Should there be urinals in the women's restroom?

[onecoolcat]

Discuss.

[bobechs]

No thanks

[yuka]

Well, this has been a lively discussion.

[Sailor Sam]

Well, probably what we should do is just have bathrooms. Some stalls. Some urinals. Lots of sinks. Everyone pees, washes their hands, leaves.

[worms]

I think the OP needs to give a bit of background as to why this is even a question (to set out their stall - if you pardon the pun!).

I can think of plenty of occasions where allowing women to use the men's is needed to maximise the throughput and utilise the cubicles, but very few occasions where the reverse is needed. Personally (as a man) I'd be happy with unisex, but I am very much aware that most women would strongly disagree.

[ahoy]

No thank you, not required.  More importantly why?

[gaja]

I think the OP needs to give a bit of background as to why this is even a question (to set out their stall - if you pardon the pun!).

I can think of plenty of occasions where allowing women to use the men's is needed to maximise the throughput and utilise the cubicles, but very few occasions where the reverse is needed. Personally (as a man) I'd be happy with unisex, but I am very much aware that most women would strongly disagree.

This is not something I've discussed with a lot of people, but the few conversations I've had on the topic (with men and women) have been along the lines of "what is the point of having different rooms for men and women; wouldn't it be simpler and more practical to just let anyone use the available space". "Yes, of course it would, in fact I usually just use the closest one". Most modern offices I've been to lately have gone for the unisex option.

[RetiredAt63]

Women don't use urinals, so why would we need them in our washrooms? (Polite way of saying, what the hell is the sense in this question?)

When places have single person washrooms, does it make sense to label them?  No.  I am seeing more and more public places that have two washrooms, each single use, no gender label (My car dealership, for one.  They each have the basics, one toilet, one basin.  Totally functional for everyone).  Those that don't have gender-neutral washrooms often also have a family washroom, which is where the changing table is, and available to either parent.

[forummm]

Rephrasing the question to "Should there be urinals in a unisex restroom?"

I'd say probably not. If it's unisex then the urinal would be best off in a partitioned space, perhaps something like a stall, in which case why not make it a full toilet so it can handle solid waste as well.

You can change the thread title to more people will know what the apparent intent of the thread is.

Regarding the question, I think it would make sense to just have "bathrooms" that have stalls and whoever can go in there and do their thing. It might be faster and promote more cleanliness if there's a urinal as well as a toilet in the stall. So it could make sense.

[okobrien]

I will play the Obama's advocate here. Just the other day he said all public schools must allow students to use the bathroom of the gender of which they choose to identify. Otherwise they are being discriminated against. It follows that a student who has a penis but self identifies as a girl should have equal access to urinals in the girl's bathroom. Otherwise she has been discriminated against because of lack of equal access.

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[alsoknownasDean]

Why? There's some pretty significant reasons why urinals wouldn't be in the women's bathroom.

[iris lily]

I will play the Obama's advocate here. Just the other day he said all public schools must allow students to use the bathroom of the gender of which they choose to identify. Otherwise they are being discriminated against. It follows that a student who has a penis but self identifies as a girl should have equal access to urinals in the girl's bathroom. Otherwise she has been discriminated against because of lack of equal access.

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Oh, I see! Well thats some conversation luted logic, but logic it is.

[11ducks]

I will play the Obama's advocate here. Just the other day he said all public schools must allow students to use the bathroom of the gender of which they choose to identify. Otherwise they are being discriminated against. It follows that a student who has a penis but self identifies as a girl should have equal access to urinals in the girl's bathroom. Otherwise she has been discriminated against because of lack of equal access.

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Oh, I see! Well thats some conversation luted logic, but logic it is.

Houses don't have urinals? Regardless of gender, everyone uses a toilet at home (in Australia anyway). Unless you are a boy under about 5, then, the world is your restroom).

Sorta unrelated story: When we flew to London from Sydney, we stopped over at Dubai. Got to the airport, lined up for ages for a toilet, got in there, and it was a traditional toilet (ie a hole in the damm floor). With skinny jeans and a gigantic heavy travel backpack, ain't no way that was happening without a god awful mess. So I can sympathise with non-preferred bathroom types, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
I went to open the door to leave, overbalanced (backpack), face butted the door and got a bloody nose, which streamed down, covering the front of my shirt. It was a few years back when travel/security was on quite high alert, I hadn't slept, was busting and bleeding and just kept thinking 'someone will see the blood, assume I've done something bad, arrest me, and I'll languish forever
In a Dubai jail where I can't even use the toilet.

