Did I do something wrong?

[Minniesgal]

Being a Brit American etiquette alludes me sometimes but I had a strange experience in the laundry at VGC and wondered. I went down just after lunch with two loads of washing. I put one on and popped back to the room. I went back down just before the machine finished and there was a couple in there. My machine finished and I pulled the laundry out and put the second load in. The couple were a bit impatient and started with we have been waiting to use that. To which I said yes but I was here before you and I haven’t finished using it myself. It’s not like I let someone else use it ahead of them to cut the line I was not finished with the machine. They could not have been there that long as t(e machine had only 20 mins on it when I left the laundry and I came back before it finished.

Anyway what would others have done?

 

[DLgal]

Was the second load of clothes sitting on top of the machine, indicating that you were going to add it afterwards? If not, then yeah, you kind of committed a faux pas. If a machine is being used and there is no evidence that more clothes need to go in afterwards, the machine technically goes to the next person waiting. In your situation, I would not have left the laundry room, so I could tell people that I still had another load to do.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

Tricky situation. I probably would have let them use the machine once I saw that they were waiting, rather than put in a second load. I guess I feel like each load requires a separate wait in line. To put it in Disneyland terms, I wouldn't request to ride the same ride twice in a row just because I was already in the seat - if I wanted to ride again and there are other people waiting, I should exit and go to the back of the line for my second ride.

On the other hand, my opinion may not mean much as I can't think of many times that I have been in this type of situation. I'm lucky to have had laundry machines inside my residence for most of my life, so I don't hang out in many laundromats.

Also, as was previously mentioned, if your second load of dirty clothes was sitting on top of/in front of the washer the whole time, making it clear that you had another load to do, the people waiting shouldn't have been too shocked that you went to do another load. I can see both sides.

 

[WonkaKid]

In my view, you didn't do anything wrong. Were they annoyed that they had to wait while you did a second load? Sure. But that doesn't mean necessarily that you were in the wrong. Had it been me, I might have let them do theirs and then finished mine later, simply because I understand their POV (not that you didn't or don't) and tend to verge towards being more flexible than perhaps is always advisable. However, they were also in the wrong by assuming anything. I'm not sure this comes down to differences between American and Brit etiquette. It's more a simple misunderstanding between human beings. I can easily see myself being on either side of this situation. As you know, there are a surprising number of people who feel entitled (I blame caffeine and virtually unlimited credit. Both feed into the idea that the party in question gets whatever they want whenever they want it. The caffeine simply makes them impatient for whatever they desire). Perhaps you helped to show them that they're not as entitled/important as they allowed themselves to believe. Just because someone gets mad/annoyed, it doesn't always mean that they're in the right. I've seen DL guests get unpleasant with CMs often and they've (the guests) always been in the wrong. You may have actually done them and the rest of us a service!

 

[DWillowBay]

Is there only 1 washer? Certainly there was some kind of mathematical solution to this with the need for so emotion. It's wash right? No one REALLY wants to be doing that, especially on vacation, so staking out 'territory' seems unwarranted. Not saying anyone was right or wrong. I won't get into the ethics of laundry. Just saying, I bet there were lots of options.

 

[FireflyTrance]

If I saw they were waiting I probably would have let them do a load instead of doing a second load. I lived in the UK for a while and I noticed they do not have the same level of "customer service", for a lack of a better word, that we do here in the USA. If there is a line for something, generally you can do that thing one time, and then the next person has a turn.

 

[Nonsuch]

I don't know about laundry room etiquette, but this information might be helpful when GCH laundry rooms are busy:

A small laundry room is on the first floor near the VGC elevators (a short zig-zag through a few hallways).
There are 2 washers and 4 dryers (link to real-time status)
This laundry room is usually not locked. The seldom used barbecue patio is nearby (if you plan on waiting).

There is also a larger laundry room on the second floor near the elevators adjacent to Napa Rose.
There are 6 washers and 13 dryers
This laundry room requires a room key to access.

 

[mamapenguin]

I would have done the same as the OP.

