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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Man cleaner in women changing rooms

372 replies

Globaluser · 22/01/2022 08:17

So I moved to Europe a year ago nearly and just recently started coming to the gym.

In this gym there were no notices up to state there’s both male and female cleaners. So I was caught kinda off guard when I walked out the shower and came across a man mopping the floors.

So I’m wondering since I didn’t really go to any u.k gyms. Is this actually normal?

I mean for me that means I will be showering at home from now on, as I see a difference between women seeing me naked and a man seeing me naked.
So I just wanted to ask how many of you would mind and how many of you have come across a male cleaner in a womens changing room in the u.k.
Thank you ☺️

OP posts:
JigglyPiggly · 22/01/2022 16:51

@MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor

I think we've hit bingo on the enablers checklist. ✅✅
Still no links to this super obvious risk I see

If it's such an issue there would have been one such incident reported

The fact you have yet to show one example of a male cleaner doing anything other than cleaning in a womens gym changing room proves your feardar is pretty faulty

If you are uncomfortable there are options, not all women are the same, thankfully

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 16:56

Normal in the UK for both male and female cleaners in each changing room ✅

Why don't you just wrap yourself in a towel when you get out the shower if you don't want him to see you naked ✅

Just shower at home ✅

Well.. women cleaner in mens loos.. ✅

So if you were in a towel he didn’t see you naked then? ✅

Just be glad they're being cleaned ✅

Most women at the gym gladly still walk around butt naked in front of male and female cleaning teams. So can't be that awful.✅

Also not all women feel unsafe, or uncomfortable ✅

The Gym shouldn't have to fire or hire twice as many cleaning staff members to appease some womens strange hang ups ✅

So they'd have to hire 2 members of staff for every shift then? Do you not see how silly that sounds ✅

Do you honestly think every man in the world wants to see you naked✅

You having an issue doesn't make it widespread or normal✅

Then those women can go elsewhere✅

Or shower at home✅

Or live in a cave✅

You do you, but don't expect businesses to bend and incur costs so you can have your safe space✅

Why are you a victim? Has the cleaner harmed you?✅

The fact that so many gyms have male cleaners for female and male changing rooms process the point that women like you aren't the majority✅

If it made business sense they'd all do it✅

Thankfully in the real world sensitive sally's aren't the norm.✅

Most normal people aren't scared or fearful of something with no known risk factors there✅

Send me a link where a woman at the gym has been attacked by a male cleaner✅

I think you issues go way deeper than distrust of random men✅

You are very strange indeed✅

Still can't show any identifiable, realistic risk to women from male cleaners in gym changing rooms✅

I can show it's more likely to be killed by your own children than attacked by a cleaner in the gym, will you then stay away from your kids?✅

The perception of risk on here is frightening, please seek help✅

I find the weird obsession posters have with almost non-existent risks is truly bizarre.✅

You see how silly your argument sounds right. Tbh I'm concerned you don't ✅

They walk among us✅

maybe you should just stay in your house then . Seems its not safe anywhere.✅

Those sensitive souls who are funny about this are most likely also the same type of person who gets annoyed with trans women entering female spaces✅✅

It's already normalised✅

You are the outlier here✅

I see you're now going on about cameras, you need to seek some therapy.✅

It's not normal to be this worried about a man putting a camera in a changing room, or doing his job cleaning up.✅

I feel sorry for you having to live with such high levels of fear✅

And no, I think you should stay at home not most women.✅

Holly60 · 22/01/2022 16:57

[quote girlmom21]@fandangoclem what are you 'Ffs'ing at?
I don't particularly want to see naked women wandering around when I'm at the gym Hmm[/quote]
I’m with you. Is OP meaning that she just strolled out of the shower totally starkers?! Why would you do that??

I’d have far more of a problem with that than with a male cleaner just getting on with his job

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 16:58

The enablers on here are repulsive. And so transparent.

Enjoy the rest of your day in your sad seedy little world.

Iorderedyouapancake · 22/01/2022 17:01

Holly, as I’ve said twice- even if you come out of the shower in a towel (I’ve never seen a woman come out starkers!) you still have to get from towel to clothes which is pretty tricky to do without exposing any part of yourself. Women who walk around naked are extremely few and far between in my experience

fandangoclem · 22/01/2022 17:02

The only logical conclusion i can draw is that the goaders on here are not actually women.

