Banging on the door of the Accessible Toilet

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

Why do people do this?!

I've just used the accessible toilet (I need to use the accessible toilet). I'd barely sat down and someone started banging on the door. I wasn't in there an unreasonable amount of time - probably about 30 seconds when the door banging started and 3 minutes overall. I was in there because I needed to be, banging on the door isn't going to make me quicker. If someone was taking the piss, it'd probably make them stay longer!

It's not the first time it's happened but it's so frustrating. It happened a few weeks ago also, that time was a woman wanting to use the baby change... the baby change wasn't even in the accessible loo!

It's really annoyed me this morning, it's not something I've noticed when using non-accesible toilets so I think it's just an accessible loo thing. But whyyyy?! I can't go faster 😩

It’s not the fault of the parent of the child, it’s the fault of whoever had the bright idea of incorporating baby changing facilities into an accessible loo. They should be separate.

I always knock the door of the accessible toilet as the radar key opens it even if it's locked from inside. The dot usually turns red if it's engaged, but not always!

After a few minutes the woman pushing the chair starts banging on the door and yelling that it’s only for disabled people and carrying on a real treat. I had considered yelling over that it was someone actually disabled in there, but given her ranting and raving thought it far more interesting to stay quiet and watch her embarrassment when the clearly disabled person exited the disabled toilet.

Unfortunately, people like that rarely experience shame for their actions. She was probably using "disabled people" as a way to exclude any other claimants, when she really meant "We should have priority, because we want it".

She'd probably have found another 'reason' why her companion's need was supposedly greater, if the emerging user had challenged her - like the way some idiots somehow think that young disabled people cannot ever really need blue badge parking spaces - certainly not as much as an elderly disabled person.

@JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue

I've only surprised somebody once in over ten years.

I've been surprised once... in the disabled toilet in a Tesco Extra. I was sitting on the WC when the door flew open and a rather able-bodied looking man strode in. I cheerily said 'Hello!' and smiled. He looked aghast and flew out of there as if the hounds of hell were after him. he wasn't visibly waiting when I eventually emerged.

I admit to sometimes rattling the handle of toilets as some people just seem to be unaware that other people might be waiting.

And what do you think is going to happen when you do that? Their bladder or bowels will speed up at the sound of you rattling away?

@Rosscameasdoody I understand where you are coming from. But how can you know with any certainty.

I remember when I had multiple internal injuries, was having rehabilitation at the hospital, was not in a wheelchair or using crutches but had significant restricted movement.

I don’t think it was very obvious to others.

I had some mobility issues but was afraid to use the disabled toilets in case someone in a wheelchair or walking frame etc. became upset at me. I used the regular toilet but could not lower myself onto the toilet or get back up off the toilet without holding onto something for support.

I used the toilet roll holder. And as I used it to help myself up it broke off the wall. It was bolted on and it took bits of the tiled wall off. I felt absolutely mortified that I broke it. And after that I used the disabled toilets because I needed that bar to lower myself onto the toilet and lift myself off.

I got told off once by someone in a wheelchair who wasn’t interested in me explaining. But I absolutely did need those facilities even though I could walk.

It took months for me to recover (from injuries and some are permanent and there are still some mobility issues just not to the same degree) and when I no longer needed that bar I resumed using regular public toilets.

We do exist, and some of us have disabled children too!

Ideally the baby change is not in the disabled loo (because then it can end up blocking it from being used by disabled people who actually need to use it as a toilet) BUT equally it’s no use to someone like me if it’s in the room with the normal toilets unless that is a big enough space for a wheelchair…

The best set up is when there are separate rooms or even a big communal one for baby changing- then no toilets are blocked and anyone can access the changing tables (as long as one is low enough)… but this is not usually available.

Disabled parents change babies on their knee, or in the car or whatever creative way they have found that works for them.

A polite knock fine. A sorry I'm really desperate also fine. But don't harass someone on the loo.

I think you need to come at this more from the perspective of the woman pushing the chair. Speaking as a wheelchair user, I have no alternative but to wait for and use the accessible toilet, given that wheelchairs won’t fit into a standard cubicle.

I realise that some disabilities are invisible and of course people with stomas, IBS and other not so obvious disorders are entitled to use these facilities. But it doesn’t always mean that they need to - sometime it’s just more convenient because there’s a handy washbasin, hand drier and waste bins all in one place. I know a couple of people who have such conditions and will always use the accessible loo even if standard cubicles are available - justifying it as being entitled to because of their condition, with no thought as to whether they actually need the facilities on that particular occasion. Maybe it just needs a little bit of thought for others. Definitely wouldn’t bang on the door though - if someone’s in there, your first thought should be that their need is equal to your own if they’re disabled.

For someone with a stoma or IBS having the sink in the cubicle is about a lot more than just convenience!

