To be annoyed at the lack of bathrooms

[Applecharm25]

I have my period. I can feel that i need to change my tampon.

I'm out walking round my city. There are no public bathrooms anywhere near me.

I see a sign for a bathroom in a small shopping centre near me. I walk in. The bathroom is actually in a shop. I'm told that the bathroom is only available for paying customers.

So now I have to get in a long queue and wait further and buy something while I really need to change my tampon.

Surely there should be better toilet services available.

But you need a sink and bin to dispose of said tampon. Therefore your best bet is a toilet, surely?

I live in a tiny town. In my town, you could go to two coffee shops, the library, Asda, Morrisons or McDonald's and no one would bat an eyelid. No door code needed.

Sink to wash hands, obviously!

Nope but ‘period poos’ are a thing! Plus not all us can (or want to) use tampons. I use pads, and on a heavy flow day damn right I need to do it over a loo, as otherwise I will leave a small pool of blood on the floor. There need to be more public loos, but again it’s a cost thing.

Bathroom is American, toilet is common, loo is twee so lavatory is the only acceptable way to refer to such facilities ;)

But yes, there are far too few of them in the UK. It could be worse though - here in France they are even fewer and further between. And when you do fine them the less said the better…. As in the UK, supermarkets and fast food outlets are the best bet…restaurant and cafe owners here are far less accommodating than in the UK!

I usually look for an M&S. Our John Lewis is also useful for the purpose!

Actually there have been a lot of posts saying "I pee when I change my tampon and every woman I know does too" or words to that effect. I've personally not surveyed all the women I know on this matter, but maybe I'm in the minority.

Well that image has probably gone straight into OP’s wank-bank! We’ve given them plenty of fodder…

But no one said every single woman on the planet does, did they. OP claiming we did and telling us we don’t understand female biology is the reason the thread got so insane. It to mention their general attitude.

City centres have parks but I agree about the actual shopping area. My point was it's easier for men though and the lack of loos does have a disproportionate effect on women (and the elderly and disabled) so can we please focus on that.

I dont think I said that? You've taken my words very literally. Lots of posts have suggested that peeing when changing a tampon is a universal experience, it is obtuse to pretend that they haven't.

Maybe there wasn't a cafe with a loo nearby. It is also weird that a shopping centre only has one in a shop and not in the centre itself.

They really haven’t. Merely that it’s a very very common one, something OP did not want to listen to.

Two burning questions: would use of these rooms for changing other forms of sanitary protection be permitted? - and would a floor mop be provided?

But given there aren’t enough loos either, why not combine the two - somewhere with a sink and bin and privacy, where women can change their sanpro AND have a wee etc if required, lo! A public toilet is born!

Not every pee pee time is poo poo time, but every poo poo time is pee pee time.

The fact you think women don’t need a toilet to change a tampon makes me wonder if you have actually used a tampon - if I’m honest.

Anyway I wasted enough of my time on this. Please think twice before providing wank-fodder for men and think about why certain people might be posting things like this.

There is no way OP is a biological woman.
The majority of women when changing a tampon prefer/need to be sat on a toilet when removing in case they are pooling behind the tampon.
Do not feed the troll.

As a nearly 50 year old, perimenopausal women who had experienced pregnancy and childbirth, and mainlines tea, yes, yes I do always need to pee (or at least can always manage one if opportunity arises!)

How is widespread lack of public conveniences discriminatory against women in particular? It's not like it's only women's public toilets that have been closed. It may be easier and less exposing for men to pee up against a wall somewhere, but ordinary, decent, modern men do not want to, and could even be prosecuted for doing so (unlikely I know).

Bizarre thread. But yes OP is right there does need to be more public toilets (regardless of whether you’re peeing, poohing, changing tampons or digging out ear wax) in towns. I have a IBS and regularly frantically look for toilets. As a rule I use Costa, McDonalds, never have I had to pay. Sometimes I buy something but not always.

FWIW no one says bathroom in the UK. Yes yes yes, I don’t live in the whole of the UK, but I live in the SW, work in the SE, married to a Yorkshireman and went to university in Manchester, best friends live all over the place. Can’t think of anyone saying bathroom, maybe in someone’s house maybe, but even then, I would say ‘can I use your loo?’

Do you know ‘many’ women?!?

Ignore the comments that you think are argumentative, OP. Makes for an easier life.

Sorry, I haven’t read all of the thread but I’m case no one has mentioned it, there’s an App called Flush which I’ve downloaded to my phone. It’s really useful.

Very entertained to come back to this, and find it's not only still up brightening our (well, OP's anyway) afternoon but MNHQ have gamely decided to go with the flow..

I agree in suffer Interstitial Cystitis and currently peri in a flare i can use the loo every 30 mins. No where is there public toilets. Its really poor.