Dear Prudence,
I know that it is common behavior among women that if one needs to use the restroom in a public place, other women in the group suddenly go and join her. However, I have always considered that what one does in the restroom should be private, and it makes me uncomfortable when someone is talking to me during the act. This most recently occurred at dinner at a restaurant with my husband's family. I excused myself from the table when my sister-in-law exclaimed, "Oh, I have to go too!” The restroom was for a single person, so I went in first. I thought my problems were solved, but then my sister-in-law started talking to me from the other side of the door. I was mortified. How do I deal with awkward conversation during what should be, in my opinion, a time of privacy? Can I try to fend off others from joining me in the restroom?
—Restroom, Party of One