People may be missing the point...

[conuly]

Gender equity in public bathrooms

So why might women take longer in the bathroom? Because they often have small children to tend to, they wear more clothes, and, as Councilwoman Yvette Clarke put it, there's that anatomical difference.

"We don't have the same type of equipment that men have," Clarke said.

There's something else, though, which I don't think many people realize....

"We don't have the same type of equipment that men have," Clarke said.

They have urinals and stalls, we just have stalls. Not only does going in a stall take longer (as she said) but I suspect that we have only as many stalls as the men's bathrooms. I don't know this, and would love any evidence to confirm or disprove my theory, but I have seen enough movies and tv shows to say that (if those can be assumed to reflect reality, a bit of a stretch sometimes) men generally have more toilet space in the bathroom.

Comments

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Men's bathrooms often do have more facilities than women's. Urinals take up less space, are easier to install and are cheaper than toilet stalls.

It's particularly troublesome with old buildings. Back in the day, women didn't use public bathrooms because of all the trouble it would take to take off their elaborate clothing, plus it was just unladylike.

[conuly]

*nods* That was my assumption. Whether or not women need more facilities, we do not have equal facilities. People just think that equal bathrooms mean equal facilities, and it doesn't.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

I find even in single-occupancy bathrooms that most women take longer. Cool women take as long as men do. :)

[conuly]

I don't know about being a guy, so I'm surmising here:

Guy: Unzips. Does something with the underwear (never figured that one out, and don't care to understand it now). Pees. Zips again. Washes hands (hopefully).

Gal: Unzips pants (if not wearing skirt). Pulls down pants/pantyhose. Sits down. Pees. Wipes. Stands up. Pulls up pants/pantyhose. Washes hands (hopefully).

An entire extra two steps, at least.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

See, that would put you in the "cool woman" category.

[conuly]

YAY! I'm a cool woman!

Well, yeah, I suppose if the bathroom is sink and toilet, no stalls, that applies, I suppose because I have no makeup and don't worry about my hair... But in segregated bathrooms, the line is always for the stalls, which are quite separate from the mirrors.

[zarriq.livejournal.com]

Men's bathrooms often do have more facilities than women's. Urinals take up less space, are easier to install and are cheaper than toilet stalls.

It's particularly troublesome with old buildings. Back in the day, women didn't use public bathrooms because of all the trouble it would take to take off their elaborate clothing, plus it was just unladylike.

[conuly]

*nods* That was my assumption. Whether or not women need more facilities, we do not have equal facilities. People just think that equal bathrooms mean equal facilities, and it doesn't.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

I find even in single-occupancy bathrooms that most women take longer. Cool women take as long as men do. :)

[conuly]

I don't know about being a guy, so I'm surmising here:

Guy: Unzips. Does something with the underwear (never figured that one out, and don't care to understand it now). Pees. Zips again. Washes hands (hopefully).

Gal: Unzips pants (if not wearing skirt). Pulls down pants/pantyhose. Sits down. Pees. Wipes. Stands up. Pulls up pants/pantyhose. Washes hands (hopefully).

An entire extra two steps, at least.

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

See, that would put you in the "cool woman" category.

[conuly]

YAY! I'm a cool woman!

Well, yeah, I suppose if the bathroom is sink and toilet, no stalls, that applies, I suppose because I have no makeup and don't worry about my hair... But in segregated bathrooms, the line is always for the stalls, which are quite separate from the mirrors.