Gransnet forums

Chat

Thoughts on Gender Neutral Toilets -or are men’s loos more disgusting than ladies?

(77 Posts)
crystaltipps Wed 30-Oct-19 18:19:36

Following on from the “holes in the ground” discussion I wondered what the opinion was on “gender neutral toilets”. I recently visited a smart London gallery and the toilets were “gender neutral” i.e. no men/ women’s toilets just anyone could use them. The seat was up, there was urine on the floor and bits of paper everywhere. I haven’t visited many men’s loos, but are they usually more disgusting than women’s? Am I alone in not really liking the trend towards gender neutral toilets?

Oopsminty Thu 31-Oct-19 10:15:56

You never see a queue outside a gents.

You do at a Rush concert.

I was at the MEN some years ago. Went to the ladies at the interval and saw all these men in a long line. Loads of them! I thought they were queuing for merchandise or something, but no, it was the loo.

I sauntered into the ladies which was empty!

SirChenjin Thu 31-Oct-19 11:39:55

And if there wasn’t a queue trisher there wouldn’t be.

Ultimately women shouldn’t be forced to use gender neutral toilets - better architectural planning should be the first step.

pinkquartz Thu 31-Oct-19 11:48:09

Disabled loos are already gender neutral.

SirChenjin Thu 31-Oct-19 12:00:19

There are but that’s not what the new style of gender neutral loos look like.

LullyDully Thu 31-Oct-19 12:01:57

When my gch went to Japan, the loo sung to them and squirted water up to wash them clean. They were very impressed.

I do remember in the 50s and 60s some public lavs had a lady in an overall who went in before you go wipe the seat. Not sure if this was just in the London department stores. Any ideas?

Hetty58 Thu 31-Oct-19 12:25:28

There used to be a local public loo with a female attendant. It was always spotless, polished to perfection with a fresh lemon scent - bliss! Most loos are grimy and disgusting so I'm glad I can still hover!

Atqui Sat 02-Nov-19 15:39:32

London Granny - seat squatting? How on earth do they do that? I’d be afraid of falling in wink

LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 15:46:20

Feet on seat. It's a thing. When I was a teenager I was given a book called 'Growing Up Gracefully' by Noel Streatfeild, published in 1955. She suggests it for those plagued by constipation. I don't remember any reference to fibre in the diet though.

LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 15:49:49

...by the way, I discoverd this week how crinolined Victorian ladies used loos....I'd been wondering for years....simple when you know how.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUHeSTDv_24

trisher Sat 02-Nov-19 15:58:08

Oh I knew about the split knickers. And some used them way after the 1900s. My mum (born 1922) remembered her grandmother (died about 1945) wearing them. She made them herself. Simple if you think about it two tubes of material and a piece of elastic!

Atqui Sat 02-Nov-19 16:11:15

Hmmm - hope they all had strong pelvic floors.

LondonGranny Sat 02-Nov-19 16:19:37

trisher
I knew about split knickers too...it was the using the loo back to front that I hadn't twigged. I also had no idea crinolines were so flexible. I had this idea you could lift your feet off the floor in a crinoline and the frame would hold you up so I couldn't imagine how they even got through cubicle doors.

LadyGracie Sat 02-Nov-19 17:55:00

I dread my GD being potty trained and having to take her into public toilets.

SirChenjin Sat 02-Nov-19 19:41:20

How did they go to the toilet when they had their periods? They wouldn’t have been able to wear the split pantaloons then confused

rosecarmel Sat 02-Nov-19 20:38:11

I miss the attendants in public facilities- I remember when you had to pay a dime or quarter to unlock a stall in the ladies rooms but have no idea if men had to pay-

trisher Sun 03-Nov-19 11:04:14

SirChenjin You had a piece of folded material which you pinned front and rear to the waistband of the knickers, unpinning to go to the loo, changing and washing when needed.

trisher Sun 03-Nov-19 11:05:55

The material was usually old -literally rags and led to the term for menstruation-"on the rag"

SirChenjin Sun 03-Nov-19 11:25:54

If the pantaloons were split then didn’t the rags move about? I’m probably overthinking this

Davidhs Sun 03-Nov-19 11:43:22

Never mind about split knickers ladies the answer is to carry your own plastic loo seat cover, not especially environmentally friendly but we all have to make compromises.

Sparklefizz Sun 03-Nov-19 11:49:30

Davidhs It's more environmentally friendly to cover the loo seat with toilet paper.

trisher Sun 03-Nov-19 12:27:28

SirChenjin I assume no more than the sanitary belt and towels with loops which were used when I was young. (But they were horrible!)

craftyone Sun 03-Nov-19 13:14:22

I was on a fullday crafting this weekend. The loo started off spotless, I was the only female with 9 very nice considerate older men. By the afternoon, the toilet rim was spattered and there was a strong smell of urine, Everything else looked clean. If there had have been a choice, I would never have used a male loo.

Its a backward step and women I know just don`t have any more to drink after breakfast because there are no women only loos where they are going. They would rather risk cyctitis than go into a smally loo with a spattered toilet rim

SirChenjin Sun 03-Nov-19 13:20:35

Thank goodness for knickers and sticky backed pads trisher!

boodymum67 Sun 03-Nov-19 13:25:59

I have to use disabled loos and they are unisex....not often found them dirty. Men`s loos smell worse than women`s.

Patsy70 Sun 03-Nov-19 17:56:54

I recently spent a week with my sister, who lives in Estepona, Spain. The loos in the many restaurants I visited were spotless and also those at Malaga airport. It is very rare that I find either a public loo or one in a pub/restaurant in the UK cleaned to that high standard. The same applies to the cleanliness of the roads, which were cleaned each morning. It is so sad to see this country's hygiene standards slipping so dramatically.