One of my least favorite things about high school was asking to go to the bathroom. I didn't have a problem with the principle of asking for permission, but every teacher had a different policy for it. During the first week of school, I had to make a restroom cheat sheet because I had eight different teachers who all wanted me to ask to go to the restroom in a different way. Some had hall passes, some only let one person go at a time, and some didn't want you to ask at all, and would get mad if you did. I was so glad that in college, you could leave the classroom whenever you wanted with no questions asked. Once you get into the working world, it's the same situation. One worker almost 15 years into his job found himself in a pickle when his new boss demanded that workers "sign in" to indicate they've gone to the restroom.