DEAR ABBY: Last night, my wife and I attended a potluck dinner. It was held in an older home that had recently been moved on a truck from its original location.
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During the evening, I had to use the bathroom. The door opened inward, and I pushed it closed from the inside. When I was ready to leave, I realized the door knob was missing. I pulled on the towel rack attached to the back of the door, but it came off in my hand. The door was firmly stuck in its frame, and there was no way to open it.
I unlatched the window. Unlike the door, it was loose in its frame and wouldn't stay up. I used the towel rack to prop it open while I climbed out. Unfortunately, as I was making my escape, my foot caught on the towel rack. The window came crashing down. It shattered, attracting the attention of everyone there.
My wife says the proper thing to do would have been to bang on the bathroom door and wait for someone to let me out. Abby, I am a professional man and to do that would have been undignified.
My wife says I should pay to replace the broken window. I think they are lucky I didn't sprain my ankle when I jumped out.
What is the correct protocol for dealing with this type of unexpected social situation? -- LOCKED IN THE LOO
DEAR LOCKED: When someone is locked in a confined space -- professional or not -- dignity flies out the door and sometimes claustrophobia sets in. It could have been a long time before someone heard you or you were missed.
Your wife is right that you should have pounded on the door so someone had the option of letting you out of the bathroom. You are fortunate that the only injury you suffered was to your pride. Now, be a gentleman and write your hosts a check to cover the damage.