you didn’t know would tell you you’re too good for him. If it was a Midol you needed, someone always had one ready to give you, but not before giving their condolences for the cramps you were feeling, followed by telling you how great you look even though you are retaining water. If you were looking for a safety pin, all you had to do was yell for one and presto, someone had one for you. I have probably seen more hands offer and take toilet tissue underneath bathroom stall dividers than you care to know.

Is it wrong to talk to strangers? Sure. But the ladies room doesn’t count. That’s consulting at its finest.