To wonder why we don't complain more about long queues for the ladies loo?

[BeakyMinder]

Just come back from West End theatre where, yet again, the queue for the ladies stretched right round the theatre - 10 minute wait, spoiling the entire interval - while the gents was totally queue free. It's the same at every theatre, concert hall etc I've ever been to.

I don't get how this is still seen as ok?? I pay the same for my ticket as a man, so how come I have to spend my whole visit queuing and he doesn't?

I did a quick search and apparently there is an official government-approved British Standard (!) for loos which says that there should be double the number of ladies, because we take longer (and also have periods, might be pregnant etc). But most places have the same or even fewer ladies loos - www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcomloc/636/636.pdf

And I also read that there've been big protests by women in China and USA about this: www.economist.com/blogs/analects/2012/03/toilet-parity

So AIBU to wonder why we don't complain more in the UK?

There are usually empty disabled loos soupey and surely common sense would dictate that if there's a big queue, limited time and there's a valid reason why you'd take a longer time, then why not use them?
Some ladies come out of the loo after doing goodness knows what in there, look sheepish and amazed that there's a queue though.
If I've paid for an interval drink. I'd quite like to enjoy it. From experience of working in theatres, it's the ones who are just pottering back to their seats who take forever in the loos.

I have been known to go into the gents - usually with a desperate-for-the-bog small child in tow.

Back when the DC were very small (just at the time when baby changing facilities seemed to be getting more common and more unisex), it was often up to me to change a nappy because, apparently, the gents' loos were so minging that DH refused to take a baby into them.

UnspecialSnowflakes You are right. A level without both lots of loos - however inadequate - sounds like a DDA case to me. It's one thing if it's been like that since the beginning of recorded history but to make it so deliberately now would be asking for trouble. And litigation.

YANBU. I remember working in a public sector job 10 years ago where part of it involved provision of toilets for a new sports facility. They got round the British standard by some study that apparently showed more men than women would use it. And then they cut down the number of female toilets again because of lack of space. It was such backward thinking - it was as if no-one could conceive that female users, as a group, might increase, or male users might decrease. The sexist statements that men simply made more use of sports facilities had to be heard to be believed.

Don't believe the tosh about women spending longer in there than men - its probably because there are less female facilities than male.

Sexism at work as usual.

Can't believe some of the excuses I'm reading on this thread.

1. Theatres don't have to bother changing things because they're old and it's too difficult. Would you make the same argument about disabled loos?

2. Some women spend too long in the loo. So the reason why ladies queues are huge and gents queues non-existent is because women are more selfish and thoughtless than men?

I have a disabled relative whom I often accompany to the theatre. She has to frequently self-catheterise and does so very quickly during the interval without using a disabled loo as she's ableto do this and is far quicker than many in the queue
My able bodied mil, however, spends fucking ages in the loo, including public ones with no thought whatsoever as to who is behind her and how urgent their need might be.
I suspect there are many like her.
I do not, however, accept 'menstruals' as a reason for holding up a queue that needs the loo. Do what you need to do and remember there's a queue outside. The world does not revolve around you and your menstrual cycle.

People are supposed to just bleed everywhere then are they? Some women bleed very heavily. I suppose you just pop out a few drops each month

Punkrockergirl you'd rather blame other women, not the companies which choose to provide men but not women with enough loos?

punk if there were sufficient toilets there wouldn't be a queue outside . And our menstrual cycle is of course a factor. It's another thing to be managed and of course that takes an extra few seconds compared to men. Plus managing other bladder issues due to childbirth. Women do take longer in the loo because they have more to deal with. This should be factored in. Your hostile attitude to women managing their periods is odd.

I do notice that some women take ages in the loo but I don't think they are selfish. I think they are managing some or all of the above. Why make it into a fight?

I remember being on a night out and the queue for the women's loos in this club was ridiculous. The queue went right past the men's, where you could see there was no queue and barely anyone going in or out. They actually had a security guy on the door to stop women going in and using the men's toilets. It was bonkers.

BeakyMinder As to your first point, there is in general no obligation to make major structural changes to existing building to make them DDA-compliant. Most West End theatres are hopelessly inaccessible and will remain that way. Similarly most Underground stations.

Women aren't supposed to bleed everywhere, that's why we have adequate sanitary protection which can be changed quickly and easily without fuss.
Assume nothing, hidden, you are not, or ever will be privy to my gynaecological history.
Many men have urinary frequency problems due to prostate problems. I don't see them being precious and holding up the queue in the gents
I'm not making anything in to a fight Prem ffs. I agree there should be more ladies toilets in places like theatres. But if more ladies took less time and made less fuss when they're out, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

What, so converting an existing gents loo into a ladies counts as 'major structural change'? Er don't think so.

i am with Punk wondering wth some women take so long about in the cubicle. The mentrual cycle argument doesnt answer it. i have had one for nearly 40 years now, and have never required 15 minutes to poo and pee and change my sanpro. No, not even when wearing formal clothing, control undergarments, and pantyhose.

I'm super quick too. But I've never had flooding to deal with either. Listening to other women's stories on this really opened my eyes to what some women go through. I think I've been v lucky. And actually punk describing people you don't know as selfish for something like this when you have no idea what's going on in there is pretty combattive.

Yeah well, what I wonder about some women is why they are so quick to blame other women rather than looking at the actual cause of the problem (companies sexist behaviour in this case).

Mumagain. The menstrual cycle does answer it. Almost all women spend a quarter of their lives over four decades dealing with it. Men simply don't have that task. Prostate doesn't affect men in anything like those numbers.

Just go to men's prof. football games instead of West End Shows. Zero queue for the ladies while the long line of blokes look on in envy.

Agree Beaky. Selfish women using toilets

I've realised that people take so long because they wait for the cistern to fill up so they can flush away their wee.

Heaven forbid you should see a bit of someone's wee!

If it won't flush because the tank's still filling get out and let someone else get in.

That would help but I do agree, women's loo situations in theatres is abominable.

Lol at this thread.... Very straw clutchy!

Yeah, it takes the piss doesn't it.

I agree with some women just take so long in the loo. I am in and out, and if I'm on my period it honestly takes a few seconds to change a pad or tampon it's not bloody hard. If there's a queue, people need to hurry up and not faff. Get your wee done, and get out.

Bloody annoys me.

PMSL ...

Boggling at the "women, just don't piss or have periods. It's inconsiderate of others."

I mean I know there's a strong misogynist meme that women should be endlessly self sacrificing blah blah, but that's kinda taking the piss.