I moved from the US to the Netherlands, and it really makes this whole attitude even more insane. Like, the solution is easy and obvious: GIVE PEOPLE PRIVACY IN BATHROOMS.
There’s no need for gendered bathrooms if everybody gets their own small stall or closet that actually provides privacy. I do mean floor to ceiling doors, not this weird and creepy as fuck American “we need to see you shitting just in case you’re doing smack” nonsense that leaves gaps between the panels large enough to make eye contact and engage in a firm handshake through.
I don’t know how many times I’ve walked out of the toilet closet and immediately met a woman cleaning the men’s room. And it’s fine!
I do mean floor to ceiling doors, not this weird and creepy as fuck American “we need to see you shitting just in case you’re doing smack” nonsense that leaves gaps between the panels large enough to make eye contact and engage in a firm handshake through.
LOL, too fucking right and I’ll probably never forget the “firm handshake” thing now. Also, don’t forget how short most walls are, and they never go to the floor, either.
I remember this one bathroom at a job I had only had one stall next to urinals, and it had about three inch gap right about where your lap was, to the left of person sitting there. So anyone standing at the urinal and happened to look left from their position would have full view of whoever was taking a dump, basically.
Some people would drape toilet paper over this big crack.
One day, some gomer said he always takes it down and asked why anyone would have that up, “were they shy or something”?
I just looked at him and didn’t really know what to say. I then asked if he wanted to see others taking a dump? He just laughed at me like I am the weird one?
There are some truly weird people out there. I’m with you. I don’t want to see anyone in the bathroom and I don’t want anyone seeing me. I want to get in and get the fuck out ASAP. Other people seem to think it’s a time for socializing? Or peeking on others?
Gross. Oh, and a lot of guys that were in the military or in prison seem to have this excuse that, “oh, well, I had to be naked in front of lots of guys before” then seem to want to expand that to everyone else in normal public life? Fuck that, it’s weird.
It’s funny that we have such a weird hang up over a basic function that all humans do. I totally understand and support the right to privacy when you go, but we also are culturally more paranoid about it than actually needs be, even those of us most comfortable with “it is what it is”. I’ve never felt the urge to grab the dick of a dude next to me at a urinal, nor have I ever had someone casually fondle me while I took a whiz, but I’ll still take the furthest available. Don’t really know why, just cultural conditioning. As for the gaps, why is that you inevitably end up making accidental eye contact with the occupant? It’s like we can’t not accidentally have that moment. I don’t want to watch someone poop, why did I look, I knew what was going on but I still couldn’t not look that way, and they know I looked, my god what is wrong with me?!?
Uptight Europeans are too focused on their own shitting to offer a nice how-do-you-do to the person in the next stall!
Americans aren’t so privacy obsessed that we wouldn’t be working to offer someone a handshake while on the shitter. Maybe a little bit of footsie under the stall walls. It’s all just being friendly.
I’d also like to add that we should extend urinal barriers by about 5 inches out give or take depending on room size and if the urinals are recessed into the wall or not.
Maybe that would defuse some of the tension but it’s really not necessary. American bathrooms have sufficient privacy as is. I don’t really get this complaint from Europeans. No one is peeking in the cracks at you.
Biggest issue with ours is they often aren’t cleaned adequately, especially public ones.
This is the answer. I grew up in America and I’ve never understood this thing with stalls and putting them a foot up in the air (and they only go to just under six feet or so) and with cracks that are inches wide.
WTF is that?
And yes, some people ARE peeking through the cracks.
And no one does? I get that you think it’s strange but again, no one is peering in any more than they are going to climb up and peer through your second story windows.
They dont even have to peer, theres always already an enormous monstrous chunk of the stall missing so everyone can see each others legs and pants. Why is that necessary?
Why do people need to be able to identify the shitters by what pants + shoes they are wearing that day? Its just awkward and weird. Why cant the stalls be from floor to like 7 feet or something and just buy out all the basketball player height employees
They could be for everyone already is my point. But apparently my opinion is in the minority here.
The issue is if we’re requiring every bathroom in the country to be upgraded before we accept everyone using them, that’s going to cause delays. And justice delayed is justice denied.
In an ideal world I agree with you, I just feel it will be easier to get people more comfortable with the existing architecture than to rebuild everything. And until one of those things happens, people will continue to be excluded from public bathrooms.
Frankly the best option that seems to be catching on right now is having private, gender-neutral bathrooms for those who desire them so that not everything needs to be rebuilt.
I moved from the US to the Netherlands, and it really makes this whole attitude even more insane. Like, the solution is easy and obvious: GIVE PEOPLE PRIVACY IN BATHROOMS.
There’s no need for gendered bathrooms if everybody gets their own small stall or closet that actually provides privacy. I do mean floor to ceiling doors, not this weird and creepy as fuck American “we need to see you shitting just in case you’re doing smack” nonsense that leaves gaps between the panels large enough to make eye contact and engage in a firm handshake through.
I don’t know how many times I’ve walked out of the toilet closet and immediately met a woman cleaning the men’s room. And it’s fine!
