AIBU?
Unisex Toilets
PanamaPattie · 11/10/2018 21:41
My employer has emailed everyone that as from the 5th November, all the toilets in our building will become unisex.
I'm am very unhappy with this situation. How would you cope with this change if this happened in your workplace?
AIBU?
Rebecca36 · 11/10/2018 23:06
I loved the chopped liver suggestion!
Still, I usually go into the cubicle just to use lavatory, come out, wash hands and go. Might look in mirror and comb hair. So probably wouldn't notice if a man was in there. As long as he was behaving himself.
Mens and unisex loos are usually disgusting, they wee on the seat and the floor, you can't put your bag down.
MrsStrowman · 12/10/2018 06:08
I've worked in places before with unisex toilets, I've was an office environment and absolutely fine, very clean and tidy. The other, one summer I worked in an office attached to a distribution depot, there were two women and about thirty men. In the end it was so disgusting we were given a separate toilet that locked with a key that was kept in the office in a secret place the men didn't know about. So it depends if the men you work with are animals or not.
MaverickSnoopy · 12/10/2018 06:22
I've worked somewhere that had the floor to ceiling cubicles apart from them being covered in piss where the men struggled to aim it was fine.
However, as a survivor of rape I would not be ok sharing toilets with men or being in a confined space with men where there is the possibility of being alone with them and would explain this to my employer that it's a trigger for me and I wouldn't be able to physically use the toilets.
AutoFilled · 12/10/2018 06:37
I went to university in NZ in the 90s. Even the shower facilities in the hostel were unisex. I never understood why we have men and women cubicles here. You end up queuing and the men walked straight in. I prefer unisex. As long as they are like the disabled ones, sink and full length doors.
AuntBeastie · 12/10/2018 06:49
There are clearly a lot of revolting men elsewhere in the county. In my office it’s never been an issue - the loos (all unisex) are cleaned daily and are always in a perfectly neat and clean condition.
Thinking back, it was the same when I went to uni. I was in halls of residence and there were 6 boys and 4 girls on my corridor. Our shower and loo facilities were completely unisex. I can honestly say I never really thought about it much!
I like unisex facilities. There’s less of a wait, and in public they’re better for families. As long as you have proper separate lockable cubicles, I don’t have any issue with it.
It’s different obviously if it’s an open room with urinals - then YANBU to complain.
Dragon3 · 12/10/2018 07:54
Single sex toilets are necessary. Not because all women want them but because some women need them.
It's not really relevant that many women are ambivalent, IMO. The point is that some women will be restricted in their daily lives without access to single sex facilities.
MaverickSnoopy's experience is far from unique. Sexual violence is very common indeed. Many survivors feel the same:
However, as a survivor of rape I would not be ok sharing toilets with men or being in a confined space with men where there is the possibility of being alone with them
I don't know why this is being forced on those who feel safer or more dignified when amongst other women. Even if the majority of toilets are unisex, a few should be reserved for women.
Sowhatifidosnore · 12/10/2018 08:07
I wouldn’t be happy unless they were purpose built unisex toilets, the nice big open space kind all with biggish cubicles and no urinals or discreet urinals. Those are fab. If they’ve just pulled the men/ladies signs of the doors of the old toilets I’d be less happy. I wouldn’t want to use a toilet with urinals in it, they stink.
Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 12/10/2018 08:23
In my opinion it depends on the toilet
So individual 'room' with washing facilities as in most cafes and some restaurants absolutely fine
A large room with a few cubicles in and shared washing? (like the traditional ladies and gents)
Then I don't think I'd be so keen...and i think it would cause problems with some people
I wouldnt be happy sending my small children in for example and it may cause problems for the elderly or certain religious groups
LakieLady · 12/10/2018 08:30
We have unisex toilets at work, I have no problem with it and have never found piss on the seat or shit up the walls!
Each toilet is self-contained, has a basin, mirror and sanitary bin and there is no communal area outside the cubicle. The cubicles open straight onto a short corridor that leads to the main corridor.
This last bit is the only one which causes a problem. When someone has a smelly shit, the whole corridor reeks and on the first floor, which is almost entirely open-plan, you can smell it up at the other end of the building. For reasons unknown (at least to me) management refuse to provide air freshener and two-thirds of the cubicles are windowless, with woefully inadequate extractor fans.
charlestonchaplin · 12/10/2018 08:42
University of Birmingham Medical School. You could smell the gents in the basement well before you reached them. I always wondered what the blokes did in there to make it smell so bad as the ladies was always clean and tidy with only occasional temporary (pooey) bad smells.
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