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Male cleaners in female public toilets

(57 Posts)
Urmstongran Sat 13-Jul-19 11:41:33

This seems to be more commonplace in the last few months, I’ve noticed. At the airport a sign will announce it is in progress. I’d rather wait a while.

Now in large chain coffee shops, leisure centres. It seems to be a ‘thing’ now. Kind of making a statement.

It makes me feel uncomfortable though. I bet the male cleaners feel awkward but it’ll be in their T&C of employment.

How do you feel about it? Is it just me?

jaylucy Sat 13-Jul-19 11:44:36

Often as a result of cost cutting.
I don't find it a problem and have found that if they are cleaning when you walk in they either ask if you are happy for them to continue or they walk out and come back after you leave.

dragonfly46 Sat 13-Jul-19 11:46:22

I don't find it a problem. These days the sexes are interchangeable. I wouldn't worry if I had a male nurse in hospital and a cleaner is far less intrusive.

My mum, however, would never go to a toilet abroad that was unisex!

B9exchange Sat 13-Jul-19 11:46:50

I have to confess I feel a bit uncomfortable sitting in a cubicle with a man washing the floor in the next one. None of them have ever offered to leave, in fact they seem to look on me as the intruder for having dared to want to use the loo whilst they are cleaning! I must live in a different area! grin

crazyH Sat 13-Jul-19 11:47:25

No I don't feel uncomfortable at all.

EllanVannin Sat 13-Jul-19 11:48:47

I couldn't care less if I'm bursting !

Urmstongran Sat 13-Jul-19 11:52:27

these days the sexes are interchangeable

Do you mean the toilets dragonfly? I’ve never walked into a public toilet marked ‘men’. Nor seen it vice versa. I suppose there are gender neutral loos but I only rarely see one and wouldn’t choose to use one.

glammanana Sat 13-Jul-19 11:56:21

EV So true !! and you have to find a loo first.

Mirabelle7 Sat 13-Jul-19 11:58:02

Generally I don't find it a problem. What annoys me more are all these flaming wet floor signs. They are everywhere! Even put there when the floor isn't wet because of a fear of the company/store being sued. If you fall over one and break a bone can you sue them for that?

Sara65 Sat 13-Jul-19 11:58:16

I’m not bothered about male attendants in the slightest, but I don’t like unisex loos!

Kittye Sat 13-Jul-19 12:01:12

We have male cleaners in our town centre toilets. I don’t find it a problem at all. But I’m withSara65 I don’t like unisex loos either

Beechnut Sat 13-Jul-19 12:20:38

I don’t mind male cleaners. Yesterday before I did my food shopping I needed the loo. On coming out of the cubicle there was a man washing his hands. He must have caught sight of me in the mirror, turned around and said to me, “Is this the ladies?” I answered “ Yes”. As he went out he looked at the sign on the door and said”Oh s**t”.

dragonfly46 Sat 13-Jul-19 12:24:02

What I meant Urmstongran is that jobs are now interchangeable as far as men and women are concerned - not sexes grin

Charleygirl5 Sat 13-Jul-19 12:27:54

I went to the loo yesterday in a well known department store in Oxford Street and I would have settled for any cleaner. He/she would at least make sure there was running water coming from 6 instead of only 2 wash hand basins and that 30% of the loos clogged up would have been fixed. It was similar the last time I was there 4 weeks ago.

Urmstongran Sat 13-Jul-19 12:32:43

I’m beginning to feel the odd one out here! I’m not a prude but it makes me feel awkward to find a man in the women’s toilets.
?
It must be a newish thing.
I’ll have to get used to it. Or not.

petra Sat 13-Jul-19 12:36:46

Wouldn't worry me in the slightest.
I've often used men's toilets, especially at concerts where the women queues are too long ?

Alima Sat 13-Jul-19 12:41:49

Doesn’t bother me. Generally find that it happens in the town centre loos. Might feel differently if it was a loo in the middle of nowhere with no one else around except a bloke with a bucket.

Liz46 Sat 13-Jul-19 12:48:22

I remember years ago when I was in Paris there was a huge queue for the ladies. An attendant came and took several of us into the gents past all the men standing at the urinals!

Sara65 Sat 13-Jul-19 13:15:14

I digress somewhat, but have you noticed the increase in men, just stopping their cars and urinating at the side of the road?

Obviously I’m jealous, but they at least used to hop over a gate!

janeainsworth Sat 13-Jul-19 13:20:30

It’s quite rare to find anyone, male or female, actually cleaning a public toilet, despite the notices advertising their presence.

It doesn’t bother me which sex or gender they are, I’m just glad they are employed to clean the toilets. One of my less pleasant childhood memories is of not wanting to use public toilets because they were often dirty and smelled disgusting.

rockgran Sat 13-Jul-19 13:22:06

I'm just happy that the toilets are being cleaned!!!

NanaandGrampy Sat 13-Jul-19 13:34:04

No point in worrying about it with all the demands now for transsexual or gender fluid people to use the toilet of their choice who knows will be in there with you !

tanith Sat 13-Jul-19 13:37:06

At a hospital I go to they put a sign outside saying closed for cleaning and pointers to the next nearest sometimes it a woman cleaning the gents or a man cleaning the ladies, it wouldn't bother me at all.

SueDonim Sat 13-Jul-19 13:46:52

It's not a new thing, to have the possibility of male attendants in female toilets, it's been going on for well over a decade. I can't say that it has actually occurred to me that often, mostly they seem to clear out if someone comes in.

I notice now that some toilets on motorway service stations say that male and female cleaners may be cleaning both make and female toilets. I feel sorry for the woman who has to clean up in the men's!

And yes, what's this with men suddenly becoming so incontinent that they have to relieve themselves at the side of the road? hmm

lemongrove Sat 13-Jul-19 13:53:09

It doesn’t bother me at all tbh.
Unpleasant job isn’t it?