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:07

@fandangoclem

The only logical conclusion i can draw is that the goaders on here are not actually women.
Sad seedy men getting their jollies. Grim. Women enabling this shit is something else..
MananaTomorrow · 22/01/2022 17:07

@MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor

Normal in the UK for both male and female cleaners in each changing room ✅

Why don't you just wrap yourself in a towel when you get out the shower if you don't want him to see you naked ✅

Just shower at home ✅

Well.. women cleaner in mens loos.. ✅

So if you were in a towel he didn’t see you naked then? ✅

Just be glad they're being cleaned ✅

Most women at the gym gladly still walk around butt naked in front of male and female cleaning teams. So can't be that awful.✅

Also not all women feel unsafe, or uncomfortable ✅

The Gym shouldn't have to fire or hire twice as many cleaning staff members to appease some womens strange hang ups ✅

So they'd have to hire 2 members of staff for every shift then? Do you not see how silly that sounds ✅

Do you honestly think every man in the world wants to see you naked✅

You having an issue doesn't make it widespread or normal✅

Then those women can go elsewhere✅

Or shower at home✅

Or live in a cave✅

You do you, but don't expect businesses to bend and incur costs so you can have your safe space✅

Why are you a victim? Has the cleaner harmed you?✅

The fact that so many gyms have male cleaners for female and male changing rooms process the point that women like you aren't the majority✅

If it made business sense they'd all do it✅

Thankfully in the real world sensitive sally's aren't the norm.✅

Most normal people aren't scared or fearful of something with no known risk factors there✅

Send me a link where a woman at the gym has been attacked by a male cleaner✅

I think you issues go way deeper than distrust of random men✅

You are very strange indeed✅

Still can't show any identifiable, realistic risk to women from male cleaners in gym changing rooms✅

I can show it's more likely to be killed by your own children than attacked by a cleaner in the gym, will you then stay away from your kids?✅

The perception of risk on here is frightening, please seek help✅

I find the weird obsession posters have with almost non-existent risks is truly bizarre.✅

You see how silly your argument sounds right. Tbh I'm concerned you don't ✅

They walk among us✅

maybe you should just stay in your house then . Seems its not safe anywhere.✅

Those sensitive souls who are funny about this are most likely also the same type of person who gets annoyed with trans women entering female spaces✅✅

It's already normalised✅

You are the outlier here✅

I see you're now going on about cameras, you need to seek some therapy.✅

It's not normal to be this worried about a man putting a camera in a changing room, or doing his job cleaning up.✅

I feel sorry for you having to live with such high levels of fear✅

And no, I think you should stay at home not most women.✅

Whilst I agree that some of these answers can be coming from ‘enablers’, I disagree that they all are.

The first one for example: gyms in the U.K. have male and female cleaners in female changing rooms is a fact. I’m not sure how this make anyone an enabler…..

Iorderedyouapancake · 22/01/2022 17:10

Manana, I obviously can’t deny that it happens as I haven’t been to every gym in the UK, but I am a huge gym goer (sometimes twice a day!) and I have literally never seen or heard of a male cleaner in the open plan women’s changing during opening hours- are you talking about cubicle only changing? Or are you seriously suggesting that men clean in the open plan room with undressed women present?

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:11

Never seen it myself in the women's changing room at the gym dude.

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:13

The only time I have seen male cleaners in the gym is in a properly mixed sex changing room with cubicle.

I have never seen male cleaners in the open plan female changing rooms at the gym. Not once.

MananaTomorrow · 22/01/2022 17:16

The last one I was in (that was pre covid) had open showers that leads to the swimming pool as well as some cubicles and then a space with all the hair dryers etc…, Space for a communal changing room as well as some cubicles. Loos on the side.
The door was then opening onto the gym.

What the Op describes could easily have happened there. Shower in a cubicle. Most women would wrap themselves around with a towel and would get dressed either in a cubicle or in the open area.

I’d say that this was quite common seeing the number of posts on MN about women drying their bits with the hair dryer (something I’ve never thankfully seen!)

