I work on a floor with 480 people. The ratio is approximately even, half men and half woman. We have two men’s and two lady’s rooms. While I have not had any observation time in the lady’s bathroom, I have spent a fair amount of time in the men’s.
There is an unspoken protocol in the men’s room which essentially forms the basis of a primitive governmental structure. While there is no Roberts Rules of Order, there is a noticeable hierarchy.

The first person in the men’s room assumes his role as a leader. He chooses his location and essentially sets the tone for the room. Depending on his activity, he can alter the surroundings on both a sensory and dynamic front. If he chooses the stall to, say, urinate, it almost always is not only an exercise for the purpose of comfort, but there is a tendency to mark this territory either purposely or simply by poor flow or aim. Too often this area remains unusable until help arrives in the form of housekeeping.

On the other hand, l if he chooses a urinal, here is where things get tricky. In our restroom, there are three urinals. Both the center and left one are the same height. The one furthest right is a good 6 inches lower than the other two. If he should choose the center, I see this as a territorial move rendering the other two urinals nearly unusable until he vacates.
A set of simple rules apply at the urinal: 1) never use the urinal next to someone who has established position. 2) Never talk to an individual if they are actively using a urinal. 3) Absolutely never look over the wall no matter how low it is or how tall you are. 4) When you are finished urinating, put yourself back together before turning around. This may be an issue with the common button fly 501 Levi brand jean, but take the time and complete this before rotating.
The lower urinal is an interesting fixture. For far too many years I considered this urinal reserved for children, short people or those with exceptionally, and I mean exceptionally long penises. But, as I got older, and started wearing the khaki colored Levi Docker, I have come to respect the simple notion of physics. By using the lower urinal, the splash back effect is nearly eliminated. If either a man or woman has ever splashed themselves on their khaki’s, they have seen the impact. The moisture spreads faster than a BP oil spill.

There was a politician who once had an issue in an airport. Apparently he attempted to communicate with foot signals under the stall. While hand signals are fair game in baseball, or Helen Keller stories, never is a foot signal permitted in a public restroom as an under-stall form of communication. I have been a witness to conversations stall to stall, but even this is unusual and rare and even uncomfortable.

Having been brought up in a family with two sisters and no brothers, I was taught early on to use the camping rule when using the bathroom. Leave the surroundings better than it was when you arrived. I have been known to wipe a seat down post use because it is the right thing to do. What I was not taught, but happily now employ is the correct use and timing of the courtesy flush. This activity is best used to quickly discard of offensive waste or to mask sounds which are best not broadcasted in the amplified surroundings of a tiled restroom cave. Sadly, this is not a typically taught skill, but those with sons, and maybe even daughters may want to include this is the life lessons.

The last observation is the placement of the garbage can. I am fortunate to work for a company who understands this and has conveniently positioned a sturdy basket close to the door. The purpose is to open the exit door with a paper towel in hand to prevent the handle to hand germ transfer (HHGT) and in a single motion discard the paper towel. While the intention is good, due to Al Gore, we no longer have paper towels in our restroom. As a result, we now have to use the wax paper seat covers as a mitt to open the door. Seems like a poor use of wax paper.
All of the above bathroom etiquette only apply to the men’s room and never apply to the men’s room at a gym. There they run by a completely different set of rules.

In the future we will review the proper length of time to thoroughly wash your hands (the birthday song) and optimal toilet paper length while remaining environmentally conscious.