[ltt]

Uh, no. We don't need them, thanks. Enough of trying to make everyone all one gender.

[cpa cat]

Last I checked, penises can be pointed at normal toilets.

[forummm]

Last I checked, penises can be pointed at normal toilets.

Yes. Urinals are there for speed and less mess.

[gaja]

I've never asked any transgender persons, but I would guess that a person who identifies as female would prefer to sit down on a toilet, regardless of the shape of their nether regions.

This feels a bit like the hype about the sign language gloves: something no deaf person has ever asked for or seen the need for, that hearing people think will solve a problem, and when it is developed the deaf people get bloody infuriated because they feel it is just one more way for hearing people to trample all over their culture and try to "fix" them.

In short: when a transgender person asks for urinals in the "ladies rooms"; sure, why not. But until they do; I'll continue to believe that they wouldn't want to use one.

[GuitarStv]

There's no reason for urinals in the men's washrooms.  While they should be in theory, urinals aren't any cleaner than toilets in any men's washroom that I've been in that has them.

[jeromedawg]

Let me ask the other important question then: should there be bidets in the men's restroom? :D

[GuitarStv]

Let me ask the other important question then: should there be bidets in the men's restroom? :D

Nah, I always find that those fountains are placed so low that it's hard to drink from them.

[Katsplaying]

Let me ask the other important question then: should there be bidets in the men's restroom? :D

There should be bidets in EVERY bathroom! More bidets( & more orgasms) would make the world a much happier place (and those 2 things serve each other).

[forummm]

There's no reason for urinals in the men's washrooms.  While they should be in theory, urinals aren't any cleaner than toilets in any men's washroom that I've been in that has them.

The difference is that when you stand up and use a toilet to pee and miss then you splash around a lot. And if you aren't very considerate and leave the seat down then the next person gets a pee seat.

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

There's no reason for urinals in the men's washrooms.  While they should be in theory, urinals aren't any cleaner than toilets in any men's washroom that I've been in that has them.

The difference is that when you stand up and use a toilet to pee and miss then you splash around a lot. And if you aren't very considerate and leave the seat down then the next person gets a pee seat.

Pee seats are very common among ladies who "hover" anyway. IMO traditional ladies' restrooms, as currently found in many places, are for people who pee sitting down, regardless of their equipment. If you are stand to pee, you're probably a dude, and should go to the men's room. If you pee sitting down, I promise not to be like this creepy lady:
http://usuncut.com/news/target/

[GuitarStv]

There's no reason for urinals in the men's washrooms.  While they should be in theory, urinals aren't any cleaner than toilets in any men's washroom that I've been in that has them.

The difference is that when you stand up and use a toilet to pee and miss then you splash around a lot. And if you aren't very considerate and leave the seat down then the next person gets a pee seat.

Agreed.  The problem is that somewhere along the line we've come to the conclusion that it's OK for men to stand while peeing, while clearly they cannot be trusted to do even this properly.

[jeromedawg]

There's no reason for urinals in the men's washrooms.  While they should be in theory, urinals aren't any cleaner than toilets in any men's washroom that I've been in that has them.

The difference is that when you stand up and use a toilet to pee and miss then you splash around a lot. And if you aren't very considerate and leave the seat down then the next person gets a pee seat.

Agreed.  The problem is that somewhere along the line we've come to the conclusion that it's OK for men to stand while peeing, while clearly they cannot be trusted to do even this properly.

+1! At least, my wife would +1 this.... not sure why I did. How embarrassing.

[Christof]

Last I checked, penises can be pointed at normal toilets.

Yes. Urinals are there for speed and less mess.

They also save water and space... They aren't any easier to clean, though, at least here in Germany.

[Yaeger]

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

[Kris]

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

I'm not fat, and I'm used to these sorts of bathrooms... but one thing that has always sort of confused me is why there is no handle thingy for me to hold on and not risk toppling over.  I guess my balance is quite inferior relative to the members of the cultures who use these kinds of toilets.

[RetiredAt63]

Which is like a sanitary version of going in the woods, nothing to hold on to, what does one do with one's skirt/pants/underwear, and where is the TP?

