OP might have anxiety. I have social anxiety and in a situation like this that requires confrontation, I would have panic attacks most of the time. Sometimes it's not easy for someone to be assertive.

OP doesn't deserve this. Don't be a dick. Not everyone is free of mental health issues and able to be assertive or to do something in a situation like this.

#30 and #41 Don't use that as an excuse. ALL OP had to do was make them aware of his/her presence and, if they didnt go, call the front desk. It's not confrontation to clear your throat or ask "who is there". Beyond that ALL hotels have "Do Not Disturb" signs for a reason. Put it on the god damn door if you are in the room. Period.

All op needed to do was ask them to come back later. 3 words. And if the op does have such severe anxiety, then 42 is right and he should be leaving his do not disturb sign on the door every time he's in the room. I'm not saying op deserves it per say, but I am saying that there were several solutions to op's "problem."

Just another thing, but usually when the housekeeping comes in they ask, repeatedly, if anyone is there. So if they asked if someone was in the room and you continued to say nothing, then ya, you kinda deserve it.

#42,44,&45 Clearly ya'll are lucky enough not to be stricken with social anxiety. It's not an "easy fix" or JUST "three simple words". To someone with social anxiety or just horrible anxiety in general....speaking to anyone especially a stranger is like trying to give a speech in front of 1000 people. It's terrifying on a level that you can't control! So don't talk about things you don't understand. You'll never know until you have to experience it.

They didn't even have to say anything- or leave the bathroom.. Just flushing the toilet would have accomplished the same thing- letting the staff know they were in the bathroom..

I have to agree. While not everyone would be comfortable walking out and yelling at people, there are a myriad of minor tiny things OP could have done to better the situation. Even something as simple as: FLUSH THE TOILET. The cleaners would hear that sound, realize someone was in the room and ran for the hills.

But people with social anxiety also don't want to cause a feeling of embarrassment to others. So OP was kinda stuck.

Or a loud fart noise would do the same.

They did but OP was using it so they decided to wait for OP to finish, but they couldn't wait forever since they had other rooms to clean.

I think the OP was in the bathroom and the maid walked in either without checking to see that it was empty or not hearing the OP. The maid then began to lounge and not do their job while the OP waited awkwardly on the toilet.

Yea I knew that, I was making a bad joke, perhaps I should've made that more clear.

the hotel, motel, holiday inn? :)