Bath Leisure Centre, naked men in ‘changing village’

[MrsSnippyPants]

Can anyone local confirm what the changing facilities are for swimming?
twitter.com/jeanhatchet/status/1082908745682829312?s=21

I called Bath Leisure centre this morning to enquire about this, explaining I wanted to swim there but was concerned about stories about naked men.

The person I spoke to started by saying, exasperatedly, 'Oh for Heaven's Sake' at my question (a great start I thought for a customer service person being asked a question by a customer, but presumably reflecting that they have had a lot of heat and ire about this). She went on to say she had never seen anyone naked there, that it was a mixed sex facility like many others and no-one should be naked there. She said reception had had no complaints.

if this is true, that's good. But action needs to be taken to ensure if this was an isolated occurrence that it doesn't happen again.

I asked if there were signs telling people to remain clothed and she said she didn't know. She said she thought it was common sense that you should, but agreed to talk to the Duty Manger about having signs put up.

The trouble is, as we know, that the people who go against common sense are exactly the people women don't wish to be exposed to in a vulnerable place.

I told her I would view being exposed to a naked man as being sexually assaulted and if it happened to me I would call the police. She confirmed so would Reception.

I think they need more customers to ring them and make sure they act to prevent this.

So the expectation is that I go into an area to strip off and change. There will be men there too, who may or may not (since their is no guidance and left up to common sense) we walking around starkers.

Ok

So when I go to my chiropractor or for a mammography why is it like an airlock system with me going into a small ante room to disrobe then enter the surgery through a door in the back of the (locked) room. Oh, for my modesty and comfort (and feelings of security). Well that doesn’t matter then does or.

Yes Penguin, that is what is expected. But usually in a changing village it's very clear that no nudity is permitted, so something or someone is going wrong in Bath.

But I don’t want to be walking through a changing room in my underwear or wrapped in a post shower towel with strange men! No thanks.

I know - and that's why we need to tell these people this. I know you know this: I just don't want you to think I am defending it.

When I used to do martial arts there was a men’s changing room and a woman’s. The men’s one was once out of service and it was just me and the sensei (male) needing access to get changed often as I trained at lunchtimes.

He was a lovely, gently and kind man but there would be no way I’d change with him in the same room and he felt the same.

This was a man I knew and trusted (and I was fit back then so would be confident at self defence, should I need to kick anyone in the nuts and make a run for it).

Nobody walks around in underwear or in a towel (well other than a towel over a swimsuit) in a changing village. I’m beginning to think people who are accustomed to undress-completely single sex changing can’t imagine what properly unisex changing is like. Far more privacy ime as lots of cubicles - including family ones which are great for, well families.
The man in Bath was totally out of order but the villages aren’t unacceptable per se.

So when I go to my chiropractor or for a mammography why is it like an airlock system with me going into a small ante room to disrobe then enter the surgery through a door in the back of the (locked) room. Oh, for my modesty and comfort (and feelings of security).

Not wanting to derail but I went for a mammogram recently. Went into the room with the radiographer (female) who told me to get undressed and put my clothes on the chair, while she stood there with me. I found that strangely uncomfortable. Even when I go to the GP they send you behind the screen to undress. I did feel like my modesty had been disregarded just because we were both women.

So what’s a ‘village’ then?

Penguin. It’s a large room with individual cubicles in for changing. Each cubicle has a door in from the door into the large room and a door out which leads out to the lockers, showers and pool. You enter fully clad, lock yourself into a cubicle, change into your costume and then leave out the other door, putting your things in a locker as you go and heading out to the pool. So everyone in their should either be fully dressed or in their costume as thy would be in the pool. So you should never be exposed to anyone naked, male or female.

If it works, you are still exposed to the risk of smart phone cameras being held over the top hence the bars above in the initial photo.

Wah! Nope, nor comfortable with that. If I it was very quiet I’d feel very exposed.

Ours are different to that. The individual cubicles are laid out in various configurations but they are all in big rows. All of them have larger family cubicles. The lockers are then within the room. Separate male/female toilets. All have locked shower cubicles.

