Am I imagining it or are male toilets always closer?

[ConfessionsOfTeenageDramaQueen]

In restaurants and anywhere other public place really, if the toilets aren't opposite each other but down a corridor (or even on different floors) the men's is almost always closer/more conveniently located.

Am I imagining it or have other people noticed this too?

And has anyone got any suggestions as to why or is it purely sexism?

No you’re not imagining. I’ve always thought that too

Most places I've been to the toilets are right next to each other.

However, I can see this happening.

I've never noticed this but could it be that the ladies needs more cubicles so is located where there's more space?

I've noticed this too!!

I've read an article on this before and statistically they are further away, plus there needs to be more of them to reduce the queue.

It is a 'thing'. Whether it's down to the norm, or men designing them - I'm not sure. It needs to change!

I doubt it would ever be a concious thing but you can shoe horn a mens loo into a smaller space.

I am struggling to think of one place where they arent together tbh. Or either side of the bar.

I've noticed this. I'm sure I read somewhere that it's because men designed/built the bathrooms etc and thus made the men's closer! I may be mistaken though.

Glad it's not just me. I'm in London and loads of chains have the toilets down a corridor and the men's are always first.

Today I went to a clinic and I found a men's toilet on the ground floor opposite the entrance and a single unisex cubicle upstairs. There may well have been a women's but I didn't have time to go looking for it and it was just bloody irritating.

So we have plenty of room to queue?

It's true. You go to anywhere where the loos are down a corridor e.g. motorway service station, and the men's will ALWAYS be the first door. ALWAYS.

I’ve definitely thought this in pubs!!

Especially in London - in soho a lot of the pubs are tall and thin so the ladies are on a completely different floor..nightmare

Trying to think. Most places I can remember it is female then male at the end but still right next to each other. Not something I have noticed. But then again I don't notice much. I accidentally used the mens loos the other day. Only noticed as I was washing hands.

I can think of two sets of toilets in the local town where this is the case. Our M&S is exactly as described by AlbertaSimmons and the queue for the ladies often goes past the gents. In the other toilets the ladies is on the first floor.

This could be the basis of another ‘peak Guardian’ article from Jessica Valenti.

I guess you can rest assured that in most clothing shops the men have to haul their arses up to the first or second floor whereas women can glide in at street level to browse ladies wear.

I think that's marketing in shops though as research suggests women are more likely to browse/impulse buy so their clothes are downstairs to lure passing trade. Men's and children's clothes is usually upstairs because men tend to make a trip specifically for shopping and likewise parents would specifically set out to buy kids' clothes so less reliance on passing trade. I learnt that on an a-level geography trip to a big shopping centre!

Men are more likely to drink pints which result in more frequent toilet visits. Maybe that’s a reason?

I thought it was so a man passing the door of the gents could be challenged before he went into the ladies- but that could be a false memory!

PanGalactic I am literally the least likely person ever to be a Guardian subscriber but there is no other obvious reason.

If anything, your example of clothing shops can be applied to restaurants etc too since women tend to use the loos more so the female loos should be closer.

It's something I've noticed for a while and then particularly hit home in a pizza place last week after I lugged my giant 13 month old down some stairs, down a corridor and then past the men's before finally arriving at the ladies

Also noticed it. In one of my favourite bars the men’s toilet is downstairs and women’s upstairs which makes zero sense to me when you take potentially drunk women and high heels into consideration.

Massively true at the Uni I work in, the women's are always further down the corridor or on a totally different floor. Makes nipping out for a pee in a lecture break very hard. Mind you, in our new building all the loos are fucking unisex. If that's the alternative I'd prefer to have to shuffle further down a corridor.

Yes I've noticed this too but I just put it down to the fact that the building was probably designed by a man.

Nottingham city center loos - Ladies are first, Morrisons - Ladies first, Local town - Ladies first, LIDL only has one loo. KFC loos Ladies first again. Can't think of anymore toilets!

I always notice this! It’s also so frustrating how empty the men’s toilets are compared with having to queue forever for the women’s

Except at football matches. I used to go to a lot of premier league games. Endless queue for the gents while I generally had my pickof loads of cubicles in the ladies! I quite enjoyed the role reversal!

I’ve noticed this too but have always thought that they were closer so that men wouldn’t need to walk past the female toilets and maybe see in them? Maybe I’m just paranoid!