So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[ChiTownScion]

Precisely because so many religious and other reactionary crackpots are against these unisex bathrooms, I find myself in agreement with those companies and stores that designate them. It's akin to the boycott of Pepsi products that was organized because certain mercenary religionists had their noses thrown out of joint because the company accorded health care coverage to the same sex partners of their employees: Diet Pepsi immediately became my soft drink of choice (Although it's a bit academic: Coca Cola accords the same coverage to its employees who have same sex partners. ). Or the legality of same sex marriage: I wish that I could say that I changed my mind on the issue because the better angels of my nature convinced me to take a higher and more noble road, but the fact is that when all is said and done, I don't like bullies or bullying, even when that bullying is gift wrapped with a thin veneer of purported religious conviction. The best way for me to align myself with individuals is to treat them so unfairly that your outrageous conduct becomes the central issue.

And I don't believe that I'm alone in this outlook. Drawing it into historical comparison, the violent over-reaction of police and strikebreaking goons against steel, automotive, and mining companies in the 30's likely did as much, or more, to change public opinion in favor of collective bargaining rights as anything else. And although they certainly didn't intend to do so, the Bull Conners and Lester Maddoxes of the 1960's did as much (by their despicable conduct) to advance the Civil Rights Movement as anyone else did, because common, ordinary people who ordinarily would not have had a strong opinion one way or the other were put into the position where not having an opinion simply was no longer an option.

 

[Edward]

Next time you are within the vicinity of The Aldwych, get yourself down to the CellarDoor bar. Fashioned out of a former subterranean gents toilets, it's an amazing place. Clever use of mirrors create a Doctor Who effect of there being more space than there actually is. But the pièce de résistance has to be the unisex toilets. There are just two cubicles and they both have a clear glass door, not so bad for the gent with his back to the door, but if it's a seated performance, it takes a great deal of courage. Fear not, as soon as you close the door and slide the lock, the glass becomes completely opaque, so much so that you cannot even see a vague figure through it. Bloody freaked me out the first time though.

Cracking little place, I know it well. The owner is actually a colleague!

I see what you mean about Disabled toilets: interesting point. I am not quite sure where the pressure is coming from for gender neutral toilets to become 'the norm' in public spaces, i.e. who actually wants that to happen? Is it only a small group of 'trans' activists? I've never met a gay man who likes the idea - or a straight man or woman, come to that. So I'm not really sure where - or from what section of society - the idea actually comes from.

A range of things, I suspect. Gender-neutral, self-contained units are an easy way of avoiding having to police such issues, probably leas prone to abuse. I also imagine they make planning easier. Plus they're more efficient: no line of gents' loos going vacant while ladies queue...

I could point to more than a few "genuine" people who would gladly do just that. And of course they're genuine. Just ask 'em.

They're all too real, sadly, I know.

One possible issue with shared restrooms...

The way toilet stalls are constructed in the majority of public restrooms I've ever gone into (in the US, anyway), there is a noticeable gap between wall panels and doors. It feels REALLY weird when somebody outside a stall accidentally makes eye contact with somebody inside a stall!

Then there's the NYC legend of Max's Kansas City, where the stalls have curtains instead of doors. The curtains only come halfway down, hiding the face but leaving the business end exposed...

We have a unisex restroom for the disabled, and there have been absolutely zero concerns expressed by anyone about it, other than to complain that the last user left the seat up.

We've got a staff member for whom English is a second language, and she has a bit of trouble with the term "unisex." She has on occasion directed people to the "bisexual bathroom," which is an interpretation we had not considered.

There are a lot of smaller public facilities in the US that have never had anything but unisex restrooms -- the dentist's office I've been going to for the last forty years is a good example: there's a one-seater restroom for everyone to use. My doctor's office is the same way.

Bisexual toilets are presumably the counterpart to those at Gatwick airport, which are labelled "male toilets" and "female toilets". How you sex a toilet, I don't know...

Though my favourite was the notice which read "these toilets are cleaned by staff who are both male and female." That's rather a specific hiring policy.

 

[Zombie_61]

I went to a public school. The photography teacher was well rumored to proposition girls and touch them in the dark room...

The photography teacher at my high school in the late-70s had no such rumor or reputation attached to him that I was aware of. He did on occasion jokingly flirt with one or another female student, but did so in front of the entire class and made it obvious that it was nothing more than a little humor. To my knowledge none of the female students ever accused him of inappropriate behavior. However, about five years after I left that school he was "asked" to leave because he became involved with one of his female students. I subsequently heard he and his wife had divorced, and that he married that female student after she reached the legal age to do so, but I have no idea whether or not that's true.

