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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Public toilets in France and other countries

31 replies

speakingwoman · 21/08/2018 21:56

I have been noticing whilst on holiday how much less segregation there is between m and f toilets in France.
Yesterday I went to the “ladies” and removed my shorts to wash off an ice cream stain only for a man to then pass by.
Today I realised that m and f had separate entrances but common sinks -I could see the urinals.
Don’t know if anyone has insights into various differences in 8nternational attitudes?

OP posts:
Iused2BanOptimist · 21/08/2018 22:45

Well the one at the supermarket was unisex. With a tricky electric lock. Which obviously I failed to use properly. Because I was about to do the hover thing when the loo roll dispenser caught my eye, it looked tricky so I bent over it for a closer look and a man walked in and got an eyeful of my bare bottom. Poor chap, he was hiding behind his wife when I came out and she gave me an outraged look. GrinGrinGrin

BareBelliedSneetch · 21/08/2018 22:22

The French seem to have an irrational hatred of loo seats.

I’ve never seen non-segregated toilets, but rarely seen a public loo with a loo seat. I have NO idea why. Other countries manage to have loo seats quite happily.

I guess it’s an improvement on the squat loos though. They are getting rarer and rarer at Aires now.

squeakymouse · 21/08/2018 22:14

Went to Spain recently and the toilets on the beach front cafe were one door into one room with about five cubicles then a couple of sinks.

I was surprised when a chap came out of the cubicle a few doors down, they must have been unisex.

No urinals, though.

grasspigeons · 21/08/2018 22:11

ive stayed in a lot of campsites in france and very often its unisex toilets and showers

BarrackerBarmer · 21/08/2018 22:10

I noticed the loos in the service station in France today were separate male and female.

No toilet seat though, so it's the hover over the horseshoe porcelain manoeuvre.

HotRocker · 21/08/2018 22:06

When we went to France when I was a kid I was horrified to discover the urinals were open. I walked past one-day on the way to the toilet and my dad was having a wee.
Most campsites in France, and I’ve been to a lot, have one set of toilets and showers for both, plus open urinals for the blokes, or the women with penises… also used to see a lot of blokes openly pissing in the street. Also has anyone come across those toilets that are like a shower pan, but with foot pads? Not very convenient for a woman to use without balancing precariously or getting half undressed. Don’t flush while you’re still standing in the pan thing either or you get wet.
I don’t remember ever seeing unisex toilets in Germany or Holland.