Tavistock and Portman Toilets

[StarsAreBlunt]

Arghhhhh. Went to the Tavistock and Portman yesterday - the Tavistock Clinic which hosts the Trauma Service. The downstairs women's toilets - which were four cubicles are now two gender neutral cubicles with a hand wash basin in each. There is then a space, and an inward-opening door onto the corridor

I walked out from the toilet cubicle straight into a couple of men standing in that space - am I right / not alone in thinking that there should be no door from the shared space onto the corridor? It just makes a "space" where women are not able to freely move into the corridor without people moving for them, opening a door inwards, and that makes it incredibly tight for anyone in there.

Also the dangers of that door being blocked by anyone who wanted to harm anyone.

I am not against gender neutral toilets when they open into a public space / corridor - it's the additional space and door that bugs me.

If someone wants to cause harm it doesn't matter whether the door opens in or out.

If it opens outwards, someone can block it from opening from the outside. If it opens inwards someone can force their way in from the outside and block you in.

There's not real solution, except, maybe, gender-specific toilets.

If it opens outwards, someone can block it from opening from the outside. If it opens inwards someone can force their way in from the outside and block you in.

But one person blocking from the outside, means you are safely inside and the public passing can see what they are doing.

That's not the case when it's the other way around - they can block the door and harm you all in the same space.

And both the cubicles could have been designed to open onto the corridor - it's a stupid design how they have done it, one would have been longer, the other one just needs a door in a different place and some rearranging of where the loo is.

I just cannot understand how organisations can not think about this properly yet.