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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: portenopete 12:18 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: Odd behavior in theater restroom - Teacher64 03:12 am EST 12/21/15
I suspect that gender-separated restrooms will one day be viewed as an antiquated and charming oddity, the way that men's and women's lounges in restaurants are (something I am just old enough to remember existing into the the 1970's).

In many cutting edge restaurants nowadays there are no gender divisions (mind you, there are no urinals either): just unisex stalls and shared sinks.

At the same time, I don't buy the "emergency" defence in all cases: I have seen women getting a look at the line up for their toilet and make a beeline for the men's, laughing all the way about their behaviour.

I agree it's weird and I think Teacher64 is right that there is a double standard at play that would not permit a man to do the same thing. I admit I get freaked out when I see women (or young girls with fathers) in my men's room lair, but I think that with familiarity it will become less uncomfortable.

(A more pressing point, I think, is the reprehensible design of so many public toilets, especially the ones I've noticed recently in a lot of movie theatres that have capacity for, say, 40-50 men but just one narrow corridor through which to enter and exit, thus making for a madhouse after screenings.)

(And don't get me started on theatre toilets in London!)
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: Teacher64 01:51 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - portenopete 12:18 pm EST 12/21/15
The problem is that men and women do go to the bathroom differently. Men do not have to take their pants down and sit if they are just urinating. That is why the urinal is so convenient, it takes up very little room compared to the toilet and the stall, thus more of them can fit into a smaller space. It is also much quicker for males to use a urinal. If theaters were to dispense with the Men's and Women's room and just have gender neutral restrooms, the result would be a longer time for EVERYONE. So, if this were to happen, look for 30 minute intermissions to become the norm in theaters.

(BTW, there was nothing to indicate that there was any kind of "emergency" with these women or the children they brought into the men's room. They weren't racing for the toilets and the girls weren't doing the "pee-pee dance" (as my kids always called it. It just seemed like they did not want to wait in a long line.)
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: enoch10 02:08 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - Teacher64 01:51 pm EST 12/21/15
>> the result would be a longer time for EVERYONE.

which is why i don't think it will ever happen. as men we aren't good about giving up our privilege, our convenience even less.
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: NeoAdamite 02:54 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - enoch10 02:08 pm EST 12/21/15
>> the result would be a longer time for EVERYONE.

which is why i don't think it will ever happen. as men we aren't good about giving up our privilege, our convenience even less.

More to the point is that his math is probably wrong.

Assuming that women require 50% more time, and that a unisex bathroom has 1/3 fewer fixtures compared to one with urinals, there will still be a net time savings.
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 03:57 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - NeoAdamite 02:54 pm EST 12/21/15
"Assuming that women require 50% more time, and that a unisex bathroom has 1/3 fewer fixtures compared to one with urinals, there will still be a net time savings."

A net time SAVINGS if there were unisex bathrooms with no urinals, only stalls? What are you talking about?
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: NeoAdamite 05:23 pm EST 12/22/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - Michael_Portantiere 03:57 pm EST 12/21/15
Do the math. I did.
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:03 am EST 12/24/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - NeoAdamite 05:23 pm EST 12/22/15
Sorry, I can't do the math, because I don't understand what math you did. I guess you mean there would still be a net time savings for the women, but I don't know how it's possible that there would be a net time savings for everyone (men and women) overall.
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: MikeR 02:02 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - Teacher64 01:51 pm EST 12/21/15
>men and women do go to the bathroom differently. Men do not have to take their pants down and sit if they are just urinating.

I'm so glad that has finally been explained.
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re: Odd behavior in theater restroom
Posted by: AC126748 01:12 pm EST 12/21/15
In reply to: re: Odd behavior in theater restroom - portenopete 12:18 pm EST 12/21/15
I, too, believe that single-sex restrooms could be the answer to the problem on bathroom overcrowding. The question is: will people who have been taught to pee with their own sex since they started using the toilet in the first place accept sex-neutral lavs?
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