I’m sorry that happened to you- accessible toilets are for all disabled people or people who can’t access the normal toilets (eg people like you with temporary conditions or injuries- yes you got better but when you were injured you were unable to use a regular bathroom) not just for us wheelchair users.

Unfortunately the world is full of dickheads, and some of them are wheelchair users.

I’m a wheelchair user, so I get your plight- but I think we have to accept that other people’s disabilities really do affect them just as much as ours, just in a different way- someone with a bag for instance shouldn’t have to go through the ignominy of having to empty it and clean up etc in a room with other people, even though they physically could.

It’s easy to get really jaded and fucked off because accessibility is so bad, and many able bodied people don’t get it (because they don’t live it so why would they), and some people take the piss and think ‘I don’t want to wait 5 minutes for the toilet’ is equal to ‘I physically cannot use any other bathroom’… but if we as disabled people start picking at each other and arguing over who is more entitled, we will be the only losers!

But if they are in a public loo, surely they are using the loo, there's nothing else to do or that you'd want to do in there. My mam needed to use an 'accessible loo'. She had breathing problems and a wheelchair in the last year of her life, as well as being registered blind and being very deaf. Someone rattling or banging on the door would have panicked and scared her. I think you should leave people to use the loo. Your needs are not more important than theirs.

"The only people circumstance where disabled people should be waiting to use the accessible toilet is if another disabled person is in their using it."

Sometimes the ONLY toilet is an accessible one and sometimes the ONLY OPEN one is an accessible one. Lots of coffee shops close their main toilets before closing time and you can only use the disabled one.

So people are just supposed to hang around when a loo is actually empty?

And yes, some people do spend longer in loos than they need to. They think because they've had to wait, everyone else can wait too.

Also people who moan about others not washing their hands, but hog the wash basin putting their make-up on etc. Go somewhere else to do it and let people use the washbasins for their intended purpose.

People assume that, in order to need an accessible or disabled loo, you have to be (visibly) mobility impaired. In reality of course there are all sorts of problems that might mean the facilities in the accessible loo are needed.

One may, for example, appear to walk normally but be at risk of being marooned on a low seat with no means of raising yourself off it without the supports present in the accessible one.

Really?

sorry although may appear heartless at first.. the manager’s ass is likely on the line there.
There is a health and safety risk for people to pass out there, to have an overdose (alcohol or drugs), have issues with hypothermia, etc etc etc.

You could also have a risk after it becomes notorious that it is ok to be in there, that people go there to shoot drugs too as they perceive it ok.

I think you may have misconstrued what I was saying. Disabled people (and, in this case, their companions/carers) can be selfish too, just like anybody else.

Any selfish person demanding special treatment will look for a 'justification', even if seeking to take priority over somebody with the same needs.

I once witnessed a woman banging on the door of the only toilet in a small community building that a man had just gone into, calling out "But I'm a lady - I need the toilet right now - a lady needs to use the toilet!" Quite how that was relevant, I've no idea, but I'm guessing her primary thought was not that A woman needed the toilet, but that SHE needed it, and therefore was more important than anybody else.

Yes a bit like having the benches with a design that means you can't lie down on them. There's really no need.

We really didn't need to know a description of what you were using the toilet for, thanks for the over share

You have no idea if that person ‘seemingly would have no difficulty in using a standard cubicle’ just by looking at them so you have no right to get frustrated.

Crudely expressed, but relevant to the story surely?

I don’t think you can know with any certainty. But disabled people are too often at the receiving end of the thoughtlessness of able bodied people who feel perfectly entitled to take advantage of things clearly not meant for them.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen people park in disabled spaces and run into the supermarket. I’ve argued with mothers with children who feel perfectly entitled to park in a disabled space because the parent and child ones are full. I’ve worked in benefits and seen my fair share of people who are minimally affected by a health condition trying to claim benefits meant for people with severe and enduring disabilities, and turning themselves inside out trying to qualify for blue badges. Now we have toilets which are no longer referred to as disabled, but ‘accessible’, and the entitled brigade seem to think it’s ok to use them whenever standard cubicles aren’t available. I think the answer is that we all need to take responsibility for ourselves and try to consider those who have no choice in the matter. But human nature being as it is, I can’t see that happening any time soon to be honest.

@Rosscameasdoody You've just contradicted yourself. You say you understand those with stomas/bowel issues etc but then say you get frustrated when you see people come out who you've decided would have "no issue" with using a standard cubicle?!

How exactly do you suggest someone changes their stoma etc in a standard cubicle when the basin to wash their hands is not in the cubicle with them? I certainly wouldn't want to have to do so in front of everybody else in there

It's been a while since I had nappies to change, but when faced with a combined baby change and disabled cubical I used to wedge the pushchair in the door to keep it from closing with the idea that I could see if someone was waiting and finish up outside if needed.