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

[Cyaphas]

To those making the comment of men sitting to pee. There are few more dreadful feelings than when you accidentally wind up going fishing when you aren't careful.

[Hotstreak]

Right, and front space too!  I'm a fairly normal sized guy, and I run in to problems sitting down at many public toilets.

To those making the comment of men sitting to pee. There are few more dreadful feelings than when you accidentally wind up going fishing when you aren't careful.

[woopwoop]

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

Apparently this also has the benefit of virtually eliminating cases of hemorrhoids, so I'm all for this :)

[Goldielocks]

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

I'm not fat, and I'm used to these sorts of bathrooms... but one thing that has always sort of confused me is why there is no handle thingy for me to hold on and not risk toppling over.  I guess my balance is quite inferior relative to the members of the cultures who use these kinds of toilets.

+1000

I was just wondering the exact same thing.  Seems ok, as long as you don't splash your shoes, but where is the handle to help lean out to avoid your slacks and splash zone?

[mrpercentage]

I am going to just put it out there.. this is retarded. These sort of hot topics are a red herring for whatever is truly important that is being messed with and they don't want to talk about. They want to hide their mess so they spot light an inflammatory one.

Yep thats what the wine thinks because its talking

[GuitarStv]

The most environmentally friendly option would be to get rid of toilets and urinals both. Use a unisex hole in the ground like what is commonly seen in Japan public restrooms. From my time in Japan, it's normally separated by gender unless it's waaay out in the boonies.

Of course most Americans are fat and not used to this.

I'm not fat, and I'm used to these sorts of bathrooms... but one thing that has always sort of confused me is why there is no handle thingy for me to hold on and not risk toppling over.  I guess my balance is quite inferior relative to the members of the cultures who use these kinds of toilets.

+1000

I was just wondering the exact same thing.  Seems ok, as long as you don't splash your shoes, but where is the handle to help lean out to avoid your slacks and splash zone?

Rather more worrying to me than a missing grab bar is the relative proximity and configuration that those toilets are set up at.  I would not be comfortable taking a dump beside my wife . . . some strange dude would just make it all the less comfortable (especially when your view straight ahead is another dude taking a dump).

[jrhampt]

There are plenty of unisex bathrooms in Europe.  Either they're one-holers, or they have stalls with more floor-to-ceiling coverage so there's more privacy.  Seems to work fine.

And there aren't bars in squatty potties because you develop balance if you have to use them on a regular basis. 

[MMMaybe]

If a bathroom is to be unisex, then there needs to be adequate privacy for everyone i.e. stalls. I don't have a great deal of interest in seeing other people using the restroom.

This whole argument about transgender access to bathrooms ignores the fact that all people (transgender or not)  are deserving of privacy and to be comfortable.

I am not terribly keen on unisex bathrooms and most of the men or women I encounter in there seem a bit sheepish too.

[deadlymonkey]

This is getting so overblown, I hope we just go the extreme and go all Starship Troopers and have coed bathrooms/Lockers/Showers.

[forummm]

I am going to just put it out there.. this is retarded. These sort of hot topics are a red herring for whatever is truly important that is being messed with and they don't want to talk about. They want to hide their mess so they spot light an inflammatory one.

Great minds.

This is like the fourth thread about where people pee.  Can we move on yet?

In general, I agree with Kris from above.  This is only in the news as an excuse to turn out the conservative vote. 

It's exactly the same tactic Karl Rove used when he championed all those "defense of marriage" bills to positively assert that then-current discrimination had to be made explicitly more legal than it already was.  He didn't really care about discrimination, but he knew some voters who cared an awful lot would show up to the polls for just that one issue, and end up voting down the Republican ticket.

And every time you start another thread about it, or repost another facebook thing, you're helping them out.  There is no moral outrage here, only cold political calculation, and you're playing right into it.

[RosieTR]

As long as they add tampon dispensers to the men's! :-)

To be clear, I think the whole transgender bathroom thing is just the right's latest "we want to legislate biology" BS. Newsflash: there have always been transgendered people, in every society. It won't change with legislation, or religious guilt-tripping, or whatever. Legislation against transgendered people serves only to make those people who feel this way, also feel bad. And by "bad" I mean, some of them get suicidal or have other significant psychological problems.

Never mind that, what are they going to do? Check everyone's junk upon entering the restroom?