For using the family changing rooms

[WildBalonz]

My local gym and swimming complex has recently had the ‘brilliant’ idea to take away the separate men and womens changing room and make it one bigger unisex changing room. There is a half wall that goes a bit through the middle that we assume is meant to keep it somewhat separate but I can tell you it doesn’t do that.
After complaining to the staff and asking why they have done that they explained that it has been done in several locations on a 6 month trial and if it’s successful and feedback is good they will convert all branches to unisex changing rooms. We made sure to let them know our thoughts and that it is definitely not something we would like. And if we hadn’t signed up for the year we would not be returning.

Me and two other friends go there together on a regular basis as it’s the best value complex in our area. However now that it’s been changed to a unisex changing room me and one friend have been using the family changing room because we are not comfortable changing/showering in the unisex one. My other friend on the other hand is continuing to use the unisex one and has said we shouldn’t be using the family one and that is unfair on the families who need to use it because it’s not that big etc. Normally I wouldn’t do that ofcourse but I think given the circumstances it’s ok? Are we ok to be using the family one or is my friend right and we are being unreasonable to not want to use the unisex one.

Just change in the one you feel comfortable in. How long can it possibly take two adults to get changed anyway? You'd be fast.

That's insane. Shared changing rooms?! What next, communal shared toilets 😐

I think this is an utterly ridiculous idea. There are 2 changing cubicles on either side of this dividing wall, and a couple of family cubicles?

So, I could get showered in my swimming costume (all fine) but, if I want to change into dry clothes afterwards, and the small amount of cubicles are filled and possibly have a queue, I need to stand in an open area and get changed?

My issues with this setup are: any male could walk in or stick his head round for a peep, including voyeurs/nosey teenagers/idiots filming for social media “laugh’s or likes” /potential rapists. Don’t tell
me there is always someone around to stop this happening - all of the above are very possible.

On the other side of the coin: any good man would not be comfortable with the possibility of kids walking in on him changing/idiots filming for social media “laugh’s or likes”/the potential to be wrongly accused of something - there won’t be cameras in those areas.
Imagine a group of vindictive girls accused a man of flashing at them, or worse. He doesn’t have a leg to stand on to defend himself. Their word against his.

Men and women need protecting from this invasion of privacy. We have had separate changing areas for hundreds of years. There is no need to change now. It’s just a cost cutting exercise to cut staff numbers and push back people’s personal boundaries - counting on people being too polite to say no. I will not use unisex changing rooms in shops and I vote with my feet. I would not accept this either.

unisex with hardly any cubicles? That has to be a joke.

Lots of pools have family or single cubicles and they’re all unisex. But not open plan!! Good grief that’s insane

Our local pool has a 'mens', a 'womens' and a 'unisex', as well as disabled and some cubicles around the outside of the pool. I used to do a class there. The cubicles around the pool are always full. Fortunately, I can still choose the womens. One time the women's was closed for cleaning, so that left the unisex. No-one was getting naked in there and I don't think they do on the whole. I find it fine for just taking off my clothes on arrival (I come in with my swimming suit underneath), but not for getting dry and changed after. I locked myself in one of the shower cubicles, showered and got changed there, which took ages.

No family changing rooms. My only option, if I have mixed sex children with me who are too old to use the women's if male, is to go into the disabled, which I've had to do. The unisex is too difficult and open to manage a gaggle of young kids safely and keep them in one place, I can't take my sons into the women's (and they were still too young to go into the mens alone), so the only thing to do was lock us all in the disabled and get dressed as fast as possible. I can't remember if they were officially doubling as family changing rooms. They might have been.

An option is a changing robe but it's far from ideal in that environment. It's OK as an option for your own convenience, many still would not be comfortable with that as the only option in a busy mixed-sex environment.

4 cubicals to serve a pool is beyond inadequate.

As well as general lack of dignity for members of both sexes but particularly women, it also disproportionately affects women of faiths where there are expected levels of modesty from the opposite sex, and also people with disabilities and medical conditions that affect co-ordination mobility and balance to be able to change quickly and subtly. Swimming is a particularly accessible physical activity for people with these difficulties and they will be over-represented at a swimming pool compared to the general population.

