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:

Olinguito · 29/04/2019 18:58

That sounds revolting and would stop me from going to that cinema again.

Pipandmum · 29/04/2019 18:58

Sounds like they are breaking basic health and hygiene laws. Report them to the council, copy a letter to the management, go higher - take photos if you can stand to go back and find out name of company chair and send them the evidence. Name and shame that branch manager.

CaptainBrickbeard · 29/04/2019 18:56

I love the Everyman in Leeds and thought of it as a good example of how gender neutral toilets should work - all toilets are enclosed rooms with sinks and dryers in each one so I have always felt it to be very safe and private.

However, I went to see Endgame at a Vue cinema twice last week (once to get it, again to take my child) and the toilets were unbelievably horrendous. They were women’s toilets but I had to walk the full length to find one not liberally sprayed with urine all over. There was a blood-soaked sanitary towel left on top of the bin in one of them. So I don’t know if it’s something about a three hour film that leads people to lose their minds with desperation for a wee or what!

I am really concerned about losing women’s spaces and your experience sounds awful, but the toilets at the Everyman have always seemed like a great idea to me because they are so fully enclosed and not flimsy cubicles or shared handwashing space.

OhHolyJesus · 29/04/2019 18:55

I think that women must make up at least half of their clientele so they should consider your comfort. The loos sound disgusting. Something someone said on another unisex loo thread (I think it was one in offices) was to complain every time they are not fit for use. Every single time. In this case it would inconvenience you for missing part of the film but the management need to understand how it impacts on their customers and how you would then consider going elsewhere, therefore they lose money. Money is all they care about.

JaniceBattersby · 29/04/2019 18:52

Well of course they’re acting as cleaners because they have to clean the seat before sitting on it. They don’t have the option of standing up to wee.

Sounds rank, OP. I’m not hugely averse to mixed sex toilets for adults (not in schools) if they’re spacious, brightly lit in enclosed cubicles with sinks in them and with staff on hand. But they never are.

maslinpan · 29/04/2019 18:49

That sounds awful, however I don't think there is anything to suggest that the Everyman is expecting women customers to act as unpaid cleaners, that's a bit of a leap. It would weaken your argument if you put that in a letter, the key problem is that women are expected to put up with revolting conditions in the loos and not complain about it.

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