Women’s loo queues- what’s going on??

[SanctusInDistress]

I’m in my 50s, so I have plenty of experience using the women’s public lavatories. In the past 5 years, I’ve noticed that the queues are out of this world. And not just in tbe UK. Everywhere I go, the women’s queues are always super long and move very slowly.

is it that people now use their phone whilst in there? A pee and a quick browse?

ladies, what’s going on?! Are our bladders and rectums getting bigger so it takes more time to discharge, or are we using public loos to catch up on our social media when out and about?

is it just me who has noticed this? I don’t go any more often than when I was in my 30s.

Am I being unreasonable for thinking that women’s lav queues are getting ridiculous?

It has been ever thus.

More people less toilets

More humans in the world and not corresponding provision of toilets.

One of the things that austerity did was to close lots of public toilets.

I agree with PPs about the population having increased but no extra loos built and some closed. Some people do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in there, though.

There have always been longer queues for the ladies' toilets, haven't there?

Two other possible contributory factors to increased demand:

• the water bottle culture - we didn't used to all carry water bottles everywhere, and would often drink only at mealtimes
• better/cleaner public toilets - some used to be so bad that you tried to make sure you wouldn't need to use them!

Maybe it's because everyone seems to be carrying a massive Stanley cup full of water ...either that or a large coffee.
I feel your pain though!

I can't say I've noticed a difference.

I thought when my kids were young (late teens now ) it had got much better - not like my childhood where we forever seemed to be queue. It was too the point if we did a day out and had long queue for ladies it was very noticeable unusual.

I do think since covid there are fewer public toilets - so maybe that's why.

My experience of really long loo queues for ladies toilets was attending lower league football matches in Scotland for many years where the women, if lucky, had 2 toilet cubicles and therefore a really long wait at a lot if grounds because my club had a large percentage women support.
That's not recent. It was ongoing for many years and was to do with lack of provision and not women's behaviour.

I'm sure some will sit and scroll

There's not enough toilets for women.

My church has just had a whole new church hall built.

the church congragation is 75% women and 25% men, roughly.

The new church hall contains toilets - 33% of them (ie, 2) are for women and 66% (ie, 4) are for men. Why do people do this, I genuinely don't get it.

Well anybody who identifies as female can use them now too 🤷‍♀️

Sorry, I can't say I have noticed it getting any worse than it has ever been and I am in my 60s. Which probably means I do go more often than in my 30s.

Not sure about the social media and mobile phones suggestion. IME men of all generations have been prone to read on the toilet, at least in their own hone. My Dad used to take his library book, DH the newspaper, these days I guess it would be the phone. Women less so I think.

The only time I can recall getting my phone out in a public toilet was to respond to one of those charity appeals to provide a period kit to women in war torn countries.

Could that be it?Maybe we are all getting more philanthropic

Fewer toilets so the ones that are available are busier plus less money spent on maintenance so there's likely at least one loo out of action.

Our leisure centre has had one set of ladies toilets "closed for maintenance" for 6 months now so there's always a queue with people going to and from classes, swimming lessons, other kids activities.

It's a quicker process for men, surely. They just whip it out of their flies then pop it back in. No need to go into a cubicle, faff around with tucking themselves back in, doing up poppers, pulling up tights etc, not to mention dealing with tampons / pads etc etc. Also half of them don't was their hands either.

And yes, proportionately less loos for women.

Just use the disabled ones (or the mens?!!)

Eh, that’s nuts!

I should add that my
public I also mean in shops, cinemas, cafes, theatres etc. ie- not at home.

This also drives me nuts.

It shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to go in there and have a wee, come out and wash your hands.

I should add that my
public I also mean in shops, cinemas, cafes, theatres etc. ie- not at home.

My vote is for the current belief that unless you are drinking water constantly, you must be dehydrated.

If I'm desperate I go in the men's.

I get exactly what you mean! I go in, do my business and get out! Some people seem to spend so long in there, i get some people do really need more time, but not everyone does. I think you might be right about scrolling and the shopping centre near me girls sit and chat on their phones, which i find very weird!! 😂

Here goes - gender neutral toilets would ease the burden.