 

[sheeplady]

The photography teacher at my high school in the late-70s had no such rumor or reputation attached to him that I was aware of. He did on occasion jokingly flirt with one or another female student, but did so in front of the entire class and made it obvious that it was nothing more than a little humor. To my knowledge none of the female students ever accused him of inappropriate behavior. However, about five years after I left that school he was "asked" to leave because he became involved with one of his female students. I subsequently heard he and his wife had divorced, and that he married that female student after she reached the legal age to do so, but I have no idea whether or not that's true.

I'm in academia, the trope is a professor rejects his first wife for a student of his, who becomes the second mrs.*

I had a number of quite attractive professors when I was an undergrad. I had crushes on a number of them. But the ones that held my respect certainly weren't the types to cheat on their significant others. Although I remember being a bit saddened to learn my very attractive cognitive science prof was married. Even if he had been single and interested, I had enough of a head on my shoulders to realize that might not be the most equal dating scenario, and I would not hold the advantage. (I do admit I found it a bit difficult to concentrate in that class, though, and *might* have gone to a few extra office hours I didn't "need" to attend.)

*I am certain it has probably happened with the genders switched. However, it is normally male professors. And it's common. At a prior institution, 3 of the faculty in a 10-person department were divorced and then married to their previous students. That said, my department had 40 faculty at that institution and no one was married to a former student of theirs, showing some differences in acceptability, or field, or people, or who knows.

 

[Edward]

I'm in academia, the trope is a professor rejects his first wife for a student of his, who becomes the second mrs.*

I had a number of quite attractive professors when I was an undergrad. I had crushes on a number of them. But the ones that held my respect certainly weren't the types to cheat on their significant others. Although I remember being a bit saddened to learn my very attractive cognitive science prof was married. Even if he had been single and interested, I had enough of a head on my shoulders to realize that might not be the most equal dating scenario, and I would not hold the advantage. (I do admit I found it a bit difficult to concentrate in that class, though, and *might* have gone to a few extra office hours I didn't "need" to attend.)

*I am certain it has probably happened with the genders switched. However, it is normally male professors. And it's common. At a prior institution, 3 of the faculty in a 10-person department were divorced and then married to their previous students. That said, my department had 40 faculty at that institution and no one was married to a former student of theirs, showing some differences in acceptability, or field, or people, or who knows.

I think it's most commonly men because women seem less prone to midlife crises, and certainly lack the fragility of ego all too common among the male of the human species.

 

[tonyb]

...

Though my favourite was the notice which read "these toilets are cleaned by staff who are both male and female." That's rather a specific hiring policy.

Many years back I spent a few days in Singapore, a place noted for its orderliness and cleanliness (oppressively so, from my perspective), where the public men's washrooms had women attendants. I quickly got the sense that this was no cause of discomfort to anyone.

 

[Edward]

Many years back I spent a few days in Singapore, a place noted for its orderliness and cleanliness (oppressively so, from my perspective), where the public men's washrooms had women attendants. I quickly got the sense that this was no cause of discomfort to anyone.

Yeah, I've been to places liked that where the toilets are maintained by both male and female attendants. I'm not sur how many of them were both male and female, though.

 

[HanauMan]

Many years back I spent a few days in Singapore, a place noted for its orderliness and cleanliness (oppressively so, from my perspective), where the public men's washrooms had women attendants. I quickly got the sense that this was no cause of discomfort to anyone.

Common in Germany. Little old ladies cleaning the mens public toilets or sitting in the entrance at a little table which had a plate for payment. Same in Austria and France. We were a tad fazed to begin with but quickly accepted it as nothing odd.

 

[LizzieMaine]

The only place where we have something like that is out at the county fairgrounds -- the wooden sheds where the toilets are have ancient old ladies sitting on a folding chair just inside the door holding a coffee can. They've been there as long as I can remember, and they've always been the same ancient old ladies, which suggests some serious tampering with the forces of time and space is going on.

 

[GHT]

The only place where we have something like that is out at the county fairgrounds -- the wooden sheds where the toilets are have ancient old ladies sitting on a folding chair just inside the door holding a coffee can. They've been there as long as I can remember, and they've always been the same ancient old ladies, which suggests some serious tampering with the forces of time and space is going on.