 

[oumagic]

If you didn’t have laundry sitting there that showed another load was going in, I would have let them put their load in. They could have been there waiting 10-15 minutes for that load to finish and then you walked in and made their wait much longer. If they walked in and saw a load in there and another to go in, they may have just left and decided to find another laundry room

 

[Buson808]

You did nothing wrong! I would do the same.....

Last year I had 3 loads so instead of using the small laundry room I went to the 2nd floor by napa rose. Lots of washers there. Laundry and soap is free for dvc so splurge. I even swipe for other ppl in the laudry room. Free liquid detergent and free dryer sheets for everyone!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Last year I had 3 loads so instead of using the small laundry room I went to the 2nd floor by napa rose. Lots of washers there. Laundry and soap is free for dvc so splurge. I even swipe for other ppl in the laudry room. Free liquid detergent and free dryer sheets for everyone!

This is a good example (and being generous with your laundry resources is always a way to make new friends -- we've made friends all over the world this way!) -- when I know that I will have multiple loads of laundry, I try to do a bit of research ahead of time to find out where will be the best location. If there is more than one laundry room, I am willing to walk farther or be a bit inconvenienced if there is a larger room with more washers that will let me do multiple loads at one time.
Otherwise, while I understand that no harm at all was intended and no real harm was done, I agree with the posters who said that the basket with the second load should have been left clearly on top of the washer to indicate that a second load was going in next and/or that the OP should have stayed in the laundry room (I usually catch up on my reading -- any chance to do that is welcome!) to communicate that to other guests. Or possibly -- not at all required, but certainly gracious -- allowed the other guests to use the machine and come back later with the second load. We end up doing laundry in hotels rather often, so we get used to being flexible and resourceful when it comes to sharing laundry facilities with others. When we travel, especially abroad, we find that whenever we're in doubt about an etiquette issue or manners of any kind, erring on the side of being gracious usually works.

 

[SteveH]

@Minniesgal I would have done just what you did. Apologized yes, but I would not have given it up to them. Nobody likes doing laundry let alone waiting. But my time is valuable too. Not knowing who used the washer before us and may have used bleach we do our second load after whites to make sure things were damaged.

In this case possession and first come-first served applies.

 

[StormyCA]

If I have more than one load I always do them in separate machines. If there were only two machines, though, I'd probably have sorted out the 'most imporitant' items into one load and done the other at a later time or I would have asked if there was a laundry room with more machines nearby.

I don't think you technically did anything 'wrong', you just didn't know to leave an 'indicator' that you weren't done with the machine.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Hahaha! I recognize that couple’s move, seen it before. Basically you’re fine. As to why they were hanging around despite seeing another load waiting down there- If you hadn’t been down there when it stopped I have zero doubt you would have found your wet clothes removed and sitting in a dryer and their laundry running. Don’t feel guilty even one tiny bit.

 

[ashley0139]

I don't think this is an American vs. British etiquette thing. Just personally how you would act. As you can see from this thread, there are a lot of different opinions just in these replies.

 

[DLgal]

Hahaha! I recognize that couple’s move, seen it before. Basically you’re fine. As to why they were hanging around despite seeing another load waiting down there- If you hadn’t been down there when it stopped I have zero doubt you would have found your wet clothes removed and sitting in a dryer and their laundry running. Don’t feel guilty even one tiny bit.

The OP never said whether the next load of clothes was placed in a way that made it obvious she was not done with the machine. No clothes waiting=no rights to the next load.

 

[LoriLovesDisneyland]

There is no real etiquette. You did nothing wrong. If there is etiquette maybe hotels should post the etiquette in the laundry area, otherwise, you were there first and you were not done.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Don't feel bad OP, I would have had no idea either.

 

[PiratesMansion]

IMO, you get one load at a time, and if there's someone at the machine waiting to use it, they're next, regardless of whether you were planning on doing more laundry or not.

 

[DLgal]

There is no real etiquette. You did nothing wrong. If there is etiquette maybe hotels should post the etiquette in the laundry area, otherwise, you were there first and you were not done.

It's basic laundromat etiquette. It's not hotel specific. It's common courtesy.