Nightmare in France mixed toilets

[Whattosay81]

Ive been in France for two weeks now and appalled at toilet rules here.

i have two young DD who I cannot let go to the toilets on their own anymore.

Bistro number 1, urinals, a male toilet and a female toilet. Past the urinals!!! So having to take my 8 year of and 11 year old past pissing men to access the toilet.

Restaurant number 2 - mixed sink area, 4 toilets one in male/female and baby changing, one male and one female and one blank. Took them both to the loo - had to put one in blank and one in female as baby changing was full. Then had to stop men in my rudimentary French from trying to use the blank one as my DD was in there, then having to listen to men pee etc and get my daughters out of there ASAP.

just shocked at how toilets are now mixed in France and feel I should warn you all.

I don't like this in France, but it has zero to do with gender identity. If you travel abroad outside large tourist areas, you have to get used to many things being different to Britain. Either that, or just go to large tours i resorts that cater for British people

OP is it just males you have an issue with hearing pee? What if there’s a woman next to you peeing is that also offensive?

I agree, the sound of men taking a piss is hardly going to be used in the mental torture round of SAS Who Dares Wins. Why wouldn't you accompany your dc to the toilet anyway when you are in a foreign country, whether its to hand wash or not? We can and should complain about public toilets in the UK, but we shouldn't be wagging our fingers at the French for the way they do toilets. I remember public toilets in a little village in France being holes in the ground. I didn't like it, but it wasn't my taxes paying for them.

just shocked at how toilets are now mixed in France and feel I should warn you all.

My mum was in France in the 1960s and came across numerous mixed loos.

You have to try pretty hard to see a man's penis when walking past urinals.

@JenniferBarkley - strangely enough I was thinking of my DDs safety. And I certainly wouldn't be sending my DD to the loo by herself if she had to walk past men at urinals.

On MN this is obviously classed as "pearl clutching" but IDGAF, my DDs safety is my primary concern here, not the modesty of the bloke having a wee.

That's my point - your DD's safety isn't at risk because some men are having a pee.

I have young DDs as well and no I wouldn't send them past a urinal by themselves either, I'd accompany them out of fairness to all concerned. But I don't think it's a crazy big deal to do so.

Oh really... Yes because no men ever want to flash their willy when there's a young girl nearby....

Francophile mumsnet:

"Bof, I have been taking 6 weeks holidays in France since 1878 and I always squat in a hole by the side of the road while men spray urine in arcs over me. It is tres chic and totally NORMAL. That's why French women wear breton tops, to hide the stains and are free and easy about their bodies unlike uptight fat Brits. And they also only nibble on a small piece of baguette all day so they never poo and stay a slim size 6 while raising perfectly behaved children."

arpund 30 years ago we used to joke that the “P” sign for a parking lay-by in France meant “Pissing bay”. Franchise men seem to have no reservation at taking a piss in full view of public in general, let alone women or children

and god the horrors of shared urinals which were all the hole in ground type where women have to squat over men’s pits that didn’t make it down the hole

god, I hated public loos in France 🤢🤢😱

ah hossegor, @Whattosay81 . Were you at Chez Minus? I must say, I’ve been going there for 18 years as by parents live nearby and have never encountered this.

I'm delighted to say that I never have and never will squat over a trough in rural China.

What a race to the bottom. (excuse the pun)

Nightmare OK, I can't say I wish to see some old blokes todger, but not sure this qualifies as a nightmare.

Dealing with different and unexpected situations is a good life lesson. You were there, what on earth did you think could happen? Even if the man had pushed open the cubicle door, what then?

👏

Um, no. Francophile mumsnet saying toilets have always been horrific in France, but that’s just France, not anything to do with trans stuff.

How dare you. This is Mumsnet. EVERYTHING is to do with trans stuff.

Quite agree. When loos are being designed they should have DIGNITY first and foremost for everyone. Can't be nice for the men having genitals on display as all and sundry walk past gawping. Same arrangement in many European countries, even Charles de Gaulle airport... or UK festivals etc. What is wrong with giving all users dignity and keeping the sexes separated?

It's no race to the bottom. My comment is simply that if you're going to travel outsdie the UK, you're going to come across cultural differences. And some of them are to do with toilets. Even in Western Europe.

OP is making a mountain out of a molehill. Her children were not in any danger. She was there when a man tried the door of a unisex cubicle that her DD was in. That doesn't count as a nightmare.

Anyone who's spent any time in France will know that you're going to see the backs of men taking a piss multiple times. It's just that they're usually at the side of the road.

So sorry, forgot where I was for a minute!

Gah, my last post should have quoted this…

being a woman of a certain age I have seen quite a few naked men and men having a wee. Every man I've seen has had his penis at the front, not at the back 😀. So when he's having a wee he has his back to you.

I've lived in France. My one brother still lives there.

French culture is, at base, misogynistic. It is, as we used to say, "une phallocratie".

Men first, women way behind.

So yes, toilets are an excellent starting point for a discussion on culture.

There is nothing wrong with seeking confirmation as to whether this is a new change or not. It is also legitimate to wonder because of gender identity due to the numerous changes in other countries including this one.

Shaming people for their concern in the way you have, using hyperbole to mock them is also nothing new. Particularly on this board hived off to discuss these very issues.

If you are that outraged then you will have to stop going to France.