I assumed this would be a "changing village" set up with individual cubicles. But to have no (or a completely inadequate number of) private cubicles and expect people to shower and change in a unisex area with no privacy measures is bonkers.

I have seen shower areas like this - you are expected to leave your swimwear on and just rinse off rather than strip off.

Expecting people to try and completely change clothes beneath towels etc is just crazy. Please do keep complaining. And using the family changing room in the absence of anywhere more suitable. The more people who complain (even if it is about you using those changing rooms) the more likely they will have to revert.

Couldn't you, your DH and your DD use the open plan unisex area?

@helpmepickaname1 why would you and your DH and DD need a family room if there’s a unisex area? Surely that’s more convenient for you?

And OP, the family area is now redundant, so that’s fine for you to use.

Don't be daft, they don't lose their right to personal privacy because there are 3 of them. This whole arrangement seems more like it's deliberately designed for voyeurs. Unisex requires changing cubicles.

No reason why they can't use a single cubicle though if no famils one is available - we could very quickly get DS into shorts, then dad quickly get into shorts while DS finishes dressing outside, then I can get ready in it. Actually I have used single cubicles with DS anyway, I just stand him on the bench. Wouldn't work for 4 kids though, obviously!

Your local leisure centre isn't the same then, is it if it's all cubicles?

The op has explained that the shower area (where you keep your costume on) is unisex and fine. But to undress out of your swimming clothes into normal clothes, you have to get changed in an open plan unisex room.

Would you be happy with you or your dd having to get changed ingrown of men???

Op, that is disgusting. Complain as many times to reception as possible. Send letters to head office and personally, I'd cancel my membership.

You had no idea you could keep your swimsuit on when you showered? Have you never seen a changing village before?

Every pool in my council area (since I was a child so 30 years) has had a changing village instead of sex segregated. It’s just one big area with the showers at the front, which you use whilst still wearing your suit, and then a whole load of individual cubicles for anyone. They also have large family sized cubicles, and the bigger facilities then also have private men’s and women’s group change rooms if you don’t want to use the changing village but you still use the showers at the front with everyone else.
That’s every pool in my council are so all I’ve ever known.

Are they planning to add more cubicles to turn it into a changing village?

Because the cubicles in changing villages are small. That’s why they also have family cubicles. More space to change your kids and get changed yourself. You don’t stand in the aisles changing; you use a cubicle in the unisex changing village. But you can’t usually fit in there with a kid, and there isn’t a changing table or cot thing to secure your child in while you change yourself. That’s why they have family changing rooms.

Changing villages are quite common now, whereby showers are strictly swimwear on and there are individual cubicles to get changed in - much better for families etc especially.

But you need enough cubicles for everyone, obviously. In this case I think I would use the family area and tell anyone who moans exactly why, and hopefully they in turn will complain to the gym to get things changed.

As it’s now very spacious and unisex, with just two cubicles, wouldn’t one of you change the child while one uses the cubicle then swap?

Mixed showers in an enclosed area, rather than poolside, are an abuser’s dream opportunity for inappropriate behaviour.
’ I was just rinsing the chlorine from under my trunks. ‘

Why is the child suddenly not allowed privacy?

I do not trust that you are a safe person based on these responses, quite the opposite. Your agenda looks very clear.

I haven’t claimed to be a particularly safe person, I’ve just questioned why the PP expects women to use one space which suits their needs, and avoid another which does not.

It’s a lot easier for the adult assisting the child with changing to do so discreetly, than it is for the adult to change themselves.

I won’t make any counter accusations against you, GRex. I suspect you aren’t here in good faith.

Who the fuck dreams up these batshit crazy ideas??? They want to attract customers to keep businesses afloat but demand that those customers conform to some bloody stupid pen pushing project managers ideas to make using a venue as uncomfortable as possible to use! Just beggars belief……and it had to be a blokes idea too.

I'm confused. If they're unisex why do families need to use the family cubicle?