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Toilet Talk

(105 Posts)
FarNorth Thu 01-Aug-19 22:11:34

Here is an extract from a very interesting article explaining why single-sex toilets are a good idea, in all parts of the world.

"[I]t seems to me, that toilets are a red herring. In fact, it is not difficult to provide individual toilets and many public places already have them. Their use as a validation tool (‘passing’ as a woman or imposing one’s own gender identity which is opposite to one’s own sex identity, sometimes aggressively so) seems to be the main point. This is done at the expense of and in tension with international campaigns for single-sex toilets for girls and women around the world."

https://uncommongroundmedia.com/need-sex-segregated-toilets-ensure-safety-women-girls/

(Warning : it includes a pic of Mhairi Black wearing a totally tasteless t-shirt)

FarNorth Thu 01-Aug-19 22:11:55

uncommongroundmedia.com/need-sex-segregated-toilets-ensure-safety-women-girls/

LullyDully Fri 02-Aug-19 08:11:27

My problem is I am not keen on going to a public toilet after some men. Particularly those who pee on the seat and or leave it up . Hence I avoid train loos if possible. I just prefer women only loos. I may be old fashioned, who knows.

gillybob Fri 02-Aug-19 08:13:55

I find it hard enough to use public toilets as it is so definitely wouldn’t want to use a mixed toilet. I would feel very uncomfortable .

Sara65 Fri 02-Aug-19 08:15:50

LullyDully

100% agree!

annsixty Fri 02-Aug-19 08:45:14

I am going to sound very snobbish and not very tolerant now.
Yesterday a friend took me out and she had a reason for going to a small town a few miles away.
It is in quite a poor area, we called in a cafe for a coffee and it had one loo which is classed as a community facility which means anyone can come in and use it without being a customer.
In effect a public toilet.
After watching a stream of people, children on their own included , there was no way I could have used it.
Does that say more about me than I though I felt.?

Grannybags Fri 02-Aug-19 08:52:30

I agree with gillybob I have to be very desperate to use a public toilet and have been known to last all day until I get home!

sodapop Fri 02-Aug-19 08:54:07

No it doesn't annsixty I think if we were honest most of us have a problem with public lavatories. There are always issues of cleanliness of the lavatory itself and the surrounding floors, sinks etc. There are a lot of people who misuse the facilities as well which make it difficult for others. Of course there are misapprehensions about the transmission of germs etc.

Sara65 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:00:22

Annsixty

Also, I would find it impossible to eat of drink in close proximity to a community toilet

Grannybags

I admire and envy your ladder control!

annep1 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:01:53

You're all making me think. Perhaps I will carry an antibacterial gel with me and wipe seats. Sometimes you just have to use public loos.
I don't see a need for change. Everyone has managed up to now. Perhaps have more of the self contained loos for those who aren't sure whether to use male or female.

annep1 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:04:59

And I certainly don't want to pee with a strange man next door.
It's ridiculous.

Iam64 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:06:21

I don't have the luxury of being able to wait till I get home!

Years ago at work, the management decided that the toilets would be open for use by men or women, rather than the men having use of the upstairs toilet and women the one on the ground floor. It lasted two weeks before the women revolted and refused to use what had been the mens toilet, they also had someone on guard outside the traditional women's toilet to keep the men out. Management got the message and we reverted to single sex toilets. That would be much more difficult these days because of gender neutrality.

EllanVannin Fri 02-Aug-19 09:23:23

I'm another who's always hung on. Long coach trips in the past were a challenge but friend and myself had toilet trips off to a fine art by visiting hotels, having a coffee then using their facilities. We did this on the majority of our outings hurtling to find a hotel rather than a " public " outside toilet.

The only time we were caught out was in the outskirts of Montelimar when we entered a place with a hole in the floor-----it was horrifying and I wet all my feet. I'd rather have gone behind a bush! Squat toilets aren't advisable for stiff knees from travelling hahahaha.

vena11 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:24:46

I hate public toilets, the majority of them are gross in fact all are gross that's if you can ever find one.

Sara65 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:27:58

When we go anywhere, we always stop off at a supermarket , they are usually relatively clean

Not a Lidl shopper, but once had a bit of a disaster with a young grandchild on a long journey, and their toilets were spotless

annep1 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:37:27

This gender neutrality thing really annoys me!

TwiceAsNice Fri 02-Aug-19 09:40:35

If I am out shopping will always use a supermarket toilet or restaurant . They are usually clean

Warmthlover Fri 02-Aug-19 09:50:02

Sara65. I didn’t know Lidl had toilets!
My Morrisons’ toilets are always clean, though.
Any suspect public toilets, I squat/hover!

HannahLoisLuke Fri 02-Aug-19 09:54:35

Years ago I did an office cleaning job for a few months and the state of the men's loos was vomit making!
Unflushed, wet floors, streaks around the bowl and the washbasins littered with wet loo paper, whiskers, cigarette ends and heaven knows what, ditto the urinals.
Some men are very uncivilised in their habits.
I often wondered if they left that mess at home.
So no, definitely do not want unisex loos.

nanny007 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:56:21

Annep1

Me too. Gender neutral? Call it what it is...MIXED SEX.

Am contemplating changing my car for a smallish campervan so I will take my own loo with me wherever I go

nanamac77 Fri 02-Aug-19 09:58:03

wow sarah65 - I'm so sorry you don't have "ladder control" Is that your way of attempting to avoid toilet seats?

sunseeker Fri 02-Aug-19 09:58:06

For those of you who don't use public toilets - you would have no problem in Bristol - they have all been closed! I have found supermarket and department store toilets are usually spotless.

Gonegirl Fri 02-Aug-19 10:02:51

I had to click on the link to look at the t-shirt. It wasn't that bad at all.

Willow500 Fri 02-Aug-19 10:03:34

I have to use public loos a lot but do find it impossible to pee if someone is in the next cubicle no matter how desperate I am so if it was a man in there I'd have to go elsewhere. When we had an engineering factory the original building only had one toilet at the end of the shop floor which all the men used - I was the only female. I used to get in the car and come home rather than go in there (it was spotless as my dad used to clean for us back then but still an issue to me). It was bliss when we finally got another place with proper toilet facilities grin

Gingergirl Fri 02-Aug-19 10:04:00

I think women’s loos are every bit as dreadful as men’s sometimes (if my husband’s description is anything to go by). How can people leave them in such a disgusting state! So mixed sex toilets make no difference to me. I do try to wait until I’ve eaten, in a restaurant though, so it doesn’t put me off my food!?