Some Thoughts on the Complaints by a Woman Activist Who Argues Women's Restroom Wait Times Are Sexist, by Perrie Halpern
Before I present the video, I have a few things to say about the premise of this argument. There are a few points I would like to make, as one who has stood on many a long line waiting to go to the bathroom.
Yes, men do seem to zip in and out of bathrooms at amazing rates. Some of that is just biology. They only need a hole in the ground to do what they need to do. Hence, the real estate needed for the average men's room offers up many more spots for them to do their business, then the same piece of real estate does for the women's room.
Women do need more time to perform our task. We can't just unzip and do a number one. But the dirty little secret about women's rooms, is that women are pigs. They filthy up thosestalls in a way that makes me want to vomit. Even though the most women's rooms are equipped with seat covers, most women it seems, would rather pee all over the seat and the floor, than just be courteous and cover the seat before sitting down. This is a real pet peeve for me, since I have to sit down, due to damage done to my bladder from my pregnancy. So I have to spend time cleaning up the urine covered seat with a huge wad of paper (a total waste of paper), before being able to now cover that seat so I can go. I used to feel badly for this timely production, but as the years have gone by, I have only grown more frustrated over this and at least I leave a clean seat for the next gal to find.
Finally, there is no excuse for women who don't seem to understand what to do with their monthly sanitary needs. So often, I walk into a bathroom, only to find half of the stalls not usable, since some women don't know how to maintain their monthly bodily functions (I am trying my best not to gross anyone out here... but ladies, you know what I am talking about since we have all been there, literally !). I am disgusted by this. I often wonder if they are like this at home, or do they just inflict this on other women in public?
So while I agree that it's sexist that women in Congress first got their own bathroom in 2011, and that we could probably give more real estate to ease up on those lines in heavy traffic areas, we women are some of the biggest reasons for why we have to wait on long lines. It's time to get real with that, too.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/07/womens-restrooms-sexist_n_6431184.html
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Yes, I know an ewww topic, but hey, I didn't go there first and it is a reality of life. Watch the video and please be polite and not crude.
I have no problem with women sharing the men's restroom ... if they don't mind looking at my equipment . That wasn't crude , was it ?! {big grin}
Fine by me!
Public restrooms are a crap shoot ! You don't know what you're walking into.
I really think it's time for uni-restrooms. Numerous stalls for everyone to use in all public facilities.
Was that an unintentional pun ?!?
Tell me about it!
Most of the time... absolute grossness. Although I have to say that the NYThruwayis really well kept withlots of stalls.
I happen to agree with you Pat.
It was intentional.
Let me fill women in on how it is in many if not most male restrooms. I had an operation a little over a year ago for perforated diverticulitis. Now when I have to go, I either go right away or lose the urge. I'm constantly bothered by this and it is not fun at all.
My butt should smell like a can of Lysol. I wish I could go back in and use it again once I've used a restroom, it's like being home, which is the only place I really prefer to go. I always lift the seat up when I take a wizz.
What surprises me is the number of women who get pissed off because I leave the seat up. They want it put back down. Maybe they don't realize the next guy is going to piss on it. Do women ever look behind them before sitting down? I wish everyone left the seat up, then I wouldn't have to spend so much time cleaning up before I sit down. Most of these places should pay me to use their bathrooms. And what's worse is just about the time I get it cleaned up enough I'm willing to take a chance, someone knocks on the door.
I think a lot of men go in to take a wizz and while doing it read all the writing on the walls ending up with a wet shoe and a wet seat. Thank goodness quite a few restrooms now have auto flush mechanisms built into their plumbing these days. Let's just say I walk on by these that are evidently out of order or aren't so equipped.
The first thing I do when I go into a place to eat is check out the bathroom. If the bathroom isn't clean, I don't eat there.
These same women who complain about this as being sexist would complain about it if they were to use the men's room except they would be complaining how men left the restroom. They are probably the same ones who complain about the kids selling the lemonade in their neighborhood.
