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?

Basically this. A lot of faffers about.

Yes, but it often takes longer than 30 seconds for some people.

There are definitely less public toilets now, I know several in my area that have closed.

The UK population has gone up by 10 million in the last 20 years since you were in your 30's.

It’s not just in the UK that I’ve had to stand for ages in a queue for the loo.

the problem is also in restaurants, cinemas, museums, shopping malls….everywhere!

These days there are probably some women taking 'special selfies' for their followers partners.

Well most countries have growing populations with the exception of Japan more recently some of Eastern Europe.

I wasn't talking about the colloquialisms "I'm desperate" "I'm bursting". I'm talking about women who get very little notice of the need to urinate, and if they wait too long then they will piss their pants. I have a friend with Crohns. It is a horrible disease. But it doesn't mean that all lesser needs don't exist. Not does the fact that you can wait mean that every woman is able to.

Please don't. Disabled people need them and often aren't able to queue.

less toilets. central london is 'crap' for the disappearing toilets. Men are allowed to use portable urinals on every street corner. (grim and stinks) whilst women are left to find the every decreasing public toilets. It's really awful that they just aren't prioritised as needed nor women requesting more public conveniences more loudly.

Why not, there's never a queue.
I've never not seen a queue for the loo, it's nothing new OP.

Were they designed by a man?

In answer to the questions about what some women are doing in there, I have an answer. My mother goes absolutely everywhere with her handbag and she likes to wipe with paper, wipe with a disposable wipe, which then obviously has to go into the sani bin or into a wrapped up tissue in her handbag if none available (as she wouldn't flush the wipe these days), then she has to use her body spray. She absolutely must always do these things, even if just a wee. Even if in a terrible rush she does it and when I have said this is ridiculous, she says she likes to feel fresh.
I have literally been in and out in the time it takes her to do all of this, and both of us just doing a wee.

Right, and that's covered by the caveat in my original post that if you're about to s* yourself then of course. That's the equivalent of being incontinent which I literally covered.

Stop being offended when there is nothing to be offended about. I'm just raising awareness that people shouldn't use disabled loos if they don't need to. Obviously if there is an actual need then it's fine.

Women s bodies are SHOCKER built differently to mens. It takes women twice as long for urine to get from the bladder to the loo than it does in men. That's before we add in birth injuries, changing sanitary protection etc etc. So for equal access to toilets you need double the number for women than for men. But no one ever thinks of that.

More medication which increases the need to wee

It takes women twice as long for urine to get from the bladder to the loo than it does in men.

Is that true? Women's bladders are smaller, woman in general are more able to hold on longer, I think with a full bladder women can expel urine with more force.

Obviously birth injuries have an impact, but even uncomplicated pregnancies and births impact women.

Public toilets abroad don’t exist abroad either. In Sicily I needed to visit the loo and only public toilet was in a square down a dodgy staircase. The loo attendant asked me for 1 Euro without looking at me whilst reading a magazine. The toilets were disgusting.

A tip which can use in a large town or city - hotels. Most hotels have toilets around the reception area. Or look at a large sign listing various facilities - bar, restaurant etc. Reception staff change so may have no idea if you are a guest or not. Toilets are clean and free!

I went to my local public loos for the first time in probably a year and they’ve reduced the area by about half. I was shocked to see so few cubicles when there used to be a good number.

Look all these excuses about why women take longer are red herrings when some of us are in and out in a couple of minutes. We’re women too and we don’t keep the queue waiting for ages. Your post has made my blood boil @HiCandles - I’m standing in a queue about to wet myself while people like your mum piss about - or don’t.

I love hotel toilets, I have a mental map of them. I also like coffee and a scone the two might be linked.
I was at an event a few years ago with dh, there were portaloos which had been there for a couple of days. There were slow users even in them.

In a facility of 10 cubicles, they close 5, so that the 1 cleaner for the whole building/shopping centre etc etc can get through more toilets. Well, that's what I notice. So they've basically cut back on cleaners.

Don't use the disabled ones, there are many disabled people who need to decant a colostromy bag etc.
Using the men's is OK.

I guess what might add a bit of time is that I like to use loo roll to lock the door, cover seat, flush loo and open door. Not a nice thought to think of unclean hands doing all those things. Yes I wash my hands afterwards as well! Prob never used to do all that non-touching surfaces as much as now.

Plus when do you see men take babies and young children into the toilets? Sometimes for sure, but much more common for women to take babies and young children, both female and male, into the ladies' loos. That undoubtedly adds to the length of queues.