Sure, anyone can accidentally slip and fall in the shower or tub. But it takes a special individual, a real overachiever, to slip and fall out of the tub.
Before proceeding, I don’t want to make light of this too much; slips and falls in the bathtub and shower can be serious and result in serious injuries–broken bones, spinal injuries, and head injuries. I’m simply sharing this personal story, like most others, for readers to enjoy and to laugh at my misfortune.
This episode occurred six years ago, but I still remember it vividly. I was taking a shower, washing my own business, when the surface of our porcelain enameled bathtub apparently became very soapy and slippery.
At some point, I shifted or shuffled my feet (nothing unusual), and lost my footing. While slipping, my body somehow turned 90°, perpendicular to the left side of the showerhead. My momentum carried me backwards and I toppled ass-first over the rim of the tub. I grabbed the shower curtain with both hands, but still fell out, and landed on our plastic toilet seat lid, which cracked from the full impact of my 170 pounds and bare ass. It all happened in about two seconds, but seemed to take much longer as it was happening, although nothing cool like in The Matrix.
I was fortunate the toilet broke my fall. I fell two feet onto it rather than three and a half feet directly onto the tiled bathroom floor. I was also lucky to land ass-first instead of randomly landing back-first, hip-first, head-first, etc.
In addition to ordering and installing a new toilet seat lid, my wife and I purchased removable bathtub appliques (non-slip pads) to prevent future slips and falls.
As an additional safety measure, I reduced my exposure to risk. I cut back and now shower a few times a week, with soap optional. One can never be too safe.
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