Toilets

A hoverer is someone who doesn't want to sit on the seat and so hovers their backside an inch or so about it while peeing, to avoid contact.

Understandable in desperate situations with filthy bogs and no bog roll, not so understandable when done as a matter of course due to "germs" but that's just my opinion.

No-one wants to have to sit in someone elses piss (or worse).

I do have a question though - why do I sometimes go into a women's toilet to find the seat up?

Here are some things that women do in the toilet most of which men don't do:

• hang up coat and bag
• undo trousers/pull up skirt, pull down tights (carefully) etc
• wipe pee of hoverers off seat
• sit down
• pee (some people pee more than others too)
• wipe
• maybe have a big sigh if they've just done a speech/been looking after small children/finished work
• rinse out and reinsert mooncup or change tampon or pad
• look at phone
• clothing procedure in reverse

You are righ Sardine, I do need some education - what is a "hoverer"? I have visions of levitating women dive bombing the bog :o

But it does come back to my semi-serious question, WTF do wome women do in the damn toilets?

@ might as well piss everywhere to give the cleaner more work. What an appalling attitude.

On hovering / seat wiping / tights / all the rest of it. My mum is a hoverer, and so was my gran. Threads on here also speak of hovering. TBH I've been to the bog with loads of women and girls and so have witnessed an array of different habits. Quite usual for females to have done this so a bit surprised at the, well, surprise on all of this!

I'm a quick in and out myself, and often was out of the bog in the pub before the bloke I was with, which always caused confusion

Interesting thread - there was an event last year hosted by the Women's Design Service (WDS) looking at the issue of public toilets and provision for women (write up here) following earlier work done on this by WDS (including the classic book At Women's Convenience).

Some of the WDS Associates also launched a 'We Need the Loo' campaign calling for councils to be obliged to provide a certain (better) level of public WC provision (currently this is not mandatory).

There is an interesting presentation here by Professor Clara Greed (UWE scholar & world renowned expert of public loos).

Sadly WDS are currently dormant thanks to all their funding being pulled in the London Councils cuts last year :( I think this would be a good issue for Mumsnet to campaign on.

If a paramedic doesn't do their job properly you could quite easily die. If a cleaner doesn't do their job properly the toilets might smell bad.

Not strictly true... not if you are in a hospital ward for example.

I certainly respect people who work hard and show commitment to their job, especially paramedics & others who work horrible hours and have to be calm under pressure to save lives, but what pisses me right off is the notion that people who've had a better education or have studied at a higher level somehow deserve more respect than someone who cleans toilets.

It doesn't mean that the person doesn't deserve respect.

By your ridiculously simple logic: how many people benefit from paramedic in a day? how many benefit from a cleaner?

Not how respect works though is it? If I don't do my job, some people don't learn to speak English. Hardly a big deal. So do I not deserve respect?

If a paramedic doesn't do their job properly you could quite easily die. If a cleaner doesn't do their job properly the toilets might smell bad.

For me that's an important distinction.

Helxi, are you serious? Fuck that. I respect everyone on the same level. Maybe a paramedic's job is fundamentally more interesting, but I wouldn't say I respect them more.

LynetteScavo

"^Toilet cleaners deserve as much respect as anyone else, if not more.

Their main reason for doing the job maybe for money, and respect for themselves, but they should still hope for, if not expect, respect from the public^."

More respect than a paramedic, a nurse, a scientist? Umm, no. And the only thing they should realistically expect is bodily fluids, whilst hoping for their absence.

Whatmeworry

"I agree, but apparently SardieQueen thinks we are missing something basic, but she doesn't want to explain these basic facts - seems to involve complex hovering manoevres"

The phrase "complex hovering manoevres" brings to mind a Chinook helicopter trying to land on uneven terrain.

How this may relate to using a toilet I can only guess.

Sidenote.

Can anyone explain women going to the toilet in pairs and sharing a cubicle. To this day it baffles me...

Toilet cleaning is often an entry level profession for foreigners while they learn English and get established. Give them respect, they have probably travelled a hard road.

No, because women go into a cubicle and take ages. I have no idea what you are all doing in the cubicle. I go in, wee, wipe, flush and leave

I agree, but apparently SardieQueen thinks we are missing something basic, but she doesn't want to explain these basic facts - seems to involve complex hovering manoevres :o

Toilet cleaners deserve as much respect as anyone else, if not more.

Their main reason for doing the job maybe for money, and respect for themselves, but they should still hope for, if not expect, respect from the public.

PlentyOfPubeGardens

"Precisely, so why would you not behave in a civilised manner in public? It shows a deep disrespect for whoever does have to clean it up, doesn't it?"

More importantly it keeps them in a job. No one becomes a toilet cleaner because they want respect.

A few years ago they opened up some urinals outside the local train station which had a wee door thing that would just cover the mens bums.

Was very annoyed when bursting for a pee that there were all these urinals for men when there was already male toilets inside the train station (along with female toilets that you had to pay 20p to get in) .

Was awakened though when I bought some she pee things at a festival a few years ago and was able to use the (communal) urinals there. Was brilliant to not have to que!

Why are there longer queues outside the ladies? Because women wee more? Because there are more urinals than toilet cubicles? No, because women go into a cubicle and take ages. I have no idea what you are all doing in the cubicle. I go in, wee, wipe, flush and leave. This is something that has bemused me for ages. I imagine women are doing their makeup in private. More research needs to be done into this, to provide the optimum design for public loos.

What pubes said.

Precisely, so why would you not behave in a civilised manner in public? It shows a deep disrespect for whoever does have to clean it up, doesn't it?

plenty I could if i wished but then I'd have to clean it up

Is that what you do at home Akermanis?

i've got used to the french thing of having unisex cubicles plus a urinal or two, i just wish they'd put the urinal at the back rather than by the door so you have to walk past it.

The Idea of no urinals and unisex loos is bonkers

Do you really think us blokes will care about pissing all over the seat, floor, handles?

It wont be pleasant in there