To want equality of opportunity to go to the loo?

[HFJ]

Been meaning to drop this complaint in for a while. I am sick of queuing.

So, in most public places architects’ plans for washrooms allocate the same sq footage to men and women. Here’s why I think it’s unfair:

1. Fewer Women’s cubicles compared to how many men can use that urinal trough thing
2. Women have more ‘admin’ from clothing etc so take longer
3. Children have to go to the loo supervised by mothers, including those boys who are really too old but mum keeps dragging them in anyway
4. More likely to dither at the wash basins
5. It seems like Uncle Tom Cobley and his dog need to just stand around waiting in the vicinity, thus preventing swift entries and exits to said loos

Anyone else get irate by this? It’s worse this time of year

But men and women can use both, so I’d say they should both have equal numbers of urinals and cubicles.

Women can use urinals how exactly?

Women also typically need to go more often. Really, women's toilets should have at least twice the cubicle capacity of men's.

I agree with your point, but I'm not convinced by points 4 and 5. 4 applies to waits only where the sinks are within the cubicle. Otherwise the queue is just for entry into cubicles. I can't think of any time I've seen women waiting for the sinks after exiting the cubicles.

Don't tend to see 5. Unfortunately, the people hanging around tend to be the backlog waiting to go in!

Yanbu. It's really really strange and I've been wanting to meet an architect for ages to find out why on earth they do it.

EVERYBODY knows queues for women's are longer, it's kind of a common fact that comedians make jokes about. So, why, why do they not get more of the space and more facilities.

Really hope an architect joins this thread and responds.

Also - women's changing rooms at pools. Packed. Because...all the under 8s go in there too.

Just why?

I recently saw on twitter the scans of a man/woman - the body cut in half kind, and the blokes bladder was HUGE The things I could achieve with a bladder that big..

You're not wrong - there are studies devoted to this whole subject, the proportion more toilets we need vs. men etc.

And while they're at it, they need to design the cubicle with the sanitary bin in mind. Ideally offsetting the toilet so there's room for it. How we've gone on so long, yet so many cubicles don't have the space is beyond me.

They've managed to build entire new unisex spaces to appeal to 0.2% of the population, who don't want unisex spaces, they want to add to our overcrowding, and yet still don't...

1. Allocate more space to women despite the blindingly obvious fact we need it
2. Allocate more loos as above
3. Make a few spaces big enough to get a pram in.

I also think I read somewhere that the men's is always 'first' . Why?

I rant about this all the time, OP. We need more female toilets!!!

You missed the obvious point of women taking longer as we don't need to only deal with the same bodily functions as men but also menstruation. On average one in every four or five women/girls of menstruating age will be dealing with her period on any given day and that adds an extra task on to her visit.

I agree. We need more cubicles than men for it to be anywhere near equal because we need to go more often and it takes us longer when we’re in there (menstruation, the clothes we wear, pregnancy)

Can you do instructions with drawings please?

And why is the sanitary bin so often an afterthought in the UK, squeezed next to the toilet on the floor where it’s not very accessible while seated? 😡

1. Unless you normally frequent some arse end grotty, flat rood pubs, mens urinal "troughs" are a thing of the past.

You probably get 1 more urinal in a men's wc compared to cubicles in a woman's wc.

1. You choose what clothing you wear, and how much "admin" you need to do.

1. Fun fact. Men can take their kids to the loo too.

1. What???

You're being ridiculous Op

It’s not architects!! It’s building standards and ultimately the client (who is paying for these toilets).

And my post asking for instructions with drawings how women could use urinals was aimed at @DustyLee123

Really @Gt86 ????!!!

Have you honestly never in your life seen the queuing for a women's loos where there's none in the men's?!

I can't quite believe that.

Every time I've ever been to the theatre, a night club, a pub, an airport, crikey everywhere...there's queues for ladies.

I really don't know how you've e not noticed this.

You choose what clothing you wear, and how much "admin" you need to do.

Regardless of clothes chosen women have more to remove/do up than men. We also have to wipe as opposed to a quick shake.

GT86 - I mean, you can give your anecdata, or you can read actual studies on the matter with actual data - you do you!

I might also throw in there, that even though men are touching their genitals in order to urinate (unlike women), they're also significantly less likely to wash their hands - saves a minute or two in there, but eugh.

I hate this too! The queue for the women's toilets in the shopping centre was out the door and around the corner and filled with screaming toddlers. Meanwhile, the men just get to dander in and out of their one. The same in any busy place. Using up the whole interval at a show standing in a loo queue, etc. It's just not fair and something should be done.

Wtf are you on about? I never said anything about queues! Stop making shit up

Men choose whether to wipe or not. Women also have that choice.

Well, it's your choice whether to spend time washing your hands or not. Nobody is holding a gun to your head.

I wanna know the answer to this question as well as the OP. Hanging on for someone who works in planning / architecture

Women do dither at the wash basins. They start brushing their hair, or doing their make-up.

and then complain about people not washing their hands despite hogging the basins

The new cinema near me had the toilet to one side of the cubicle to allow space for the bin. I was so surprised I took a picture.