Tried three places for lunch today and none cater for women

[Mrsmunchofmunchington]

I went out for lunch today with a friend.
Well, at least we tried to have lunch.
All three places, two pubs and one cafe, were not suitable for women because you needed a penis to get into them or to use the toilet.
We ended up coming back to my home instead.

AIBU to think that everywhere should offer equal service to women?
Or is it my fault for not checking in advance that I could eat there without a penis?
Should I have researched on tripadvisor?
Am I too entitled expecting businesses to ensure non penis having people can pay to eat lunch at their establishment?

Day in the life of a disabled person.

No they were only serving men so she didn't even have a chance to get drunk!

Disabled access is a real problem, as others have stated above - it's not at all straightforward to provide in many cases.

I have coeliac disease, I have to ring places up before going to check if it'll be safe for me. It's irritating to have to plan my life so much, I can never be spontaneous and just decide to try a new place because it looks nice, and I always have to think about meals and whether I need to bring food with me. It's not reasonable to expect all venues to cater for me though, because it's an almighty faff making a dedicated gluten free zone.

Sorry OP, it sucks, and it's not fair.

I’m sorry you’ve been disappointed. I’m pretty sure this is illegal-or were they all places that for whatever reason could not offer reasonable adaptations? The mediaeval market town near me has a couple of places that are exempt.

I am ignoring the tedious non-analogy because I think you are making a very relevant point.

😂😂

OP seems to have triggered the 50% rule 😀

This makes no sense whatsoever.

There are more than 400 comments. Maybe read some of them.

If it was as simple as "out of the box" thinking and open mindedness the business owner would have done it. Perhaps he could just use "the force". You are talking absolute nonesense. This is a labyrinth of a listed building with twisting old stone steps and corridors everywhere. The place would have to be essentially re-built with 2 specialist lifts fitted to the outside of the building. This isn't a case of installing a few portable ramps and putting handrails in the toilets. Besides, you can't just put in some "make shift" arrangements. Accessible facilities have to meet strict criteria and safety standards. Not everywhere can accommodate wheelchair users and I don't see the value to anyone in those places closing down. The disabled still wouldn't be able to use the venue if it ceased to exist!

I think the sheer number of comments shows that you get far more responses from a thread about women being disadvantaged than disabled people which rather supports my use of an analogy even if some people don’t understand.

Thanks to all who have liked, loved and clapped and those who posted in support.

Off out now and will be trying to avoid being mown down on my mobility scooter.
Last week I was told to “get off the road you crippled cunt” by one absolute prince in his boy racer car.
Fingers crossed for more consideration today.

Sorry that happened to you. I will never not stand up for you.

I have a local tea shop that couldn’t afford to have toilet facilities that would be suitable for all so they don’t have one at all. They are near a large shopping centre so everyone uses the loos there.

Most people, or at least lots of us plan in advance or need to. Its not unusual or strange. Its not onerous either.

My daughter uses a wheelchair and if we go anywhere new I ring ahead to make sure it's accessible. Other daughter is vegan so likewise if they don't have an online menu I/she has to ring ahead. Also some restaurants require bookings so I ring ahead for that too. Sometimes if the whole family go out I ring ahead to make sure they can accommodate 10 people as one group. Also I have to ring and ask if children are allowed in a restaurant and if so do they have high chairs.
Is there enough room between tables to accommodate a pram for a baby or would that be a pain in the bum? Do they have outside dining? Can they cater for gluten free? Are dogs allowed? I'm sure other people could add to that.

You think u have been clear but yet no one else does!

There is a big difference with being wheelchair friendly and mobility scooter friendly. They are huge. How are cafes meant to waste such huge amounts of space to accommodate them. That will be so many places couldn’t fit you in. Nothing to do with being disabled.

And you shouldn’t be riding them on the road, it’s dangerous and could cause a crash.

Are we to understand from your update that you wanted to take your mobility scooter into the cafe or pub OP?

How does that usually work? Genuine question. Are they 'parked' in a corner?

Can you walk at all once you are not riding it? Could it be parked at the door and you could walk a few steps?

They should be ridden on the road if they are being ridden above a certain speed (can't remember what that speed is). Riding them on the road isn't dangerous, it is careless/gormless drivers that are dangerous and should be called out, and this sort of victim blaming needs to be stamped out now. We wouldn't say dressing sexily is dangerous because you might get raped.

This, they have a top speed of about 8 miles an hour? That's an absolute risk on the road, however absolutely unacceptable language.

How big is the scooter?

I can't get my head round anyone thinking a mobility scooter could go into a cafe or pub,

Surely you leave it at the door and if you are completely immobile, you'd have a wheelchair and a friend would bring it along for you in their car- or you'd make similar arrangements.

There was a sheers number of comments about being totally confused not men v women

I think 80% of posters were confused.

It would have made far more sense if OP had explained what happened, truthfully, and said she felt it was the same (in her mind) as women being banned from all male establishments.

But that wouldn't have got attention, would it?

Victim blaming? Have you ever seen the idiots that ride their mobility scooters on the roads? They are the dangerous ones with no thought to cars on the road. They think they have some right with everything.
Someone ran into my buggy in one. I’ve been reversed into because they didn’t look before manoeuvring. Had to move onto the road with my buggy because they were barrelling along and didn’t slow down. I am definitely not victim blaming.

Electric wheelchairs can be huge (and heavy) too. Not all wheelchairs are manual, even then, adult ones are hardly small.

I was very confused. I thought the OP had visited a restaurant that served food only men would eat, and wondered how I had managed to miss demarcation of dishes based on sex eg Men: steak, cooked breakfast, pork pie, fish and chips. Women: Prawn cocktail, grilled lemon sole, trifle, cake.

Men: Yorkie bars
Women: everything except Yorkie bars

@ginaseverndid you miss the bit about the fact I work in the industry. I dare say I know a thing or two about this. And yes there are many many more things that can be done to make many spaces more accessible. The trouble is mainly narrow minded thinking and trying to make everything perfect. But the reality is that many businesses don’t actually seek out solutions they make an incorrect assumption that nothing can be done and then move on.