CDTraveler

In the past 3 years, I've traveled the U.S. by air and ground from west to east, from north to south - California to the Atlantic, Maine to Florida - and am left wondering what happened to the purse hooks on the back of the bathroom door?

I would say that 75% of them missing, and the "tone" of the establishment seems to have little connection to the presence/absence of the hook. Restaurants, hotel lobbies, convention centers, train stations, airports, roadside rest areas: the purse hooks of America are vanishing!

Can one blame the poor economy? Places can't afford to replace ones that go missing? But why do they go missing in the first place? Are they being stolen for the metal content and melted down somewhere?

And my final question: what do you do with your purse when nature calls and there's no hook for it?

tothetrail

I've also noticed a few missing, but only occasionally. I just slip the purse strap over the corner of the door, in the space between the door and the wall. There is usually sufficient room, and if not, I just keep it on my shoulder.

jerseygirl

many of the hooks were removed when there was a problem with some purses being 'snatched' from doors

oldpenny16

The hooks have been removed largely due to purse snatching. One major local department store claims to have tried 'everything' to stop the stealing but nothing much changed until the purse hooks were removed.

Hanging your purse with the strap in the door is a very poor choice as well.

CDTraveler

That purse snatching story doesn't quite ring true - in many places with multiple stalls, a few still have hooks but many don't. If they were removed by the business, why weren't all of them removed? And that story dates back at least to 1978 - the year I was first in NYC and the train station had chicken wire screening between the top of the stall and the ceiling to prevent someone from reaching over the top, and signs warning of bag snatchers. IME the widespread "no hook" phenomenon is just the last few years.

Some places have hooks at random places on the side wall, not the door. If the goal was stop purse snatching, why not go that route? Sure would be better than no hook at all.

sweeper20

Men rely on these for suit coats, too!

Analise

There's a diner in Portland at Hobson Wharf called "Becky's" that installed hooks in front of each stool at the counter so you can hang your purse while enjoying a meal at the counter. I love that.

kipper

I've found a lot of restaurants that have hooks installed in front of each stool at the bar. Not only does this give women a place to hand their purses while at the bar, but also, it gives men and women a place to hang coats in winter.

I do wish more locations would replace the hooks in the bathrooms. If there isn't a hook, I'll try to balance it on top of the toilet paper holder, or will keep it on my shoulder.

clg7996

The hooks can be install lower to be harder to reach. I have also seen purse hooks on the side walls of stalls in the past.

FTconnie

Wow, I was coming to ask about bathroom hooks and someone beat me to it

I'm traveling alone and was wondering if there is a bathroom hook they sell similar to purse style hooks that are used at restaurant tables?

purse hook - here is what I am talking about for purses, they are small and compact.

I will be traveling with backpack, which is much heavier than purse, so one of the little purse hooks won't work. Was looking for something bigger that I could use in case the bathroom has no hook.

It's a little hard to balance over some of those in the floor toilets even without a backpack....

kipper

What about picking up a large "S" hook from a hardware store and taking that with you?

FTconnie

Good idea, I was thinking of something like that, but was worried about it scratching up the door or something (but I'll just throw some duct tape on the ends).

Or I might use a large carabiner, that might look a little less out of place, lol.

kipper

Duct tape would work, although at a hardware store, you might be able to find little soft plastic/rubber tips to cover it.

A carabiner would probably work too.

peachfront

Purse hooks are for the benefit of the purse snatcher. Period. I keep my purse attached to my person at all times. I do not need to see my purse go flying over the door right when I'm in the middle of taking a you-know-what...

A friend bought one of those purse hooks to use at the blackjack table. Her purse was now no longer in contact with her body and also out of sight of the camera. She was robbed the very first time she used it, and casino security couldn't see on camera who took the wallet out of her purse.

Hooks on toilet stall doors or under tables are not there because they're nice, or at least, they're not very nice for the customers. If you value your possessions, you should carry a purse (and a backpack) that you can carry. I don't understand these 60 pound backpacks that interfere with somebody being able to squat etc. I didn't carry a pack that heavy to backpack, in a tent, carrying my own food, in Alaska!!!

The reason in some "nice" places there are only a few purse hooks and not in all the stalls is because they were installed not by the venue but by the purse snatchers. I guess they're too cheap to install hooks on every door.

It's the perfect crime because you can't stop what you're doing on a dime when somebody hefts your purse over the door.

I've noticed some places now have the hooks lower...that's OK, I guess, but if you want to keep your cash and your ID, then it should never be out of physical contact with your person. Hanging up your purse at a "delicate" moment is terrible security.

MissJoeyDFW

When I am traveling through airports I am usually carrying on my luggage. My laptop case has a sleeve that slips over my extended handle of my carry on suitcase. I typically carry a cross body purse that can easily fit in my laptop case so I only have "two items" of carry on instead of three. While in the airport though I do take my purse out of the laptop bag for my own personal convenience to pay for things or access all my gadgetry. While in the bathroom I flip my carry on bag against the bathroom stall door, laptop case is sleeved onto the carry on extended handle. I then slip my cross body purse handle over the remainder of the extended handle of my carry on laying on top of the laptop case. If I have a jacket or sweater or coat I stuff it on top of that whole stack of my stuff and it further secures the purse handle. I have the door blocked with my suitcase in case the stupid latch doesn't work properly. I have my purse directly in front of my knees but not visible to the stalls around be because the combined height of the suitcase upright and laptop case hold the purse off the floor a few inches.

I hate those hooks, I kid you not I saw someone at a state fair poking a extended wire hanger over stalls to try to hook purses years ago. This was in an Expo building that had many stalls in the bathrooms. If I am not in the airport with all my gear and it's just a regular circumstance I keep it on my person, hard to navigate sometimes but better than having it stolen.