My husband worked as a maintenance (read janitor) person in a hospital for a few years when I was still in college to pay our utilities/mortgage (love!). He said that the women's rooms were always worse to clean.
I must have the luck of the unholy because I've never found what I would consider to be a horrible women's room. I've seen a few wet seats and finger smears on walls that weren't right, but they are usually in gas stations, college campuses, or run down strip mall stores. Maybe my tolerance for horrible is different.
I have found several horrible unisex bathrooms at said gas stations. I saw one not too long ago on a roadtrip. The kind where you need a key to get into a single toilet room around the back side of a building... I think the whole thing was covered in piss from the ceiling to the floor including the sides of the toilet which had streak marks from the last toilet overflow. The toilet seat was actually the cleanest surface there. If I hadn't needed to go so bad and we werent in the middle of nowhere (literally), I would have skipped the adventure. As it was, I was almost afraid to wash my hands afterward more than I was afraid of the toilet seat. The sink was near black, dripping, and probably filled with who knows what disease.
Anyway... I'm more afraid of bathrooms that were last cleaned 10 years ago than finding a stall that was messed up 1 hour ago. I'm also more afraid of dirty sinks than dirty toilet seats. You can't get much off a toilet seat that touches your ass, but you stick your hands in a dirty sink and who knows what you're wiping on your face.
Randy,
I am sure you have piggy men out there too. The thing is, unless you have one standing next to you not keeping eyes forward, then you have only the flush to worry about.
Actually, my hubby told me that there is an unusual high number of men who don't wash their hands after going. He said that once he has seen a guy not wash his hands, he will never shake hands with the guy. I can't say that I don't blame him.
I'm not sure that there is meaningful sexism with the bathroom situation. Like I said, a lot of it has to do with real estate involved. But when congress has no place for congresswomen to go, well that sends a message for sure!
Gotta agree, jennilee. Most of the problems could be solved if we could just get in and get out. Still, I thought that this was an unusual topic and kind of interesting. As I said to before, it's pretty sad that congress didn't provide bathrooms for congresswomen until 2011. That is sexism.. or at least sending the message that Congress is boys club.
BF,
I just watched the video and that is an amazing idea! It would help out a lot of woman.
The manipulation method is a big much for me. I see it as not being much better than the seat. But hey, it is an alternative for some gals. More power to them.
First of all John, I was careful not to use any of those words. Second, story was covered in the Huff, Third, when I checked, it was the second ranked story under the Huff.
Diversity in topics is important. This one was particularly unusual and that is why I went for it.
Back on topic....
Well, I guess it could be a bonding experience, LOL!
Your hubby is right. Women's rooms are worse. I have to admit, that in an emergency I have used the men's room and was shocked by the difference.
With unisex bathrooms, you are not sure who made the mess.... and forget anything tied to a gas station. They usually smell like the Bronx Zoo's Monkey cages.
As for dirty sinks, Purell is my best friend!
Note self, ...NEVER drink from Hal's thermos....
Hal... clever and very handy... but I agree with LR's note.
Ewwwwww.... LR!
I've seen some pretty awful bathrooms, but not what you're describing, for sure!
Let's see, I've used a coffee can, when the sewer was backed up, (and I was desperate), and various shrubbery when out in the field. I used a hole in the floor in Mexico, and a urinal in a town where the women's were backed up. Fortunately, where I worked was out in the middle of nowhere, and there was lots of trees.
As a youngster, I perfected the art of standing over a toilet to "ta ta". You don't touch anything that way, except to flush. I don't go to any ball games, except at the high school, and always go before I leave home so I don't have to use the porta-potties. It was always annoying to me to work at a water company, and not have any water to the restrooms.
I don't think I've ever seen a bathroom as filthy as you describe. Thankfully! Most of the restrooms here provide a separate little trash can per stall for the other unmentionables. I can't imagine leaving a bathroom in that kind of shape!