There is then usually some area to do your hair/dry feet etc.

No one walks about naked. The most I have done is walk back from the toilet with a towel wrapped round me as there is nothing worse than trying to put a wet costume back on.

Hi all, I've spoken to radio Bristol on behalf of Debz who wrote the original tweet. She's not comfortable for personal reasons with public speaking. We are in the same city and this issue affects all women in B&NES and wherever else they've introduced "changing villages". What may not be a problem for some women is clearly a problem for others, particularly those who've suffered previous trauma or who for other reasons are uncomfortable to be in a state of semi undress around naked males. There were two naked males in the short time Debz was in the unisex facilities walking between lockers/showers and cubicles. She found this distressing.
The interview will be broadcast at 6.35am Monday and a live interview at approx 8.05am. Bath Echo have also taken an interest but BathLive/Chronicle, Banes Council or Cllrs have ignored or blocked us.

They haven't really 'introduced' them around here, they have just always been (though I have only lived in the area 20 years) FWIW the 4 pools I use are run by 4 different councils, so this isn't just 1 council doing their own thing.

I think men walking naked in changing villages is a form of manspreading. It should be made clear that people must be clothed when outside their cubical.

It is totally appropriate for the changing rooms to be closed to general public during school swimming sessions, however.

There are real dangers to women in mixed-sex facilities.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/sexual-assault-unisex-changing-rooms-sunday-times-women-risk-a8519086.html

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3353054-andrew-gilligan-in-the-times-sex-pests-target-unisex-change-rooms

I'd never use a changing village. I'd feel vulnerable in multiple ways.

Seems like there needs to be a few women of a certain age, women with sturdy shoes and stout bosoms, women who’ve seen it all, to stand there and cast withering glances at every naked man until he gets his trousers on and gets out of there. A few acerbic comments wouldn’t hurt, along with some cackling laughter trailing after these men as they leave

Like the sort of women who guard public loos at French service stations? Definitely the solution to a lot of problems TBH

Hi all, I've spoken to radio Bristol on behalf of Debz

Excellent, @Vix, thank you. I have family and friends in the BNES area. They are particularly concerned about the current refurbishment of Keynsham Leisure Centre. If Keynsham gets a mixed sex changing facility too then there are few, if any, alternatives for residents who want a safe space to change. Paulton?

This reminds me of an experience I had at Danes camp in Northampton. The changing area for swimming is extremely similar to the photos of this one.

Last time I went there I had to go in the nearest free cubicle to change my baby son at the time, with the door open to fit one of those baby tables in and me basically drip drying while sorting him out

The cubicle happened to be opposite the showers and a man made me feel so uncomfortable he kept staring at me and paying a lot of attention to washing his genitals it was disgusting. I was in the middle of sorting my son out as quick as I could and there was no staff around to say something.

By the time I'd done and my ex was back the man left and I didn't report it but definitely put me off going back

The furore has been a news item on Radio Bristol all day.

Two defenders are interviewed

(1) a Councillor: "It never happens. People get changed in cubicles, not in front of others"
(2) the Managing Company: "lots of places have this design and we've never had complaints before".

No-one addressing the points raised by complainants ie (1) It happened. (2) Women vote with their feet to avoid unsafe facilities and/or are reluctant to complain.

On the plus side, BBC Radio Bristol discussed the issue over two shows (three hours worth). The discussion attracted comments from all quarters and, with one or two exceptions, callers objected to mixed sex changing rooms.

I'm trying to find the relevant link to the BBCiplayer. Stand by......

I'm fascinated by the psychology of people who say "that never happens" about things that have in fact just happened, and that they have been informed have happened. So, "never" means "infrequently" in their minds? Or the people telling them that it happened are all liars? Or they're telling the truth but gosh, why does everyone have to make such a fuss over one little (insert crime here)?

I think it's more "this is too inconvenient to acknowledge so I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and it will all go away la la la la la", AAK

So like the dog that's had a bit of an adventure sitting there in a room full of bits of disemboweled pillow all "nope, nothing to see here, if I pretend nothing happened they'll never notice the feathers all over the floor"?