After buying "Casino Royale" and "Blood Diamond" during my lunch hour yesterday, I returned to the office and decided to detour into the bathroom before resuming my work.
This was a mistake.
The restroom in question was on a different floor than my office as I had parked on a lower level in the parking garage. Upon entering the foreign toilet area, I noticed someone's feet in a stall with a pile of khaki pants around them. Nothing strange about that as the man was obviously taking care of some dirty business that happens to us all.
Shit happens. 
What doesn't usually happen is this: As I stood at the urinal I started to hear a faint weeping coming from the stall. This stopped my urine trail in its tracks as I needed to be sure. So I stood quietly waiting . . . And then there it was again. A little louder and a little longer this time.
There was definitely a man crying in the stall for unknown reasons. Regardless of the circumstances, it gave me the Fear as questions flooded my brain like:
Is there a worse place to cry than a public restroom?
Do you wipe the tears away with the same hand that you wipe your ass? 
And what was the cause of the tears?
Perhaps a martial spat?
A dress-down by his boss?
Or was he just feeling the pain of the 3 Shiners and Green Chili Enchiladas he consumed last night at Trudy's? 
I didn't stick around to find out, however, as I simply zipped up and used the bathroom on my own floor where I have never found another man weeping for any reason at all. And I think that is a very good quality in a public restroom.
-BDS
A man crying???
Maybe it burned when he peed?
WhatIgot - Wimpering, but yes it did happen. Sad but true.
Jlee - It's possible, but I would still keep the tears inside. Don't reveal your hand to the world.
Oh man, you should have asked if he was alright :P
Oh my!!! What a truly odd situation. I have to say women seem to just cry right in front of you or at least go to their office rather than in a bathroom.
No weeping is indeed a good quality to find in a public restroom. I was once in an "almost* empty restroom when I heard the unmistakeable sounds of a woman...hmmm...how to put this...enjoying herself, shall we say. I too decided there were other restrooms available.
Miss Ash - That might fly in the women's room, but I generally keep conversation to an absolute minimum in the Men's - and that's when the other person isn't crying.
Sarcastic - An office or your car seems like a much better place to me. But everyone's different I suppose.
Bostonpobble - That presents a real brain-teaser as to which situation would be worse. I'll take the crying over the other, however, some dude going to town in a stall might hold more comedic value and less fear about his mental stability.
poor men. you guys just don't cry at the drop of a hat. and when you feel like it - you end up getting into a bar fight or beat up the copier to protect your machismo. All that pressure to repress your feelings must really suffocate you and come out oddest and most unlikely places.
Or maybe JLee was right, and it was just the hot snakes!
;D
Isn't it just driving you crazy to not have lingered long enough to see who it was?? I mean at a safe distance- with a newspaper in front of your face, trench coat fake mustache ya know incognito. eww I have way too much time on my hands today!
Funny how men and women are different that way..I would have asked what was wrong. Of course, then I probably would have regretted asking as I felt compelled to listen to a 15 minute rant about the insensitivity of this person's boss, boyfriend, etc.
Maybe you did the right thing after all!
Let the poor dude cry in peace
LocosMocos - That's an interesting point, and while I think there's some middle ground better bar fights and weeping in public restrooms, I say whatever works. Personally, I would choose another venue. Ha.
Nobich - It would if it was someone from my own company, but I like your idea about the disguise. The problem lies in the fact that nobody has enough time to perform it (unless I start keeping them in the car and that is just weird).
Kayla - Exactly. That is one reason I wouldn't ask because I don't know the guy and although I have some degree of empahty, I have no desire to listen to the root causes. Selfish - maybe, but sometimes a man just needs to weep on the toilet by himself I suppose.
poor guy!
Aw. I feel bad for him.
I would have asked if he was ok. But a little awkward I'm sure.
Carmel - I'm sure he was in a bad way, but that still doesn't seem like the place to do that nor for me to talk to him about the cause. Ha. Maybe over a beer or something.
Friday - Definitely a little awkward, and while I was curious, I'm not sure I really wanted the answer. It could have been very, very bad.
I would assume that whatever he was weeping about was very sad. Especially since he had to have heard someone enter the bathroom and yet he still could not hold it in. I too would have felt bad for him but I would have just left. I don't want to hear strangers tellin me a sad story. I get tired of hearing other people's problems.
I bet it was the 3 Shiners and the Green Chili Enchiladas. Poor bastard should have known better.
Did you happen to see anyone walking around the office bowl-legged afterward?
Trina - I agree with you on the problems bit as I have no problem listening to a friend's issues (as long as they don't ALWAYS have them), but I'm less inclined with a stranger in the bathroom.
Idig - That combination could reduce any man to crying. I know. I don't want to talk about it.