Enroute to the Maldives in December 2008 I had to touch down in Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International for about 2 hours. The new Emirates Terminal 3 opened in October 2008 is said to offer a new style statement. You name it; it is provided...a hotel, business centre, health club, banking, business facilities, dining, entertainment, internet services and lounges. I liked the amusement the new terminal 3 had in offer until I needed to pee.

Few minutes before boarding my flight to Male’ I needed to pee. I walked between Gates 113 and 115, near McDonalds and I saw a Men’s room nearby. With a growing urge to pee I rushed in. I headed to the corner at the nearest wall, loosened my jeans and unbuttoned my fly and got ready to take a leak. In a split second I felt there was no drain by the wall and that any leak would flood the relatively small floor space. Holding my pee tight I pulled up my jeans and looked around for the wall urinals...ah.. no wall urinals in Men’s in Terminal 3.

The Men’s contained 5 toilets in 5 stalls with enclosure. The queue for the stalls was very long and it appeared that many whom I met at the very back of the queue were feeling very uncomfortable. I was feeling terrible holding my bladder out of politeness for too long. What crossed my mind was that few have died trying to hold their pee. That is not a fate I would choose for myself.

Two spots ahead of me in the queue was a little boy who was a bit smelly. Seeing the spots in his light blue jeans I presume he must have dropped a deuce while waiting for the toilet. To be at Men’s and to give up hope for a toilet to take a dump is perhaps not a good style statement for Terminal 3.

People don’t expect dookie-droppings at urinals and I and many others who were waiting in a queue to pee could have used a urinal, had there been one.  Men peeing at urinals viewing others are only peripheral and I don’t really have a problem with it. 

I can say now, taking a dump or a leak at Emirates Terminal 3 at Dubai International has no appeal.