Bath Leisure Centre, naked men in ‘changing village’

The cubicles go down to the floor and have bars over the top to stop anyone standing on the seat and looking over. Not sure what the answer is to having the bars used to balance a phone on, if the roof was made opaque every cubicle would have to have its own light.

Many years ago I used the pool at Nottingham University whilst visiting on business. It had rows of individual cubicles along corridors with floor to ceiling walls and doors and a translucent roof. It was a bit gloomy, but the roof panel let enough light in from the overhead lighting to get changed by. I felt safe changing there and there was no risk of anyone peeping.

I loathe the open gaps at to ankle height and open tops (with bench bars) in the mixed changing at our local pool. There have been numerous indecency and voyeurism offences reported in the local paper since it was built.

I personally don't mind the changing village set up because it allows me to take my son swimming. At 7 he is too old to be wandering around the ladies but I wouldn't really want him in the men's alone.

But the ones I use are very strict about no nudity in the communal areas. And the showers are completely open, no cubicles, so I think that helps a lot in the sense that it is pretty clear that if you are showering by the side of the pool, open to all, no one could possibly pretend to be all naive and say that they thought nudity was fine.

However, having said all that, I 100% believe that it should be a legal requirement to also provide single sex changing. It's what I would use if I didn't have my son with me.

The changing table and leaving the door part open?? Wtf!! Organisations have to be held to account for not ensuring (as far as possible ) the safety of their users.
All this acceptance without exception is enabling anyone and everyone to unleash their fetishes, it’s revolting. That poor woman imagine having to see that when you’ve got a child in tow, I would have been absolutely livid!!

Have you read the comments under that article, though?

There is also the 'women just need to get over their inhibitions about nudity' crowd.

From the link above:

"The woman described the door of the family changing cubicle as being open by more than a foot and said the man was laying on the baby-changing table “playing with himself”.

The woman added: “They acted quickly and took their child away and informed a life guard who did nothing.

“They then informed reception to which the man said “I’ll deal with it”.

“The creep that was pleasuring himself then following my friend and their child and the man on reception let the creep walk out of the building without confronting him".

So if it ever does happen, which it absolutely never does, rest assured that the staff will do absolutely nothing whatsoever to prevent it or deal with it afterwards.

Ps - I ‘reported’ it (after shouting swear words at the top of my voice to get him away from me).

The staff chased him out of the building, police were called. He was not apprehended.

I’ve posted this periodically on here, but we seem to have quite a few new members so I will mention it again in this thread.

The first time I ever used a mixed sex changing village (late 90s, Hertfordshire) a man put his head under the gap at the side. I was naked (believing I was safe in a locked cubicle).

20 years later I still feel sufficiently upset that I deliberately avoid mixed sex facilities, and wouldn’t want my daughters to use them either.

Anyone who has ever worked in a gym or leisure centre knows they are a target for voyeurs - luckily my local council pool is still resolutely single sex (and has additional single user facilities and larger sized locakable spaces for families, accessed completely separately to the single sex areas).

Nowadays it’s even easier for voyeurs to operate undetected due to ubiquitous, affordable technology and ‘progressiveness’ appears to be making it easier for exhibitionists too.

And yes, people (overwhelmingly Male-bodied people) under the trans umbrella commit sex crimes, same as other male bodied people do:

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/transvestite-fondles-woman-through-fur-13668679

theOtherPamAyres
Corsham pool still has single sex changing. I'll be using that instead of Bath now.
OH confirms that there are plenty of opportunities with new layout at the Bath facilities for dodgy men to expose themselves. Grim.

I'm sure the ''if there is ever a problem, simply report it'' crowd will be along in a minute to claim that one as a success.

www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16884689.police-probe-launched-to-trace-pool-pervert/

It never happens, or if it happens, whats the problem?

It's similar to the sharia thing. You need 10 women's testimony before it counts as evidence. We in the West are just a bit less upfront about it.

So like the dog that's had a bit of an adventure sitting there in a room full of bits of disemboweled pillow all "nope, nothing to see here, if I pretend nothing happened they'll never notice the feathers all over the floor"?

I think it's more "this is too inconvenient to acknowledge so I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and it will all go away la la la la la", AAK

I'm fascinated by the psychology of people who say "that never happens" about things that have in fact just happened, and that they have been informed have happened. So, "never" means "infrequently" in their minds? Or the people telling them that it happened are all liars? Or they're telling the truth but gosh, why does everyone have to make such a fuss over one little (insert crime here)?

On the plus side, BBC Radio Bristol discussed the issue over two shows (three hours worth). The discussion attracted comments from all quarters and, with one or two exceptions, callers objected to mixed sex changing rooms.

I'm trying to find the relevant link to the BBCiplayer. Stand by......

The furore has been a news item on Radio Bristol all day.

Two defenders are interviewed

(1) a Councillor: "It never happens. People get changed in cubicles, not in front of others"
(2) the Managing Company: "lots of places have this design and we've never had complaints before".

No-one addressing the points raised by complainants ie (1) It happened. (2) Women vote with their feet to avoid unsafe facilities and/or are reluctant to complain.

This reminds me of an experience I had at Danes camp in Northampton. The changing area for swimming is extremely similar to the photos of this one.

Last time I went there I had to go in the nearest free cubicle to change my baby son at the time, with the door open to fit one of those baby tables in and me basically drip drying while sorting him out

The cubicle happened to be opposite the showers and a man made me feel so uncomfortable he kept staring at me and paying a lot of attention to washing his genitals it was disgusting. I was in the middle of sorting my son out as quick as I could and there was no staff around to say something.

By the time I'd done and my ex was back the man left and I didn't report it but definitely put me off going back

Hi all, I've spoken to radio Bristol on behalf of Debz

Excellent, @Vix, thank you. I have family and friends in the BNES area. They are particularly concerned about the current refurbishment of Keynsham Leisure Centre. If Keynsham gets a mixed sex changing facility too then there are few, if any, alternatives for residents who want a safe space to change. Paulton?

Seems like there needs to be a few women of a certain age, women with sturdy shoes and stout bosoms, women who’ve seen it all, to stand there and cast withering glances at every naked man until he gets his trousers on and gets out of there. A few acerbic comments wouldn’t hurt, along with some cackling laughter trailing after these men as they leave

Like the sort of women who guard public loos at French service stations? Definitely the solution to a lot of problems TBH

There are real dangers to women in mixed-sex facilities.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/sexual-assault-unisex-changing-rooms-sunday-times-women-risk-a8519086.html

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3353054-andrew-gilligan-in-the-times-sex-pests-target-unisex-change-rooms

I'd never use a changing village. I'd feel vulnerable in multiple ways.

I think men walking naked in changing villages is a form of manspreading. It should be made clear that people must be clothed when outside their cubical.

It is totally appropriate for the changing rooms to be closed to general public during school swimming sessions, however.

They haven't really 'introduced' them around here, they have just always been (though I have only lived in the area 20 years) FWIW the 4 pools I use are run by 4 different councils, so this isn't just 1 council doing their own thing.