I made an ‘innocent’ comment about something and they took it completely the wrong way and thought badly of me,...

In your case as you described it wasn’t that bad at all at the end. However, I have seen this so many times, even here on steemit platform. People get their own conclusion without being willing to hear the details. It even led to literally abuse. I don’t like to get involved in such a situations, but if you are misunderstood, you just have to stand for yourself.
Lol poor Tom, he may have to be really careful next time he goes to the job interview.

I remember when I was a little girl, the public toilets in France were just holes in the floors in cubicles...

😱! At the end take your time and research the specific country with different culture. You might be surprised what you eventually find out. Even toilet paper could be pretty handy in your carry on bag.