...to feel uncomfortable showering here *pic*

[BenjaminaBlue]

Gym is a while from my house and I go in the morning before work. No time to head home and shower so have to shower there. They've refurbished and taken away the full length solid doors I loved so much and replaced with these which are quite transparent. You can see a lot when people are showering and I feel extremely uncomfortable using them. I am trying to lose weight and don't like my silhouette, and don't like the fact that someone can see me in the shower. AIBU to want the old doors back or is this just me and my self esteem getting in the way? Please no nasty comments, just wondered if it's a reasonable concern.

At the Gym I go to there are non opaque shower curtains across the cubicle. No gap at either side. Sorted 🙂

Lovemusic33
People dont decide not to go to the gym because of the showers

Actually, that's exactly why I don't go to the swimming pool or the gym. I'd use both if I could change and shower privately.

Our gym changed from opaque doors to glass. They may as well take the cubical out & have one big communal shower.

And yes, people do look... there are weirdies who do.
IME the only people who look are generally small children.

Am I the only freak who couldn’t care less if someone sees me showering?
No, I don't care either and I don't have a 'perfect body', whatever that is. If someone wants to stare and judge it's their problem.

I wouldn't like it.
I once went to a bar that had doors like this on the toilet cubicles. I was utterly horrified and resolved not to ever use their toilets.

^ wasn't in Kendal was it?

Why is it not enough for the person using the shower to feel uncomfortable at being naked and exposed?
When did it become weird to not want to be naked in front of strangers?

^^ I completely agree.

People dont decide not to go to the gym because of the showers

I'm sorry but you're wrong here. I have ruled out gyms for exactly this reason.

OP, YADNBU.

I'm really surprised by these answers! You really wouldn't be able to see much of anything through those doors, just whether or not the cubicle is occupied, and a general outline of the person inside. It's probably for safety reasons so if someone slips and knocks themselves out or otherwise loses consciousness in there because of a seizure or something, someone can raise the alarm. Wouldn't bother me one bit. Also, are these in a female only changing room?

Am I the only freak who couldn’t care less if someone sees me showering?

No :)

I was Googling the other day and apparently a relaxed attitude to nudity (e.g. communal showers) is widely cited in places like Denmark and Germany as contributing to a positive body image.

Of course there a lots of problems with it too; it can't simply be foisted onto people "for their own good", mostly because it will actually contribute to their failing to use the facilities where it might happen. As per the experiences of those who avoid gyms for this reason.

I don't know how to balance the two; I wonder if anyone has any ideas?

Big beach towel over the door.
Is it female only?

I would hate this. And I would not use a gym or swimming pool that had that sort of door onto a communal area, even if it was women only.

Just because "some people " are not bothered does not mean everyone else should just stfu.

And with the moves everywhere for things to be "gender neutral" I think it's a dreadful idea.

I don't care what the Danes do - I'm in the UK.

I don't care what the Danes do - I'm in the UK.

But some people in the UK are OK with communal changing/showering.

Yes and some people are not.

our local tennis club and gym have no doors at all in the showers. they are completely communal. I have never used them as a result because I don't feel comfortable with my body image.

I would not like these. I'd use them but I'd drape a turkish towel over the door.

If a gym only had communal showers I would not use the gym.

Just because "some people " are not bothered does not mean everyone else should just stfu

No one’s saying to stfu, it just surprises me how terrified British women are of showing their bodies.

It’s really sad and I wish people didn’t feel like that.

I wouldn't like it, could you shower in a bathing suit?

I go swimming and have to use the communal showers afterwards but it's not as bad as everyone is in swimwear

It's not wrong to want and expect privacy when it comes to being undressed. It's the norm.
I wouldn't use those showers, not because I'm " terrified" of showing my body, but because I don't want anyone other than my husband to seeing me naked. Likewise, I don't want to see anyone else naked.

It may be "the norm" in modern Britain (is it?), but I wouldn't say it was exactly normal...

"In Europe up until the 18th century, non-segregated (naked) bathing in rivers was the norm. In addition, toplessness was widely accepted among all social classes and women from queens to prostitutes commonly wore outfits designed to bare the breasts[51]. During the Enlightenment, taboos against nudity began to grow and by the Victorian era, public nakedness was considered obscene."

Not knowing much about it I'd say wanting the levels of privacy when naked that many do today is in fact a very recent phenomenon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_nudity

This I am not "terrified" of others seeing my naked body, but I like to shower in private, thank you.
I am not alone in this, I know few women of my generation (60 ish) who would be, as well as most of my younger friends.
By dismissing my concerns and those of others, those who say "well I'm ok with it, why can't you be" are telling us to stfu.

It's not wrong to want and expect privacy when it comes to being undressed. It's the norm.

You can't say that as a blanket thing, though. Going by the gyms etc I've been to, I'd say 'the norm' is about 50/50 between those who seek out privacy (use cubicles/shower in a swimming costume etc) and those who don't (change in open changing rooms/shower naked etc).

Take an extra towel and hang it over the top.

Eliza On a recent work trip, I stayed at a hotel with a completely transparent glass wall between the bedroom and the bathroom.
It had a curtain the bedroom side that could be drawn across the wall but nothing on the bathroom side. I thought it was just bad design at the time but your post has enlightened me! Yuck!

By dismissing my concerns and those of others, those who say "well I'm ok with it, why can't you be" are telling us to stfu

Who is saying that though?

On a recent work trip, I stayed at a hotel with a completely transparent glass wall between the bedroom and the bathroom.

I believe we've stayed in the exact same hotel; there can't possibly be two!