History Main / BathroomSearchExcuse

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': Played literally. Myne is left alone in a medical room after fainting and, upon waking, sets out to actually look for the bathroom. She finds it, but it has no water, and so she goes looking for someone to bring more and ends up by genuine accident in a part of the temple meant for people of higher status than her, only managing to go further into it while trying to get back to the medical room. This incident results in her stumbling upon the temple's small library. This is a very big find because Myne is a {{Bookworm}} [[ReincarnateInAnotherWorld reincarnated in a world]] in its pre-printing press era, making books way too expensive for someone of Myne's low economic status.

* ''Series/Elementary'': Sherlock Holmes does this all the time, asking somebody for directions to the bathroom and then poking around for evidence.

Subtrope of EmbarrassingCoverUp and TalkingYourWayOut. Sometimes a subtrope of RefugeInAudacity and[=/=]or TheInfiltration. Sister trope to BeneathNotice, DeliveryGuyInfiltration, RoomDisservice, and JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. If the character really does go to the bathroom and attempts to escape from there, it's BathroomBreakout. Compare BavarianFireDrill and its subtropes, which are similarly audacious. May overlap with FakePeriodExcuse and/or CallingYourBathroomBreaks. Not to be confused with SearchingTheStalls, when a search takes place already ''in'' the bathroom.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick arrive at the Thug Tug to try and retrieve the Patty Wagon's key. When Patrick gets everybody's attention to try and create a distraction so [=SpongeBob=] can grab the key Patrick simply says he needs to go to the bathroom and one of the thugs point it out to him. Subverted because Patrick really ''did'' need to use the restroom.
[[/folder]]

* Used a few times on ''Series/WhiteCollar'', usually by Neal, trying to explore a house related to the current case.
** First in "The Portrait"; Neal thinks the painting is in a locked room, and gets a key, which he uses to unlock the adjoining door between ''that'' room and the ''bathroom''.
---> '''Peter:''' Neal, I know what you're doing!
---> '''Neal:''' Just ''[[BilingualBonus un moment.]]''
---> '''Peter:''' Cut the French crap! Get out here!
---> '''Neal:''' Keep them occupied!
---> '''Peter:''' ''[nervously, as Brigitte and Claire are waiting]'' I ''can't'' keep them occupied, I don't..speak French!
** "Upper West Side Story": Neal and Peter are at the house of a teacher embezzling money from a school. Peter as a parent(using Neal as his 'son'), and Neal as a tutor. They plan to both open doors at the same time, the former as part of a fight, and the latter the door containing incriminating evidence on a flash drive.
*** What makes it even funnier is that prior to excusing himself, Neal is teaching the two students about ''water imagery''...
** Mozzie tries it in "Pulling Strings", as a ruse to go into Peter’s bedroom to help him put together a gift for Elizabeth.

---> '''Peter:''' ''[surprised]'' You’re sitting on my bed...
---> '''Mozzie:''' Oh, that chair is ''not'' ergonomically supportive.

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick arrive at the Thug Tug to try and retrieve the Patty Wagon's key. When Patrick gets everybody's attention to try and create a distraction so [=SpongeBob=] can grab the key Patrick simply says he needs to go to the bathroom and one of the thugs point it out to him. Subverted because Patrick really ''did'' need to use the restroom.
[[/folder]]

---> '''Peter:''' ''[surprised]'' You’re sitting on my bed..

Subtrope of EmbarrassingCoverUp and TalkingYourWayOut. Sometimes a subtrope of RefugeInAudacity and[=/=]or TheInfiltration. Sister trope to BeneathNotice, DeliveryGuyInfiltration, RoomDisservice, and JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. If the character really does go to the bathroom and attempts to escape from there, it's BathroomBreakout. Compare BavarianFireDrill and its subtropes, which are similarly audacious. May overlap with WomensMysteries (if a woman uses this excuse, and a man is afraid to question it because he's worried she'll [[TooMuchInformation say she needs to change her tampon]]) and/or CallingYourBathroomBreaks. Not to be confused with SearchingTheStalls, when a search takes place already ''in'' the bathroom.

