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Original poster

A very small one for the sisters

34 replies

viques · 23/12/2023 16:48

Queuing for the loo in Liberty’s yesterday. The signage is on the single external door is marked men and women but in fact they are fully enclosed cubicles so unisex. About six women waiting in the queue along the corridor, along comes a man, assumes that we are standing there for the good of our health and moves to skip the queue because let’s face it , men don’t queue.

“ Excuse me, dear, it’s a single queue.”

He had the grace to mumble an apology and join the end of the queue, but it brightened our hearts to see a table being turned, even ever so slightly.

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CriticalCondition · 30/12/2023 17:21

JanesLittleGirl · 30/12/2023 17:11

That's where I started Smile

😁

JanesLittleGirl · 30/12/2023 17:11

That's where I started Smile

CriticalCondition · 30/12/2023 17:07

I think I could improvise with some saying CAUTION - May contain nuts!

JanesLittleGirl · 30/12/2023 16:44

Is there a market for stickers saying:

CAUTION! May contain males!

CriticalCondition · 30/12/2023 15:33

Signage can be very misleading. I remember pushing on a door with male and female symbols on it expecting to find a corridor or lobby behind it with separate single sex facilities further on.

I walked straight into the small sink area of mixed sex loos with a guy in a cubicle pissing with the door open.

CriticalCondition · 30/12/2023 15:20

I think mixed sex covers (1) loos with shared washing facilities or (2) loos with sinks in cubicles but a confined waiting area outside where men and women still have to queue together in an enclosed space behind a door.

I'd use unisex loo to describe a single toilet and sink fully enclosed behind a door that opens into a public space like a cafe or foyer. No confined waiting area.

HoneyButterPopcorn · 30/12/2023 13:22

I usually call them (loudly) ‘there’s men in there’ loos

KeeeeeepDancing · 30/12/2023 13:16

Mixed sex covers it I think

Slothtoes · 30/12/2023 11:22

i agree unisex seems a bit too wholesome and accepted a term but I use it for the lack of another. Bisex sounds too close to Bisexual for me and I worry other people could misunderstand that.
So what’s the appropriate word for Sexist Toilets? The kind where as jillgreen says, there are: One set of toilets for women (who are far more likely to need them) and two for men.?

CriticalCondition · 30/12/2023 10:44

I agree, it's not gender anything. But it's not 'unisex' either. It's mixed sex.

'Unisex' is a stupid made-up word that makes no sense. Uni comes from the Latin unus meaning one. There isn't 'one' sex.

If they are not separated by sex they ought to be called 'bisex' loos. I might start doing this. 😁

HoneyButterPopcorn · 30/12/2023 09:49

‘Unisex’ not gender anything. This is just silly to pretend we wee with our feelings.

I think the ones next to the men’s shoes are single occupancy cubicles next to each other.

Chersfrozenface · 30/12/2023 08:22

Liberty has toilets on several floors. There are single sex ones, I don't recall how well signposted they are but the below is from the website

(It's a reasonable bet that any store in London which wants the custom of women from some religious groups will have single sex toilets, but you may have to find a store plan online or ask the staff.)

Liberty loos

  • Single sex male and female; adjacent to Men's shoes on LG
  • Gender neutral ... on 2; adjacent to ladies' denim
  • Single sex male and female x 2; adjacent to Dress Fabrics on LG 3
  • Gender neutral ... on 4; adjacent to the central atrium
WarriorN · 30/12/2023 08:09

An issue I hadn't really considered a great deal was that in single sex enclosed cubicles a woman could faint and no one would know.

And I have experienced 2 friends fainting in loos and we've only known because we were with them and in the same toilet area.

Teen girls can be prone to dizziness with periods, I had friends who would be very unwell. this must be an issue that's not considered in schools

WarriorN · 30/12/2023 08:05

I was reflecting yesterday at the swimming pool how much I love the fact that they're single sex changing rooms. You have to go in completely the opposite direction at the main desk to enter either changing room.

A woman who arrived at the same time as me gave me such a lovely warm smile and then again when we were showering. Basically I felt a look of relief to be moving again, escaping people / kids / food, but also, no men.

Both pools local to me are single sex changing.

Also, the ones that aren't are the ones where I know that voyerism crimes have occurred. And I simply don't feel the same at those pools.