And yes there has been some male cleaners in there, esp if I was going outside the peak times iyswim

Waitwhat23 · 22/01/2022 17:16

Not about the OP per se but a pp rubbished the idea of hidden cameras being placed in women's toilets. I just googled 'men placing hidden cameras in women's toilets' and a whole range of instances came up. I'm sure I've read on a previous thread that instances of voyeurism have increased in the past few years.

Telling posters they need to 'seek therapy' because they have pointed out that such instances exist is really quite unpleasant.

Some women might be fine changing in front of a man they don't know. I'm not, similar to many others. If there is a poster on the door, I can at least make that choice. If you are fine with it, cool but you don't get to assume or give away my consent.

JigglyPiggly · 22/01/2022 17:18

@Waitwhat23

Not about the OP per se but a pp rubbished the idea of hidden cameras being placed in women's toilets. I just googled 'men placing hidden cameras in women's toilets' and a whole range of instances came up. I'm sure I've read on a previous thread that instances of voyeurism have increased in the past few years.

Telling posters they need to 'seek therapy' because they have pointed out that such instances exist is really quite unpleasant.

Some women might be fine changing in front of a man they don't know. I'm not, similar to many others. If there is a poster on the door, I can at least make that choice. If you are fine with it, cool but you don't get to assume or give away my consent.

When did I claim this never happened?

This poster seems to be consumed with fear that men are sneaking around hiding cameras everywhere they go

That is why they need therapy

Along with the servers distrust of any men and the inability to assess risk.

But yes, I forget let's all pretend the poor sod wiping floors for minimum wage is actually hiding cameras in the gym changing room and getting off while you are there in your towel Hmm

MananaTomorrow · 22/01/2022 17:19

I’d hope that any other poster who said they’ve seen male cleaners in female changing rooms haven’t been lying tbh. That would be crap

JigglyPiggly · 22/01/2022 17:20

@fandangoclem

The only logical conclusion i can draw is that the goaders on here are not actually women.
Confused

So anyone who doesn't agree with you isn't a woman?

Christ almighty

You lot are wild

JigglyPiggly · 22/01/2022 17:21

@MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor

The enablers on here are repulsive. And so transparent.

Enjoy the rest of your day in your sad seedy little world.

Seedy world

One where I don't fear everyone with a penis?

You really, really should consider some therapy

You clearly need it

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:22

Penis havers are less likely to fear sexual assault from those with a penis eh.

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:24

Women who don't want to get naked with men in the room need therapy. I need therapy because I don't want to be naked with men in the changing rooms, because I know the lengths men go to, because I know the risks they present, and camera are well documented?
And I need therapy for that?
You need your hard drive investigating.

WomanStanleyWoman · 22/01/2022 17:27

I’m with you. Is OP meaning that she just strolled out of the shower totally starkers?! Why would you do that?? I’d have far more of a problem with that than with a male cleaner just getting on with his job

Why on Earth would you have a problem with that?

MrBlobbyLivesNextDoor · 22/01/2022 17:28

And on that note dude, I'm out. I've spent enough time talking to someone who is clearly getting some kind of kick out of minimising safeguarding and gaslighting.

Get a life. And a job. Away from women's changing rooms.

Rainbowshit · 22/01/2022 17:30

I would not be happy with a male cleaner in my gym changing room. The shower cubicles have a glass door with only a few frosted stripes for privacy.

Make cleaner in toilets doesn't bother me but this is different.

EveryFlightBeginsWithAFall · 22/01/2022 17:30

Penis havers , can't you Just call them men. Fucking hell

Iorderedyouapancake · 22/01/2022 17:30

I’m really surprised Manana and glad I don’t go to your gym if there aren’t enough cubicles for everyone to use, which I think is what you’re saying? getting dressed in the shower cubicle has never been an option in any of my gyms (partly as clothes would get absolutely soaking wet and partly as there’s always a queue for the showers at busy times) so the only choice is to do it in the open. I’ve asked on the WhatsApp group for my gym “buddies” and so far 100% of replies say 1) they’ve never encountered a male cleaner in female changing and 2) they wouldn’t use a gym that allowed this. Hopefully your case is an exception!

Iorderedyouapancake · 22/01/2022 17:32

Oh and to add to previous poster’s point- showers at most gyms in my experience only have a door which covers about shoulder to knee height- very easy to see in over the top/under the bottom if you wanted to. It would be totally inappropriate to have opposite sex cleaners in these areas