My wife and I were touring around the southern France, northern Spain in the region known as the Basque Country. We stopped off in the magnificent city of San Sebastian. A cafe with tables outside looked like the perfect oasis. My wife sat down and instead of joining her, I whispered, "little boy's room."

Back at the table she said: "That was quick." "Engaged, and one waiting," I explained. "Go over there," she said, pointing to some public toilets. "You're a life saver," I said, as I dashed over the road. There was an elderly lady at a desk in the entrance foyer, a sign behind her read ladies to the left gents to the right. There I was, the only guy in there, standing at the first urinal, finally relieving myself. Bliss. There was a tap, tap, tap on my left shoe. The little old lady had appeared out of nowhere and was mopping the floor. She was signalling for me to lift my left foot, which I did. She duly mopped underneath it, then the same with the right foot. I couldn't believe it, I told my missus when I got back to the cafe, she didn't help when she suggested that the little old lady kept a sizing chart, I was somewhere near the bottom.

 

[Harp]

Completely forgot Notre Dame vs Duke last nite. Couldawoulda stopped at the pub for basketball and brew.
Irish got stomped too.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A generation I will not be sad to see pass from the scene: spleeny old women who go out in blizzards wearing a stupid LL Bean vest with no gloves, no hat, no scarf, and no boots and then whine about how cold they are. Here's a buck, granny, they're having a sale at the clue store.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

My wife and I were touring around the southern France, northern Spain in the region known as the Basque Country. We stopped off in the magnificent city of San Sebastian. A cafe with tables outside looked like the perfect oasis. My wife sat down and instead of joining her, I whispered, "little boy's room."

Back at the table she said: "That was quick." "Engaged, and one waiting," I explained. "Go over there," she said, pointing to some public toilets. "You're a life saver," I said, as I dashed over the road. There was an elderly lady at a desk in the entrance foyer, a sign behind her read ladies to the left gents to the right. There I was, the only guy in there, standing at the first urinal, finally relieving myself. Bliss. There was a tap, tap, tap on my left shoe. The little old lady had appeared out of nowhere and was mopping the floor. She was signalling for me to lift my left foot, which I did. She duly mopped underneath it, then the same with the right foot. I couldn't believe it, I told my missus when I got back to the cafe, she didn't help when she suggested that the little old lady kept a sizing chart, I was somewhere near the bottom.

That happens a lot at fast food places where you're sitting there having your meal and the employees insist on sweeping or mopping under your feet.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Learning never stops.

I was underways and on my way home, I had to wait for my connection-train in the other bigger city and went again to the next supermarket around the corner to get a nice drink and the middle-aged lady behind me at the checkstand got much much groceries, but one of the first items, she layed on the conveyer belt, was a package "Super-BH (bra)".
So, can anyone explain, what a "Super-bra" is?? Is it 2in1, bra and coffee-filter altogether, or what?

 

[LizzieMaine]

It's probably one the hooks don't pull out of the first time you put it on. Alas, we don't yet have those in this country.

 

[Harp]

Learning never stops.


So, can anyone explain, what a "Super-bra" is?? Is it 2in1, bra and coffee-filter altogether, or what?

(viele 'Zebras" in Munchen)

 

[Trenchfriend]

I researched, just for fun and found out. What they call "super-bra" are such trendy multicoloured polyamid/elasthane ones in 5/6 pieces-value packs, with seamless build-quality, no classic closures, but a comfortable zipper in the front.

Ok, marketing-boys, I got it. Luckily, I don't need it.

 

[Eamonsieur]

Many years back I spent a few days in Singapore, a place noted for its orderliness and cleanliness (oppressively so, from my perspective), where the public men's washrooms had women attendants. I quickly got the sense that this was no cause of discomfort to anyone.

+1 can confirm. Toilet attendants in Singapore are for all intents and purposes not considered human beings, but a rather advanced model of robot deployed to clean. It is their prime directive.

 

[GHT]

Learning never stops.

I was underways and on my way home, I had to wait for my connection in the other bigger city and went again to the next supermarket around the corner to get a nice drink and the middle-aged lady behind me at the checkstand got much much groceries, but one of the first items, she layed on the conveyer belt, was a package "Super-BH (bra)".
So, can anyone explain, what a "Super-bra" is?? Is it 2in1, bra and coffee-filter altogether, or what?

A super-bra is a place that the super size woman deposits her assets:

 

[Trenchfriend]