Bathroom Debate...Relax

[NateSean]

Your bladder is bursting or you're really sick and there's only two bathrooms in the library and/or public building of your choice. Each bathroom is a single room and the only difference between either one is the Men, Women's sign on them. The bathroom for your gender is full and the other one is wide open with no line.

Should you be allowed to use that one? Why is it an issue either way?

For that matter, I've seen unisex bathrooms on college campuses. Why can't more places adopt this idea? It's a basic bilogical function and it's an equal opportunity employer, so why do we have to suffer to follow some archaic societal practice that's based entirely on a sign with a stick figure in a dress?

[telecom_goddess]

Well if it was an urgent situation I would go ahead and use the men's one since it is a single room after all.

But in general I don't want to have unisex bathrooms....it's a basic function that does NOT need to be shared with any more people than necessary, especially both genders together.

If there was a unisex situation the urinals would have to go away or be enclosed....I don't even want to think of the HR issues if they weren't.

[Boozy]

My workplace has two single washrooms, used by both customers and staff.

Instead of making them both unisex, they've put signs on the door indicating "Men" and "Women".

It's arbitrary and pointless. And it drives me crazy.

I'm not waiting in line behind several other women when the EXACT same facilities are free.

I'm also sick of men who think that I shouldn't use the "Men's" room when there were no men waiting to use it at the time I slipped in there. So they had to wait a split second while I finish. Am I really suppose to stand around in a line for the "Women's" room on the off chance that a man shows up and wants to jump the line?

[Canarr]

You see that a lot here in Germany at concerts, sport events and other public functions. Apparently, it hasn't reached most architects that the exact same space for male and female facilities will result in longer lines for the women.

Once or twice, I've marched past 20-30 women waiting in line, then been able to walk directly up to a free urinal and do my business. And, yes, I've seen women come into the men's room on more than one occasion - especially at events of a less formal nature. I don't mind that, it makes everything speed up a bit.

Just that one time, when a woman walked past a long row of urinals, checking the "equipment" of every man standing there, I got a bit peeved... but other than that, I've no problem with people bridging the gender gap to save some time.

[Ginger Tea]

if they are all made as stalls with floor to celing walls and doors and thick gloryhole proffing walls at that then they would be fully clothed when they return to use the sinks so noone should care if the block of 20 stalls goes
boy girl boy boy girl empty girl girl boy etc
but i think some form of security would have to be employed during certain hours and venues for safety reasons, even if its just some bloke sat on a chair who offers you mints and aftershave

[HYHYBT]

Single-person bathrooms, go right ahead. The only reason I'm a little iffy on making them officially unisex is that it might lead to future buildings having only one, making lines longer.

As for larger ones with stalls... the better-designed ones, again it should be OK. Even if they still have urinals, as those can have dividers between them. But one thing I've noticed in newer restrooms lately is a trend towards designing the stall walls to have a largish gap between the wall panel and the post supporting it: that needs to stop NOW, regardless of whether men and women are using the same room or not. (and I'd love to know why they build them that way in the first place, along with many newer ones having the toilet paper dispenser so that the place it comes out is almost to the floor.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've used the men's room on occasion. Usually cuz there's a massive queue for the ladies and I'm bursting.

[MaggieTheCat]

At the call center I used to work at, about 90-95% of the call center agents were female. The male and female bathrooms on that side of the building were the same size. One of the women I used to work with (we worked in an office in the call center) would often say, "I'm going to the men's room, be right back." The first time she said it after I started working with her, I gave her a "wtf?" look and she explained that the men's room is almost always empty, especially at that hour (we worked second shift so this was usually after about 8 or 9pm that she would have to go.)

Unisex bathrooms would be okay I think but I'd say that the urinals would have to be somewhat enclosed. Also, as someone else pointed out, it'd be okay as long as buildings still had 2 bathrooms; if they made just 1 unisex bathroom it would make everyone wait longer.

[NateSean]

I think in the one unisex bathroom I saw there were no urinals. Just two stalls with very private doors, not the major gaps that let you see London, France and Italy.

[powerboy]

I have on occasion, used the womens bathroom. But only if it was a single bathroom and it was busy at the time and i just about to burst. I do not see a big deal about it. It is a part of life and everyone pees and poops

[LadyBarbossa]

I've never actually gone into the men's room, but I've been sorely tempted on occasion. I frankly don't see why those of my gender just can't go into the bathroom, pee/poo, and GET OUT. While there may be a reason for them to spend upwards of minutes in a public bathroom, I think a lot of it comes from being inconsiderate and having a sense of entitlement. [/rant]

Another time I was at a Subway (restaurant) and a handicapped gentleman with a walker went into the women's restroom, simply because it was easier for him to maneuver into and I was already leaving it, meaning I could hold the door open for him. I don't think it's that big a deal.

[blas87]

When I used to go to the bar, I almost always snuck into the men's room. It wasn't much cleaner, but I could always go in, pee, fix my makeup while peeing, and get out. No having to dodge girls on the floor passed out or girls puking all over the place or telling secrets in the stalls.

[Lace Neil Singer]

If a man just wandered into the lady's room there would be an uproar. If you are in public don't wait until you are bursting before going to the bathroom. Its not hard.

It is if you have been stuck in a flipping traffic jam due to an accident on the motorway. That was the time that I used the men's room; I'm sorry, but I'm not waiting in a giant queue that practically stretches all over the carpark when the gents has no queue at all and a huge row of cubicles that no-one's using.

[telecom_goddess]

It is if you have been stuck in a flipping traffic jam due to an accident on the motorway. That was the time that I used the men's room; I'm sorry, but I'm not waiting in a giant queue that practically stretches all over the carpark when the gents has no queue at all and a huge row of cubicles that no-one's using.

It's also hard when you're taking water pills and have an hour commute home on the train......sigh.

[Rageaholic]

This is a clear cut example of when blindlessly following social conventions would make no sense. If it's only one stall behind either of those doors, I see no difference. Unless it's a multiple stall restroom, why even have a mens or womens room?