Another interesting aspect of this whole discussion has been the revelation that men and women have entirely different cultures when it comes comes to restrooms.
Women appear view it as a sanctuary and meeting place where they socialise with other women. For instance, apparently, it is not unusual for them to request paper from the occupant of the next stall if theirs has run out, something a man would NEVER do.
In bars and clubs, women often retire to the bathrooms in groups to freshen up their make up and compare notes on the available guys and strategize their upcoming liaisons.
(Straight) guys always go to restrooms alone, they go there only when they need to perform bodily functions, once there, they maintain as much distance as possible from other users, maintaining silence and avoiding eye contact with strangers.
Public restrooms are smelly, nasty, places and you often try to hold your breath for as long as you are there to avoid the fumes. You hate meeting people you know in a bathroom, it’s the absolute worst embarrassment to hear your boss farting or pooping in a restroom and them have him emerge from a stall to know that you heard him. You can’t look him in eye for the rest of the day.
So it is not surprising that it has been predominantly women that have rushed to Larry Craig’s defence in this forum. They see his actions as far more benign than the guys do because they are applying a different set of cultural parameters and therefore interpret his actions differently. However, it’s the guys rules that apply in this instance and the guys have figured him out.
Very astute observations.