Mixed Gender Loos

I went to a Craft Fair with daughter last weekend - it was packed and the Ladies loo situation with long queues was ridiculous! So as I was standing in this long queue - bursting - I noticed the Gents door to my left and tentatively pushed it open and it was completely deserted. (There were very few men there apart from a few 'tethered and dutiful' husbands and some delightful men manning the stalls doing needlepoint etc.)

Switftly in I went, with the woman in the queue behind me saying "I like your attitude" and "I'll let them know you're in there if need be." I mean for me it's a no brainer - long queue or relief, no contest. That particular loo was clean and not at all smelly and they had lovely handwash at the basins. I've shared my toilet at home with husband and son and a gazillion other males, some of them strangers, over the years. Same with disabled toilets, I'll use those too if there aren't any disabled people needing them at that very moment, and I know I'm going to be quick, and there's no other option!

was in france in a cafe once and went to the loo
it had a cubicle and a urinal as you went in ... i will admit i was very glad no man came in

I can see pros and cons - against is the smell of blokes' loos, urinals and if no urinals, men leaving the seats up or miss aimimg. The big For is the satisfaction of men having to queue.

In Richmond shopping 'mall', the public toilets have one for Parents - what a good idea, as parents of either sex can take in children of either sex. You have to hand it to New Zealand - they come up with some fresh ideas!
I think we have had a thread about school toilets going unisex before, and my opinion has not changed - I would have hated to have to wash my hands with boys about, and I remember occasions when somebody started a period unexpectedly and called out to some other girls for one of them to get her a towel from the machine. Can you imagine doing that with boys around?
Perhaps it is my age, but I think some privacy is still essential, esepecially for teenagers, who are very sensitive to such things

We had girls only loos, but we were a girls only school.

shysal that is not right. If there is bullying in school loos the staff should deal with it. Some schools actually have CCTV in them to make sure they are safe!
A young teenager should not be trying to "hold it" all day. Her parents should contact her head of year or head of house.

I admit I have never seen corporation mixed gender loos but when I have come across them in restaurants and shops it has simply meant a bank of loos in their separate cubicles, as you get in any ladies public toilets and the waiting and wash basin area has usually been in a public space. I think those space age loos you see dotted on odd corners in central London are unisex. There the queue is in the street. I see no dangers for children or privacy if that is the way it is done.

I am wondering what happens in the school loos; though I do remember the ones at Hogwarts. in that case I would wait too. Having said that never have been able to wait too long to go.

I like the school idea. DGD will not use loos at her secondary school as she has heard that 'bad things happen' . As you can imagine, the first thing she does when back at the house is rush to the toilet!

Perhaps men might understand what it means to be in a queue for the loo!!!!

Mixed gender loos can mean a row of enclosed cubicles that anyone can use. They open out onto the street and each contains its own washing / drying facilities. This suits people of certain religious faiths far better than the communual type of mixed gender toilets which are generally unacceptable. They can be unacceptable for a lot of older people too but are useful if you have children of a different gender with you. Unfortunately many councils don't consult properly to find out what people prefer. Also having loos is not a statutory requirement so should we be relieved that there are toilets being made available at all bearing in mind the numbers being closed throughout the country?
My personal opinion? I don't like the 'cell' type toilet but I don't mind a communal washing area as long as there are separate ladies and gents toilets as we have different biological needs.

They have done this at the school my sons attend.

They opened up what was the boys and girls toilets and fitted a row of individual cubicles along the wall and a washbasin 'island'.

At first the cubicles were unisex but now they have been designated male/female and have signs on the doors. I presume the female ones have a phs bin and the male ones have wee on the seat!

I would have hated this arrangment but apparently it works better as some DC were affraid to use the old loos.

I have been to another secondary school where they kept separate male and female toilets but again made them all cubicle with a central basin area. They fitted a glass wall to separate the loos from the corridor so that anyone going by can see if anyone is messing about in the toilets.

Think everywhere should have mixed loos ..but in the sense that there are x number of individual toilets with handbasins along a corridor. Doing this in lots of secondary schools I think.

when i need the loo i dont care who uses them as long as they are clean

merseymog - yuk. I have come across this twice. Once in the spa area of a local leisure centre (without private shower cubicles. - i never went back)
and also Centerparcs. Smelly noisy crowded and mixed.

Never enough hand driers - and toilets not child friendly. Even new theatres like ours gracesmum!!
Only once got to berate an architect about poor toilet facilities - My BIL re Waterford Airport!

'Disabled loos' are nearly aways unisex. Some enlightened public loos have low level urinals in the female (and male, I'm told) areas for little boys. Can't remember where..... In Japan there used to be unisex loos in department stores where laydees had to walk past a row of male backs to get to the cubicles. A more urgent question, I think, is why anytime you use the loo at a motorway services, half the area is closed? And the hand washing thing as well. Go to the loo, go to the mirror, examine teeth, rearrange hair....and leave!

As long as there are lockable cubicles it shouldn't be an issue. What I am not so happy about is the trend toward mixed changing areas in swimming pools. Yes they have lockable cubicles but I like to have a shower after swimming and when I shower I like to be able to shower totally naked. Though in single sex changing many people choose to shower in their costumes if you choose to shower nude there isn't normally a problem.

Most of the ones I've used in Italy have had a shared entrance and then divide into men & women once you get inside. There was an interesting occasion when I couldn't work out where to find the key for the Ladies at an Italian truck stop so ended up sharing the Gents with an Austrian truck driver. I think he was more put out than I was. There was also the time that I travelled from Monte Carlo to Antibes sitting on the lap of a total stranger in the train loo ..... but I might save that for another time.

Good point GM

ridiculous complaining about boys in womens loos or changing rooms. fussy lot.
I don't mind drag queens in women's loos (or transexuals) - I assume they will be sensible and sit down to wee.

Seriously, if they had "Mixed Gender" loos at the theatre there might be a chance of getting there and back to your seat again by the end of the interval!

Has this anything to do with you Frank?
Have you been out there protesting against "ladies only Ladies" and "gents only Gents"??
Fie on you!

Lucky people of Brighton in that they have public loos at all! Here in Manchester, the council have closed all public lavatories with the exception of one in Mount Street, near the police station - no, I couldn't work that one out either. There are now supposed to be cafes and pubs which welcome people who just want to use the lavatory, but I have only seen a couple of signs advertising this.

I don't mind the idea of men and women sharing loos - perhaps men would be a bit tidier in their habits if they knew women were around. After all, we don't have segregated loos in our homes. I visited Chester Zoo today with my very tall 9 year old GS and stood outside the mens loos waiting for him with some trepidation. Other women have sometimes made unpleasant remarks when I have taken him to the ladies loos with me, obviously thinking he is older than he is. Shared loos would at least get around this problem.

Ana

No it is supposedly costing £140,000 to do the one on the sea front. I think Brighton is hoping to 'roll out' a few more. I think it is more to do with the cross gender empathy of the council. That is fine with me but not when it comes to public toilets.

I wouldn't bat an eye lid if a transexual person came in to a ladies loo if I was using it, so I am certainly not making a fuss about that. It is just not suitable in general. I appreciate that is only an opinion.