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?

Definitely don't use the disabled loos - that's just shitty behaviour (pun intended)

Is it possibly because some women will have period type stuff to use and it takes longer, or IBS type issues occur a lot in women (well loads of women I know), so they might have bad stomach ache or something like that?

Always been the case since I was a child. Dm used to joke about "complicated underwear" when we were little and waiting in a queue in the 70s.

I'm assuming that men make these decisions and don't consult ladies. I've often wondered the same myself.

I think this has always been the case and haven’t noticed any difference in public loos.

That's me as well. Quick pee, slightly longer sometimes, hands washed and dried and out of the door again.
I can only think that the one's taking a long time are on their phones. That's not very hygienic and a teeny bit selfish if the queue is a long one.

It’s true, many women spend a ridiculous amount of time in public toilets. Even if you’re taking your coat off, putting tissue on the seat and changing your sanitary towel, it doesn’t take 5 minutes. Maybe they’re trying to get too tight shape wear on and off ?

The loos aren't usually very pleasant so I want to be in and out asap

Cubicles are usually cramped as well - I'm wider and stiffer than in my youth, so sidling round the door trying not to trail my coat in the loo and with handbag and shopping held at waist height, all takes more time. And then you have to find somewhere dry to put it all, before getting down to business, whereas men just head in, point, wee, zip, and out. I like the end cubicles which for some reason open out the way.

Because the plans are drawn up by men?

In situations like this I regularly "identify as male" for the time it takes to use their loos!
Sauce for the goose and all that.

Yes, I've had this a couple of times, so I always check that the cubicles are actually occupied:
Was behind a woman waiting like that at the airport the other day: I pushed a door and it was obvious the cubicle was vacant, then she rudly pushed in front of me - completely unnecessarily becuse the second cubicle was also empty!

If you have a prolapse, it takes forever to wee, as it only trickles out very slowly. As we have an ageing population, I'd guess a greater proportion of women have prolapses. Then, you have all the people with colostomy/ileostomy bags.

Toilets might also be used as a refuge for people with autism and sensory issues, overwhelmed by being out and about.

Made that mistake once, never again! Reeked of urine.

Spanx too.

I honestly do wonder what some people are doing in the toilet too. I do get for some people, there are health reasons it takes longer but it feels the long toilet trips are standard, not a minority. But for me, you’re in an environment where you don’t know who’s sat on that seat before you or what they’ve done so you do your business and get out, not linger! I often find in a big block of loos im in and out and it’s the person who was behind me in the queue standing waiting to take my cubicle.

I was slightly miffed in a leisure centre the other day there was an inordinately long queue for the two cubicles. Turns out two women were getting changed and ready to go out rather than using the changing rooms. Why???!

I remember a Dilbert cartoon where it was noticed that Wally was now taking forever when using the toilets at work.

They deduced that he used to take his newspaper in with him, and stayed in the cubicle until he'd finished; but now he'd got himself an iPad and he took that in with him instead, he had no way of knowing when he'd 'finished' (the entire internet)!

Co op live in Manchester is loo heaven. Streets of them! Women were walking in in amazement!

Exactly ! 👍🏼

doing coke

No woman wants men in her toilet. Privacy and safeguarding is crucial

Not to forget druggies inject themselves in toilets. Friend's DD works at a Greggs with a cafe in a shopping centre. Had to close toilet - as druggies were using toilets to get their hit.

Yet shopping centre's toilets - about 30 for the ladies are about 10 shops away.

Another friend who works at a supermarket had to close toilet for a while as often saw empty wine bottles, They were even from the supermarket. Lady stole them from another supermarket.

Some public toilets use blue lighting as acts like a deterrent. Yet I get headaches from them

I like gender neutral loos. They tend to have a hand basin in the cubicle.

For washing man bits?

They're much cleaner in principle, as it means that nobody is ever pushing doors open with pooey hands - but it does rather depend on everybody actually using the sinks to wash their hands in the first place.