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Post by melanell on Jul 23, 2017 22:24:46 GMT
Grr...I have a bathroom rant. We stopped at a sizeable gas station/convenient mart yesterday for gas and because my son needed to use the restroom. This establishment has 2 single restrooms. So not stalls...just 2 individual bathrooms of the same size (I looked afterwards.  ), each with a sink, a toilet, and a locking door. And yet they marked them "men's" & "women's". Which annoyed me because even though my 7 year old boy could certainly use either one, he'd rather wet himself than use the one marked "women's". So he's dancing outside the occupied men's room while the other bathroom sat empty. Good grief.  Plus, it just seems pointless. They're individual locked rooms---why do we need to label them with only one gender each? So, finally he gets in there, and I'm thinking---maybe there is a urinal in the "men's" room, or perhaps personal hygiene supplies in the "women's". Something that would possibly call for labeling them. I looked. No on both counts. The rooms were exactly the same except for one thing. Any guesses?? Here's a hint----the difference annoyed me. The only difference was that apparently only women are allowed to change diapers. Because despite having plenty of space for a changing area in the men's room, there was not one there. Seriously folks, it's 2017. Men change diapers. So there you have it--my rant for the day. (In all fairness, I will say that the rooms were certainly large enough for 2 adults if someone needed to help a family member, which is a good thing; and they had that space even with the fold-down changing table. And they were exceptionally clean and overall nice looking.) ETA: Just wanted to add that while I did call this a "rant", based really just on the length of my complaint, it's not like I'm frothing at the mouth or pea-livid about it, just in case all of the winky faces weren't enough to get that idea across. Save |
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Post by 950nancy on Jul 23, 2017 22:32:55 GMT
I think businesses are slowly getting with the program. The best idea would be to remove the signs. However, I do prefer a ladies room to a nonspecific room since I am a little less likely to have pee pee on the seat or have the seat up.
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Post by Zee on Jul 23, 2017 22:33:04 GMT
Maybe you could contact the company and suggest they replace the signs with gender neutral "restroom" signs, and add a changing table to the one? They just might listen to you. I agree with you, it's silly to think only women change babies.
When our kids were babies sometimes my husband would take them out by himself and the bathroom thing was something he complained about even then, back in the 90s. He also dreaded when DD would need to use the bathroom because he didn't want to take her in the men's and obviously didn't want to walk in the women's.
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Post by scrapsotime on Jul 23, 2017 22:36:07 GMT
Dh's business has 2 bathrooms that are exactly the same. They are labeled men and women because that is how they were labeled when he took over the space. I've been meaning to have him change that. I tell people all the time that they can use either bathroom because it doesn't matter. It's always kids that have a problem using the opposite bathroom - even after I point out they usually share a bathroom with everyone one at home.
He did put changing tables in both bathrooms, though.
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Post by gramasue on Jul 23, 2017 22:39:41 GMT
What an interesting point, and something I've never thought about [until now]. Now I'm going to be asking DH every time we go out for lunch "Is there a diaper-changing table in the men's room?" You're so right - there should be one in each!
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Post by hennybutton on Jul 23, 2017 22:41:22 GMT
It may not be the business' fault. It may be the law where they are that requires separate facilities for men and women.
Usually, when I see gender neutral restrooms, it's a third choice, not a relacement for gendered restrooms.
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Post by melanell on Jul 23, 2017 22:45:58 GMT
It may not be the business' fault. It may be the law where they are that requires separate facilities for men and women. Usually, when I see gender neutral restrooms, it's a third choice, not a relacement for gendered restrooms. I don't think that's the case here. I haven't read up on the laws, but I know of a good handful of places at least that have only one restroom at all. Although perhaps it has to do with the size of the establishment. One of them is a pretty large grocery store, though. They had no bathroom for decades which always boggled my mind. And then they remodeled and put in one bathroom. Whoop-dee-doo. But the changing table thing was a choice even if the labels were not. Save |
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Post by melanell on Jul 23, 2017 22:48:34 GMT
I will say that there are some places we frequent that have amazing restroom/family room set-ups. Love those places. |
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Post by hennybutton on Jul 23, 2017 22:52:59 GMT
It may not be the business' fault. It may be the law where they are that requires separate facilities for men and women. Usually, when I see gender neutral restrooms, it's a third choice, not a relacement for gendered restrooms. I don't think that's the case here. I haven't read up on the laws, but I know of a good handful of places at least that have only one restroom at all. Although perhaps it has to do with the size of the establishment. One of them is a pretty large grocery store, though. They had no bathroom for decades which always boggled my mind. And then they remodeled and put in one bathroom. Whoop-dee-doo. But the changing table thing was a choice even if the labels were not. SaveYes, the changing table was totally a choice. A stupid choice. |
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Post by Tammiem2pnc1 on Jul 23, 2017 23:10:33 GMT
I was in the ER once when ODS was just a little guy. DH obviously needed to care for him while I was in there. At the same time my SIL was in the same hospital giving birth. DH ran up stair to see how she was doing and the baby needed his diaper changed. He went into the restroom and there was no diaper changing station for him to use. He had to go out and get his mom to take ODS to the ladies room so she could change him. It's ridiculous the assumption that are made that only women can care for children.
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Post by melanell on Jul 23, 2017 23:21:00 GMT
I was in the ER once when ODS was just a little guy. DH obviously needed to care for him while I was in there. At the same time my SIL was in the same hospital giving birth. DH ran up stair to see how she was doing and the baby needed his diaper changed. He went into the restroom and there was no diaper changing station for him to use. He had to go out and get his mom to take ODS to the ladies room so she could change him. It's ridiculous the assumption that are made that only women can care for children. And particularly odd in a labor & delivery unit/floor. You're pretty much guaranteed to have at least some men bringing in small somewhat older siblings who may still be in diapers, right? Save |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Jul 23, 2017 23:21:18 GMT
That kind of thing annoys me too. DH changed plenty of diapers and wasn't opposed to helping DD when she was potty training too. It's stupid how far behind the times these things can be.
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Post by annabella on Jul 23, 2017 23:22:07 GMT
I complained about this in a yelp review once, a restaurant had the same and there was a long line to the woman's but no one going to the men's.
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Post by melanell on Jul 23, 2017 23:28:30 GMT
I complained about this in a yelp review once, a restaurant had the same and there was a long line to the woman's but no one going to the men's. Good point! You could obviously get through a line twice as fast if everyone were able to use either room when they were unoccupied instead of just one. Save |
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), each with a sink, a toilet, and a locking door. And yet they marked them "men's" & "women's". Which annoyed me because even though my 7 year old boy could certainly use either one, he'd rather wet himself than use the one marked "women's". So he's dancing outside the occupied men's room while the other bathroom sat empty. Good grief. 