Subtrope of EmbarrassingCoverUp and TalkingYourWayOut. Sometimes a subtrope of RefugeInAudacity and[=/=]or TheInfiltration. Sister trope to BeneathNotice, DeliveryGuyInfiltration, RoomDisservice, and JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. If the character really does go to the bathroom and attempts to escape from there, it's BathroomBreakout. Compare BavarianFireDrill and its subtropes, which are similarly audacious. May overlap with WomensMysteries and/or CallingYourBathroomBreaks. Not to be confused with SearchingTheStalls, when a search takes place already ''in'' the bathroom.

* ''LightNovel/AscendanceOfABookworm'': Played literally. Myne is left alone in a medical room after fainting and, upon waking, sets out to actually look for the bathroom. She finds it, but it has no water, and so she goes looking for someone to bring more and ends up by genuine accident in a part of the temple meant for people of higher status than her, only managing to go further into it while trying to get back to the medical room. This incident results in her stumbling upon the temple's small library, which is a very big find because Myne is a {{Bookworm}} and her "new world" is in its pre-printing press era, making books way too expensive for someone of Myne's low economic status.

* In ''WesteranAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'' [=SpongeBob=] and Patrick arrive at the Thug Tug to try and retrieve the Patty Wagon's key. When Patrick gets everybody's attention to try and create a distraction so [=SpongeBob=] can grab the key Patrick simply says he needs to go to the bathroom and one of the thugs point it out to him. Subverted because Patrick really ''did'' need to use the restroom.

* In ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'', Bruce Wayne is caught sneaking around in Lex's mainframe. He claims he had one too many drinks and desperately needed the bathroom.

* ''Literature/ChasingVermeer'': Calder gets a job [[DeliveryGuyInfiltration delivering books]] to one of the antagonists. While there, he asks if he can use her bathroom (which is conveniently located upstairs) and takes the opportunity to peek into all of her rooms looking for a stolen item.

* ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'': In the second episode of the first season, Korra sneaks into the pro-bending arena practice room and gets caught by the arena's owner, and she claims to have needed the bathroom. He doesn't believe it, however, and calls it [[LampshadeHanging "the old 'I had to pee' excuse"]].
* In a licensed comic based on ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', Granny wanders into the Queen's office in Buckingham Palace, then tries to cover her tracks by saying, "Excuse me, I was looking for the loo. I think that's what you call it."

->'''Elizabeth:''' What happens if someone finds us here?
->'''Booker [=DeWitt=]:''' We tell them we got lost looking for the bathroom.
->'''Elizabeth:''' And that works?
->'''Booker [=DeWitt=]:''' Not usually, no.

* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' Alba gives bathroom-searching as the excuse for leaving a play in the middle of the show and ending up in the changing room of the actors. To the surprise of nobody, he's lying.

* In a licensed comic based on ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'', Granny wanders into the Queen's office in Buckingham Palace, then tries to cover her tracks by saying, "Excuse me, I was looking for the loo. I think that's what you call it."
* ''WesternAnimation/LegendOfKorra'': In the second episode of the first season, Korra sneaks into the pro-bending arena practice room and gets caught by the arena's owner, and she claims to have needed the bathroom. He doesn't believe it, however, and calls it [[LampshadeHanging "the old 'I had to pee' excuse"]].

Subtrope of EmbarrassingCoverUp and TalkingYourWayOut. Sometimes a subtrope of RefugeInAudacity and[=/=]or TheInfiltration. Sister trope to BeneathNotice, DeliveryGuyInfiltration, RoomDisservice, and JanitorImpersonationInfiltration. Compare BavarianFireDrill and its subtropes, which are similarly audacious. May overlap with WomensMysteries and/or CallingYourBathroomBreaks. Not to be confused with SearchingTheStalls, when a search takes place already ''in'' the bathroom.