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Original poster

Everyman Cinemas and toilets for 'everyone', a woman's review. AIBU?

81 replies

bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 18:45

Apologies if this seems frivolous, I know that women have bigger fish to fry in terms of oppression but this pissed me off so I thought I would share.

I thought it would be nice to have a treat and go to the fancy Everyman cinema in Leeds to watch the bum numbing 3 hour Avengers End Game. The film was great, the seats were great, the food and drinks lovely, all fantastic. The toilets were absolutely revolting and utterly unacceptable.

Designed as a unisex block with a closed door labeled 'everyone' you walk into a long corridor with enclosed cubicle/sink units on each side, every toilet seat and floor was covered in urine. I had to clean the toilet before my daughter could use it and it absolutely stank. I needed to go during the film and walked in as a woman forcefully pushed out past me looking distressed. In the second cubicle was a man urinating with the door wide open, shouting to his friend. I turned to leave and heard him loudly fart and shout 'there goes another one', I am not sure if he was referring to his fart or another woman being forced to leave the toilet. I found a female member of staff who said she could not do anything but would 'pass it on to management'.

The thought of DD12 going into the toilets to be confronted with that is quite upsetting to me, and parents who had not visited the toilets themselves might be unaware of the situation as the toilets are hidden round the corner.

I used the disabled facilities which I feel upset about doing. I am not a selfish inconsiderate person. When I exited there were 2 women waiting, looking embarrassed.

I wrote and complained when I got home. The reply basically said "That's the way they were designed and that's how they'll stay. If we refurb we'll take your views into account".

So the Everyman cinema expects it's female customers to be unpaid cleaners for them, and offers no increase in frequency of cleaning, have staff check cleanliness, have staff trained to deal with poor behaviour etc. It's just tough shit women, if men want to piss on the floor they can, and we expect you to clean it up.

AIBU to think that the Everyman should not expect it's female customers to work as unpaid cleaners when they visit?

OP posts:
Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 20:53

So it seems that Everyman Leeds is the sole unisex toilet facility. Shame on them.

OP posts:
truthisarevolutionaryact · 29/04/2019 20:48

Mixed sex toilets are designed by men for men (and predators). Women and children's needs don't even register

YouJustDoYou · 29/04/2019 20:43

I used to clean both male teacher toilets and the male boy toilets, as well as the females toilets. It was vile in the men's. They just piss everywhere. It always, always stank. I mean, even the teachers toilets. I hate mixed toilets mostly because they're just always so so unclean and disgusting.

Catsandbootsandbootsandcats · 29/04/2019 20:35

We have a brand new Everyman nearby and went there to see Endgame. I'm pleased to say they did not have mixed sex toilets. Just lovely separate men's and ladies loos.

I haven't actually come across many mixed sex toilets, but the few I have were as you described. I have no idea how men can walk out of a cubicle to a queue of waiting people knowing they've left piss all over the floor and seat.

I only have boys and they never leave the loo at home like that. (And hate using the school toilets because of the state they're in)

Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 20:21

@EndoplasmicReticulum I wonder if that is because of complaints of because Leeds is, well, Leeds.

OP posts:
jellyfrizz · 29/04/2019 20:10

Does anyone know if all the EveryMAN cinemas have this set up?

Not in our nearest either.

glenthebattleostrich · 29/04/2019 20:05

Leeds is woke city though. I hate going there now and generally head south to Sheffield instead (live halfway between the 2 cities) or wait until I'm back in Newcastle.

EndoplasmicReticulum · 29/04/2019 19:58

Everyman in Harrogate doesn't have this set up, there are traditional sex separated loos (although rather tweely labelled everyboy and everygirl). It's not been open that long, more recently than the Leeds one afaik.

Neolara · 29/04/2019 19:51

My DH also tells me that it is completely normal for men not to close or lock doors when using cubicles in public loos. I told him this was utterly grim imo, but he assures me that for a bloke, it's just the way thing are done.

Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 19:45

Does anyone know if all the EveryMAN cinemas have this set up?

OP posts:
Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 19:44

@Goposie - where did that happen? I am amazed this is common behaviour, but I knew pissing everywhere was because I used to work in hospitality.

OP posts:
GeordieGenes · 29/04/2019 19:44

Vote with your wallet. Don't go again.

I haven't been to Everyman (there isn't one where I live). After reading your post, I shan't be going anything soon.

Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 19:44

Thanks for the link @Chattylion - that thread is an eyeopener. I had no idea pissing with the door open was such common behaviour but DH said men all do it at work where they have no urinals. He actually said
"They do that at work, filthy fuckers." But that's a men's toilet.

OP posts:
Original poster
bigbadbadger · 29/04/2019 19:41

I won't be going again, the staff had obviously had a lot of complaints and were used to fending them off. They also had a policy of not addressing poor behaviour. The man who was talking loudly and had the door open may have been drunk/oblivious and I would expect staff to want to resolve the situation but no. The tickets are £13.50 each, the Vue is £5. They charge a premium price, but expect women to clean the toilets before use. It pisses me off.

OP posts:
ChattyLion · 29/04/2019 19:23

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3427085-Men-in-gender-neutral-toilets

This thread has more examples.

RickyGold · 29/04/2019 19:20

I was at a family day at a university (Heriot watt) the other week, the toilets were unisex and were rank.
Years back I had a student job in a bar, the cleaners didn't work Sundays so I cleaned them, the mens were disgusting apart from the sinks which were spotless!

Goposie · 29/04/2019 19:15

I have had two experiences of men using unisex cubicles with the door open. It is unsafe and discriminatory towards women.

ChattyLion · 29/04/2019 19:13

Perhaps they should have labelled the toilets Everyman too..

ChattyLion · 29/04/2019 19:11

It's just tough shit women, if men want to piss on the floor they can, and we expect you to clean it up.

Absolutely right OP.

We (women) either have to clean it up or we can’t use it. Also men pissing about (literally) in a small enclosed space is intimidating to women because they have their penises out. They know it. We know it. We shouldn’t have to deal with that. Unsupervised gender neutral is horrible.

BettyDuMonde · 29/04/2019 19:07

Write to the local paper?

Nothing will change unless it becomes less work to enact change than it is to cope with all the bad press/public complaints!

newtlover · 29/04/2019 19:07

yes, tweet the pictures, I'm told that always gets results

hdh747 · 29/04/2019 19:03

Think it's time they introduced a toilet attendant.

Brighterf · 29/04/2019 19:02

That sounds grim. I may have been tempted to Tweet pictures and a gripe. I agree with a pp about complaining - I do so, but it doesn't negate the need to have to wipe up before peeing, which is absolutely not ok.

PurpleCrowbar · 29/04/2019 19:02

I'd stick that on their Twitter/FB OP (but not on either if you are identifiable & not up facing down MRA abuse).

Yuk.

sackrifice · 29/04/2019 19:00

The clue is in the cinema name OP.