Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
Like pelmut, I think the better approach to stop seeing gendered queues at the toilets, is to only have cubicals (not sure about the meaning of "cubical" here, I guess it's that). Anyway, if you only have to pee, you don't lose that much of time by using them and urinals are specifically done only for men to pee standing up which means dedicated space for only a few use possibilities (you have to be a man, to only need to pee, and to be able to do it while standing up).
At my previous work, there were 3 cubicals for women, and 2 cubicals + 2 urinals for men. Seems quite fair. But there were way more men than women (ratio 1-15), thus men's queues were happening three times every day (at arrival, at midday, at end). All that would never have been happening if toilets would have been made of 6 cubical for everyone, male or female. And it wouldn't have caused some men to go in an area that was supposed to be reserved to women (I was going in most of the time because I can't pee standing up but often need to pee and I know another one that was doing it occasionally).
At my previous work, there were 3 cubicals for women, and 2 cubicals + 2 urinals for men. Seems quite fair. But there were way more men than women (ratio 1-15), thus men's queues were happening three times every day (at arrival, at midday, at end). All that would never have been happening if toilets would have been made of 6 cubical for everyone, male or female. And it wouldn't have caused some men to go in an area that was supposed to be reserved to women (I was going in most of the time because I can't pee standing up but often need to pee and I know another one that was doing it occasionally).
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
At the office (which I haven't seen for a while now) we have two toilets each with two cubicles. But the gender ratio is like 15:1 so we ended up with queues, though indirectly because it consisted mostly of people standing up, walking to the loo, seeing they're full and walking back. All day long.
The handful of women got together and agreed to relabel their bathroom as "shared", with one of the cubicles labelled "skirts only". Problem solved. Wasn't really a big deal.
Though I did chuckle at the idea of, suppose I worked up the courage to wear a skirt of work, the new interpretation of the sign
That said, I understand that cubicles in the US have really high openings? These have a normal door that go all the way to the ground. All the privacy you could ever want.
The handful of women got together and agreed to relabel their bathroom as "shared", with one of the cubicles labelled "skirts only". Problem solved. Wasn't really a big deal.
Though I did chuckle at the idea of, suppose I worked up the courage to wear a skirt of work, the new interpretation of the sign
That said, I understand that cubicles in the US have really high openings? These have a normal door that go all the way to the ground. All the privacy you could ever want.
- Fred in Skirts
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
Here are some pictures of cubicles in the US.
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"It is better to be hated for what you are than be loved for what you are not" Andre Gide: 1869 - 1951
Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
That's the sort of thing I meant; in a box with a door which gives sufficient privacy that you wouldn't know who was inside. Some of the 'skimpy' designs wouldn't be suitable for shared facilities because too much is visible. Many men appreciate privacy too.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
This first one is typical in the US for public buildings. I normally hear them referred to as "stalls," with the word "cubicle" reserved for a desk with limited height partitions around it, rather than a toilet.Fred in Skirts wrote: ↑Sun Dec 06, 2020 8:58 pm Here are some pictures of cubicles in the US.
toilet cibs 1.jpg
As Pelmut pointed out, these would be less than ideal in mixed use situations, but are precisely the kind I shared in school. I would recommend real doors and walls if a new bathroom was being constructed for mixed use.
On a separate note, urinals are essential for keeping lines moving with minimal space used. They are also cleaner than toilets that have been used while standing. I've been told that some women will also try squatting over toilets due to some misplaced fear of dirty seats making them sick, resulting in very disgusting toilet seats in the women's bathrooms in some places.
- Fred in Skirts
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
One bathroom I came across had sanitary seats in that the seats rolled back to an ultra violet light source to sterilize the seat and had a way to actually clean it for the next person.
I am sure those seats are rather expensive for general use in public toilets but they are out there.
I am sure those seats are rather expensive for general use in public toilets but they are out there.
"It is better to be hated for what you are than be loved for what you are not" Andre Gide: 1869 - 1951
Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.
Always be yourself because the people that matter don’t mind and the ones that mind don’t matter.
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Re: Toilets: Men’s, Women’s or Gender-Neutral?
They have the advantage in schools that a teacher can quickly check up on who is in there and what they are doing. In some cases a pupil might have collapsed or be seriously ill. The other advantage is the ease with which the floors and walls can be cleaned, a quick sluice-down and brush-out cleans the whole lot at one go.
The big disadvantage is the lack of privacy; neither men nor women want to be exposed in this way and feel vulnerable, regardless of whether they are in same-sex company or in a mixed situation.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.