2pence · 30/12/2023 02:21

jillgreen · 28/12/2023 18:32

At least it's men being inconvenienced for once! I went to a place today that had two toilet doors signposted "Whatever" and "Whatever with urinals". Women are not going to walk into a room that contains a random bloke with his knob out so how does this not count as sex discrimination? One set of toilets for women (who are far more likely to need them) and two for men.

Well perhaps we should. No man wants to be standing at the urinals with a woman in the room waiting for a free cubicle. I imagine it will make them feel self conscious and uncomfortable. So, perhaps a small taste of their own medicine is needed to bring on some empathy? I may well do this next time there's a long queue at the Ladies.

SammyScrounge · 30/12/2023 02:13

CriticalCondition · 24/12/2023 09:37

I've also had recent experience of a bloke using the mixed sex loos at Liberty. I haven't been to Liberty for years and didn't realise they were mixed sex. The signs were together but high up over the open doorway as you came round a corner off the stairs. There was a female attendant attending to the disabled loo and a woman washing her hands in one of those long trough-like sinks. It was a very small space with just 3 cubicles. The toilets were occupied, there was no queue and I thought I'd reached 'the Ladies'. Until a man came out of one of them. There was now a queue of women behind me and I exchanged a kind of shocked glance with the woman next to me. I went to use the cubicle he'd just come out of. He had clearly just spent several minutes in there having a massive shit judging from the smell and state of the toilet bowl. I backed out and indicated to the next woman I was going to wait until the other cubicle was free. She shook her head and waited too. We both muttered in exasperation something along the lines of 'he shouldn't be here'.

Women need to use the loo more often and for longer for reasons associated with our sex. Periods, childbirth, menopause all have an effect. As does having to partially remove clothing and sit down to do our business.

But Liberty have to signal their progressiveness and women wait even longer to use a cubicle while a man literally shits all over their space.

You know what to do then. You leave the store without making a purchase and write to tell them this. If enough women didn't buy from Liberty, they would soon provide appropriate facilities.

jillgreen · 28/12/2023 18:32

At least it's men being inconvenienced for once! I went to a place today that had two toilet doors signposted "Whatever" and "Whatever with urinals". Women are not going to walk into a room that contains a random bloke with his knob out so how does this not count as sex discrimination? One set of toilets for women (who are far more likely to need them) and two for men.

RedToothBrush · 26/12/2023 01:15

There's an issue with unisex toilets - if men find they have to queue for the loo, they won't. They'll find a dark corner and piss there instead. I've seen it happen plenty of times at festivals.

THAT might get a reaction.

KeeeeeepDancing · 26/12/2023 00:56

It won't change at Liberty unless the male customers complain. As Liberty has gone woke.
As I, a mere female and who could potentially spend hundreds on clothes and fabric, did not like those unisex loos and I complained to the managers. To be told that that were fine and it's tough. By a young male manager. Not even a hint of listening to why they were horrible.
Not going back any time soon.

Slothtoes · 26/12/2023 00:33

if Liberty have to spend more money cleaning, they might be less keen on their new policy

This is a key point to highlight when complaining. It’s a bit of a game of chicken. If we all refused to clear up strangers’ piss off the public toilet seats and asked for a cleaner every single time then these policies would not survive very long.

CriticalCondition · 24/12/2023 22:43

No, I haven't complained. I went down with covid the following day and am still not up to speed. I don't suppose I'll get anything more than the usual brush off but at least they can't claim everyone is in favour of the mixed arrangements.

socialdilemmawhattodo · 24/12/2023 22:19

Also used to be a long standing liberty fan and frequent buyer.

Have any of you who recently spent time in their not so lovely toilets complained? And particularly the person who came across the shit mess? Complaining about mess, you saw a man exit the cubicle, not clean for use, toilets need cleaning more frequently, not suitable for children to use etc. I reckon if Liberty have to spend more money cleaning, they might be less keen on their new policy.

CriticalCondition · 24/12/2023 22:09

Villagetoraiseachild · 24/12/2023 22:03

Liberty used to be a quality experience, another one down the pan.

Agree.

And see what you did there. Wink

Villagetoraiseachild · 24/12/2023 22:03

Liberty used to be a quality experience, another one down the pan.