Uh, sir, you can't go into the women's room.

[PepperElf]

i tend to agree, banning them from the bathroom could bring up an ADA issue, especially if she had to go *now* and the family bathroom is closed.

it could be entirely possible that her bladder couldn't hold that long

personally i would have had the mindset of "let me check first" to make sure the bathroom is clear.


as for the further exchange... i somewhat feel neither side was right

[telecom_goddess]

Frankly I'd like to know what places have "family" bathrooms...I've never heard of such a thing...

[Andara Bledin]

Frankly I'd like to know what places have "family" bathrooms...I've never heard of such a thing...

They seem to be becoming more common as more people share parenting duties with small kids. That way, both parents can be in the same place with their babies/toddlers.

^-.-^

[Alteran Ancient]

I live in the UK, and once a year, we'll take a trip to south of France, involving a lot of driving, and several stops/breaks on the way. On more than one occasion have I gone into a service station, answered nature's call, and come back out of the Men's, to find that opposite, the Women's toilets are full, and there is a massive queue trailing outside the door and beyond.

Typicalls, in these events (due to French/West Eurpoean mentality), some women will venture into the Men's toilets and go there, and on one or two occasions, I have seen a service station attendant "declassify" the Men's toilets in order to alleviate some of the pressure off of the Women's ones. The women don't care about the men, and vice-versa. They're just all there for the same thing, and that's what matters.

If only the rest of the world were as co-operative...

[Canarr]

I've yet to see family restrooms anywhere in Germany (or neighboring countries), but I see people in the "wrong sex" bathroom all the time:

- fathers taking their little daughters with them into the men's room (albeit, that's a rare one)
- mothers taking their little sons into the women's room (only seen that one from the outside)
- mothers taking their little sons into the men's room (that one annoys me; if the kid is three or so, he can go with you to the women's, thankyouverymuch, now let me shake off in peace!)
- and, of course, women going into the men's room to avoid the huge queue at the women's room. It's especially tricky at concerts or festivals, because for some reason, architects put in an equal number of restrooms for both sexes, despite the fact that women need more time to do their business (in general, not always). I don't mind that - as AA said, if you gotta go you gotta go, and that's what's on your mind - but I *did* get a bit annoyed at the girl that, during a concert, not just did her business in the men's room, but then walked past the row of guys standing at the urinals to check out what they were "holding".

[RecoveringKinkoid]

There are some places here with "family" restrooms, but they aren't terribly common (Target comes to mind). The husband ends up taking my four year old daughter into men's rooms quite a bit. Not much choice if he's alone with her, really.

[Andara Bledin]

It's especially tricky at concerts or festivals, because for some reason, architects put in an equal number of restrooms for both sexes, despite the fact that women need more time to do their business (in general, not always).

It's not the architects, actually. From what I understand (although my data is at least a decade out of date), stupid interpretations of equality regulations means that the men have to have as many stations as the women, regardless of the fact that they need considerably less time/space, on average.

The chick who was checking out the equipment needed to have her shoes pissed on, methinks.

^-.-^

[KMCA]

Want an example where you let women into the mensroom and vice versa. Gay rave. Yes I worked it, yes I was stuck on bathroom detail... then they pulled me about 2 hours in because it was "dangerous" for a male guard to be there alone... I really didn't care because bathrooms at night clubs is a punishment or new guard position

Where did they move me? Roaming the curtained off areas that it was deemed 'acceptable' to have sex in... I loved the irony

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

I have accidentally gone into a womens bathroom a couple of times, most at places that use fancy/odd symbols instead of lettering and I misread them.

If anyone has been to Pensacola Florida, there's a McGuire's Irish Pub there that has an interesting set up. If you walk up to the door of the WOMEN'S bathroom, it reads "MENS ROOM" with an arrow pointing to the Men's bathroom down the hall. If you don't pay attention to that too closely and walk into the Ladies Bathroom, you are greeted by a small lobby type area and a giant sign that says "STOP! You've entered the ladies bathroom, if you are looking for the mens room, turn around!".

[Broomjockey]

There are some places here with "family" restrooms, but they aren't terribly common

They're incredibly common in Alberta. Some restaurants have them, though most don't, I admit. Where they are common is any large gathering area. Malls, theatres, department stores, etc. Often it's just a single largish room with one toilet, a change station, sink, all in one, and usually doubles as a handicapped-accessible washroom, but there's a lot of places too where it's just as big as the mens/womens rooms.

[Misanthropical]

Geez, over react much? I have the feeling that family was up to no good and was upset about being thwarted.

Now, I have gone in the men's room on occasion when I was pregnant and the line was huge in the ladies room or the ladies room smelled so bad I was about to lose my lunch. No one said a word.

[sirwired]

Now, I have gone in the men's room on occasion when I was pregnant and the line was huge in the ladies room or the ladies room smelled so bad I was about to lose my lunch. No one said a word.

Wow... I thought it was usually the men's room that stunk to no end, on account of the horrible aim of all male SC's, everywhere.

SirWired

P.S. Death to whatever moron at my office keeps using brown paper towels as a toilet seat liner and then clogging the toilet when they flush the damn things.

[Jay 2K Winger]

Occasionally we'll get the Wrong Bathroom incident at the wholesale club. It's always a case of them not noticing. Part of the problem is the women's restroom's sign is somewhat faded, and hard to read clearly, so many-a I'll tell some bewildered woman, "Last door on the right," while I'm on the express register. Or, if they're Hispanic, "Ultimo en el derecho."

One time, though, I was on break, and head into the men's room to answer nature's call, and find this woman coming out of the handicapped stall, having been trying on clothes. She stares at me, I stare at her, and then tell her, "This is the men's restroom."

"Oh! It is?!" Genuine shock, or a good act.

"Yes. Also, you're not allowed to try on clothes here." The clothing she'd been changing into/out of still had the tags on it.

"Well the cashier said I could--"

"They're new, they didn't know. In the future, don't do it."

I let her go back in the stall to finish up, she leaves, buys the clothes she'd been trying on, and leaves without incident. I give the cashier on express a quick lesson on store policy on trying on clothes ("Take Them Home And Try Them On There. If They Don't Fit, Bring Them Back"), and went on with my day.

But yeah, Psycho Cyclops and the Crazy Bitch in the wheelchair? Definite suck there.

[Jetfire]

Once I went in the women's washroom instead of the men's, by accident. I was heading home from work and browsing the malls/big box stores, and I had to go. So I ran into a K-Mart (it was about 6months before the Big K pulled out of Canada) and I wasn't looking closely and ran into the first bathroom. It was deserted and I was puzzled why there weren't any urinals, but I had to GO. So I went and when I left the room, I was more than a little embarassed to realize it was the women's bathroom, but no one saw me. (Luckily it stayed deserted the entire time I was there).

More recently, Sobeys on Prospect here used to have Men and Women washrooms, but they were 1 person only washrooms, so they (in the past 2 years or so) just changed the labels on the doors to be "Washrooms", ie you can use either of them.

[Andara Bledin]

More recently, Sobeys on Prospect here used to have Men and Women washrooms, but they were 1 person only washrooms, so they (in the past 2 years or so) just changed the labels on the doors to be "Washrooms", ie you can use either of them.

See, that just makes too much sense.

I don't see why 1-person bathrooms are ever designated, really. It would clear up some of the line on women's only bathrooms if there were generic bathrooms that served everyone as they showed up.

^-.-^