LOL, too fucking right and I’ll probably never forget the “firm handshake” thing now. Also, don’t forget how short most walls are, and they never go to the floor, either.
I remember this one bathroom at a job I had only had one stall next to urinals, and it had about three inch gap right about where your lap was, to the left of person sitting there. So anyone standing at the urinal and happened to look left from their position would have full view of whoever was taking a dump, basically.
Some people would drape toilet paper over this big crack.
One day, some gomer said he always takes it down and asked why anyone would have that up, “were they shy or something”?
I just looked at him and didn’t really know what to say. I then asked if he wanted to see others taking a dump? He just laughed at me like I am the weird one?
There are some truly weird people out there. I’m with you. I don’t want to see anyone in the bathroom and I don’t want anyone seeing me. I want to get in and get the fuck out ASAP. Other people seem to think it’s a time for socializing? Or peeking on others?
Gross. Oh, and a lot of guys that were in the military or in prison seem to have this excuse that, “oh, well, I had to be naked in front of lots of guys before” then seem to want to expand that to everyone else in normal public life? Fuck that, it’s weird.
It’s funny that we have such a weird hang up over a basic function that all humans do. I totally understand and support the right to privacy when you go, but we also are culturally more paranoid about it than actually needs be, even those of us most comfortable with “it is what it is”. I’ve never felt the urge to grab the dick of a dude next to me at a urinal, nor have I ever had someone casually fondle me while I took a whiz, but I’ll still take the furthest available. Don’t really know why, just cultural conditioning. As for the gaps, why is that you inevitably end up making accidental eye contact with the occupant? It’s like we can’t not accidentally have that moment. I don’t want to watch someone poop, why did I look, I knew what was going on but I still couldn’t not look that way, and they know I looked, my god what is wrong with me?!?
Uptight Europeans are too focused on their own shitting to offer a nice how-do-you-do to the person in the next stall!
Americans aren’t so privacy obsessed that we wouldn’t be working to offer someone a handshake while on the shitter. Maybe a little bit of footsie under the stall walls. It’s all just being friendly.
I’d also like to add that we should extend urinal barriers by about 5 inches out give or take depending on room size and if the urinals are recessed into the wall or not.
Another option: give urinals their own stalls / rooms. Just give everybody privacy.
Some of the worst situations are when it’s basically a big trough with no privacy at all and pissing on a wall as the backsplash. Emphasis on splash.
I think I’ve seen cattle have more dignified setups, sheesh.
Maybe that would defuse some of the tension but it’s really not necessary. American bathrooms have sufficient privacy as is. I don’t really get this complaint from Europeans. No one is peeking in the cracks at you.
Biggest issue with ours is they often aren’t cleaned adequately, especially public ones.
No, nobody needs to see any part of you in a stall. Theres zero need for it, its simply fuckin’ weird.
This is the answer. I grew up in America and I’ve never understood this thing with stalls and putting them a foot up in the air (and they only go to just under six feet or so) and with cracks that are inches wide.
WTF is that?
And yes, some people ARE peeking through the cracks.
And no one does? I get that you think it’s strange but again, no one is peering in any more than they are going to climb up and peer through your second story windows.
I’ve been looked at through the crack in the stall. Just because it’s never happened to you it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
Well obviously you’re the weird one for noticing! /s
OK, well, I’m sorry that happened but given that it’s never happened to me nor anyone I know personally it can’t be particularly common.
I also don’t really care if people see me in the bathroom but I understand most people feel differently.
Y are you working so hard to die on this hill
They dont even have to peer, theres always already an enormous monstrous chunk of the stall missing so everyone can see each others legs and pants. Why is that necessary?
Why do people need to be able to identify the shitters by what pants + shoes they are wearing that day? Its just awkward and weird. Why cant the stalls be from floor to like 7 feet or something and just buy out all the basketball player height employees
No there isn’t. It’s a tiny crack that is not possible to see through without stopping and carefully peering through.
Or if you mean under then you’d have to bend down and practically lay on the disgusting floor to see someone. It’s not a thing that ever happens.
ok
Vertical gabs in bathroom stalls are regularly 0.5-1cm wide, the bottom 30-50cm, and the top 50-70cm wide.
Anybody can violate people’s privacy when the stalls leave such massive gaps. It is shameful.
And if that weren’t th case, bathrooms could be for everyone.
They could be for everyone already is my point. But apparently my opinion is in the minority here.
The issue is if we’re requiring every bathroom in the country to be upgraded before we accept everyone using them, that’s going to cause delays. And justice delayed is justice denied.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t do both. We should be doing both. Everyone should have privacy, and all bathrooms should be gender neutral
In an ideal world I agree with you, I just feel it will be easier to get people more comfortable with the existing architecture than to rebuild everything. And until one of those things happens, people will continue to be excluded from public bathrooms.
Frankly the best option that seems to be catching on right now is having private, gender-neutral bathrooms for those who desire them so that not everything needs to be rebuilt.
“Maybe it would help people other than me, but that’s obviously not worth it.”
Shut the fuck up.
I don’t think it would help anyone but OK weirdly aggressive reply.