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AIBU

To Want Women-Only Restroom?

(30 Posts)
MariClaire Sun 03-Aug-14 16:04:09

I was shocked entering the restroom at my new medical center. The dreaded urinals!!! And they'd been used! shock I understand the need for more women's facilities as noted in a recent post. But, unless these urinals are cleaned hourly, I find it unsanitary and disgusting to sit next to them. My DH and DS leave my toilets exceptionally clean, so my expectations are probably far too high.

Would you want to face the men's urinal in your public restroom?

ninathenana Sun 03-Aug-14 16:09:24

No I wouldn't! The only unisex loos I've been in have all been cubicles only.

HollyDaze Sun 03-Aug-14 16:22:05

If the urinals are kept spotlessly clean (including the floor in front of them) I don't know if I'd mind or not; if there were any men stood in front of them, using them, I might think again!

I don't like shared conveniences; there is a world of difference between sharing a bathroom at home with male family members and outside the home with total strangers.

Nonu Sun 03-Aug-14 17:24:29

NO, I JOLLY WELL WOULD NOT bigtime.

Stone the crows , bet they will get a lot of complaints !

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 03-Aug-14 18:03:41

Was this in Britain?

Are you sure you went in the right door? shock

rosequartz Sun 03-Aug-14 18:07:01

Are you sure you went in the right door?

Perhaps they mixed the signs up on the doors?

If that is the way they have built it, then I would be complaining.

thatbags Sun 03-Aug-14 18:13:19

I don't understand this (1) because I thought urinals were fairly continuously flushed automatically so it shouldn't be obvious that they had been used (they are there to be used anyhow, presumably), (2) because it suggests that the sit down toilets were open too instead of being in cubicles otherwise how would you be "facing" the urinals when you were sitting on the loo? Surely you'd be facing a cubicle door?

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 03-Aug-14 18:22:36

Original poster lives in US, according to profile.

Let's hope it doesn't catch on over here. Sounds unpleasant.

Nelliemoser Sun 03-Aug-14 18:36:18

The big problem with keeping urinals reasonable is Men's inability to aim straight and not splash.

rosesarered Sun 03-Aug-14 18:39:20

So do women have to see men using the urinals? hmmSurely not?

Elegran Sun 03-Aug-14 18:45:14

I am with JBF on the wrong door theory. I did that once - the men were more horrified than I was!

Iam64 Sun 03-Aug-14 19:07:33

I worked in an over crowded office, and the powers that be decided to turn the one washroom, containing two toilets, on our floor, into a "unisex" lav. There was no prior discussion it just happened, overnight. It lasted less than a month before the women got organised. Not wanting to be overly critical, but the men just didn't seem to care about smells, wet patched on floors, etc. We reverted to having the washroom upstairs for women, and the downstairs one for men. Relief all round.

Terrafirma1 Sun 03-Aug-14 19:22:50

Where I go to Art History classes at an education centre for retired people the loos are unisex- there are 5 cubicles 1 of which is designated for men, one for either sex ( reflecting approximately the balance of men/women) and 3 for women. Apparently by law bins for sanitary towels/tampons have to be provided in female loos ( staff may be of that age) . However many of us women.will happily use either depending on availability. Note - these are not urinals!

henetha Sun 03-Aug-14 19:53:23

Definitely not an activity to be shared with men! Is nothing private any more?
(I walked into the Gents in Sainsbury's a few weeks ago... blush )

rosequartz Sun 03-Aug-14 20:22:53

iam64, that happened where I worked too, one washroom turned into unisex; needless to say not many (if any) of the women used it! We made it quite plain that we wanted the others to stay as they were!

MariClaire Sun 03-Aug-14 20:28:02

Hi, ladies. The restrooms didn't have a name (such as Family) only icons for women, men, handicapped which I should have considered. Hence, the shock. It is becoming common here on the West Coast to have more and more family restrooms, usually not exclusively, however. We start a lot of nutty things out here, some bad or good, mostly environmental initiatives (great). This one takes the cupcake grin

NO men are not in there with me, dear god in heaven. Just a single stool urinal, sink. I must say, though, that restrooms here in California are tightly regulated so seat covers and hot water are required. Just keep the guys separate!

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 03-Aug-14 20:33:38

My ideal is a supply of seat covers in every lav.

And those flushes where you just wave your hand in front of it, should be mandatory.

rosequartz Sun 03-Aug-14 20:38:05

Takes the cupcake MariClaire? Surely you mean takes the piss? (on this thread, anyway, if not elsewhere grin

rosequartz Sun 03-Aug-14 20:38:27

)

MariClaire Sun 03-Aug-14 20:46:42

Haha! Too bad we have no icon for that. Yes, hand-wave flushes!

TerriBull Mon 04-Aug-14 16:00:49

Hi MariClaire, I guessed you were from the States because you used the term restroom. Please don't take this personally, but when visiting the USA, which I love, I find it somewhat amusing that a euphemism such as "restroom" is used instead of toilet of lavatory. Does anyone actually go into a room designed for the purpose of two essential bodily functions to actually rest!

goldengirl Mon 04-Aug-14 16:10:08

When I first arrived in the US the family I was staying with asked if I'd like to use the Restroom. I told them I'd rested for a long time on the plane, thank you. I didn't have a clue that it meant visiting the toilet. ( I think I mentioned this on another thread some while ago)

Galen Mon 04-Aug-14 16:13:19

I've found these quite common in France. It seems strange to pass a line of men hunched over the urinals. I always get the urge to stab them in the back!
(Note to self! Stop having homicidal thoughts)

Elegran Mon 04-Aug-14 16:16:13

No need to be as drastic as a stab, Galen A slap on the back would be quite enough to spoil their aim and water their shoes,.

MariClaire Mon 04-Aug-14 16:19:34

Oh, no offense taken! It is a silly euphemism we use for public facilities (as you say). In our homes, we call anything with a toilet in it the bathroom, and usually only one has an actual tub for taking a bath! We differentiate actual facilities with numbers: 1/2 bath is a toilet and sink, 3/4 bath add in shower; full bathroom also add in a tub. In other parts of the country they call this a 2-piece, 3-piece, 4-piece bathroom.

I have no idea what to call the unisex bathroom with toilet, sink, urinal! (Awful?) shock

I digress but where in the States did you visit? I'd love to learn your impressions of us!