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Since this forum is almost entirely all men, I think we all have encountered similar situations. Assume it isn't urgent, and you are in no rush. Do you invoke your right to go direcctly to the men's room, because it isn't your fault women take so long? Or do you stand in line with all the ladies, because you feel just having a ding-dong doesn't give you the right to cut the line?
I see this as a tragedy of the commons situation. You have an obvious personal incentive to jump the line, and certainly have a legal right to do so. Socially, it's a bit of a gray area, somewhere between the right to use the men's room (some women's lines stare longingly at a single-use empty men's room but won't use it), and the social expectation not to jump queues. Some women will see it as your right to use your washroom, others will see it as you being essentially a VIP that is getting special treatment.
In the end, I wouldn't stand in line with the ladies, that would just look weird. So, I'd go somewhere else, or jump.
BTW, they better not complain about pee on the seat.
Such situations happen in military (and likely/certainly other uniformed service) settings where for regulatory/equality/etc reasons segregated facilities are provided, but the de-facto gender ratio is like 100:1.
If it's just a maintenance release, I may be chivalrous and wait. If my back teeth are floating, sorry.
Usually there is some self-appointed female "traffic director" in such a situation since the women want to be assured of a guard being outside if they are in the men's room. This makes it even worse for a man to try to jump the queue even if his needs are urgent.Quote: WizardIn my latest blog entry I told of a long line of women needing to use the bathroom. Since no men appeared to have to go, they were also using the men's room. As either one became available, the next woman in line would take it.
I view it as the way the general / VIP lines work at the casino check in or restaurant. If there is nobody on the VIP line, when a VIP clerk becomes available, the next in the general line is serviced. Then if a VIP shows up, they are next in line for the next VIP clerk.
Ditto for the restrooms. If nobody is in there, the ladies should feel free to use the mens room if they so desire. But a line for the ladies room should not cause the next man to show up to feel like they are cutting the line.
Hell, there are women who wouldn't use the mens room even if they were starting to dribble. Is it now the man's responsibility to poll each lady to see if they would take the mens room when it's availble before, ahem, cutting in line?
Quite frankly, I've seen cases in nightclubs where women use the mens room when there is a line for the womens room, even while there were men in there. To a certian extent, there is "nobody cares" attitude to such an occurance. (Of course, sometimes the women are there for other reasons...)
I of course first make sure that there are no men in the room at the time, either by asking the last man I saw walking out or by poking my head inside the door and saying "Hello?" Not that it would bother me, but it would probably get the men all flustered.
Quote: DJTeddyBearI view it as the way the general / VIP lines work at the casino check in or restaurant. If there is nobody on the VIP line, when a VIP clerk becomes available, the next in the general line is serviced. Then if a VIP shows up, they are next in line for the next VIP clerk.
Consider this situation, then, which did actually happen:
At Bank S there are only two tellers open. One is the Prefered Customer teller. He will take all comers, but give preference to those in the prefered customer line. Now, that line is empty most of the time, but it's likely a prefered customer will arrive before the prefered customer being served finishes a transaction.
Now, the other teller only takes regular customers in this situtation. But this time he was either doing something complicated and time consuming, or was handling a bunch of transactions from the same customer. There were 20+ poeple in line, including me. Seriously, every time I thought the line would move, someone wwnt into the prefered customer line.
Whatever that customer was doing with the regular teller, it was something legitimate and certainly a service offered by the bank (he took upwards of 40 minutes; I think he was trying to get a loan to buy the bank...). But the thing is the line hardly moved for much of that time. About 30 minutes in, the manager closed the prefered customer line and had evryone stand in the same line. Of course, they coulda have more than two tellers open.
That's more of a customer service problem.
The bank could have closed the preferred line sooner, or the teller alerting the manager to the complicated transaction sooner, but other than that, I think the right thing was being done.
Having said that...in real life I'd probably just hold it or find another bathroom.
Single-Stall
1.) If it is not urgent, and there are only a few (call it three or less) ladies already in line, I'll wait.
2.) If it is not urgent, and there are more than three ladies in line, it may become urgent, so I will evoke the rights afforded to me by my possession of a penis and cut, unless there is another restroom nearby and I know its location.
Multi-Stall
They won't be using the urinal, so I'm going in there and using it. They don't have to look, but if they do, while I am not Ron Jeremy, I'm packing enough that them taking a glance won't be a humiliating experience.
Quote: DJTeddyBearNareed -
That's more of a customer service problem.
Yes, exactly. Venues could have larger women's restrooms, or revert one or more men's restrooms for women's use at peak times, too.
Some businesses do this already. Like Interjet. Their A-320s have three restrooms, two in the back and one in the front. One, I forget which, is reserved for women. The other two are for all passengers. They don't police this, that I've seen, but they do make an anouncement at the start of each flight, and the reserved restroom is clearly marked.
Quote: FleaStiffUsually there is some self-appointed female "traffic director" in such a situation since the women want to be assured of a guard being outside if they are in the men's room.
That was not the case here because each room had just one toilet, and could be locked from the inside.
Quote: NareedSome businesses do this already. Like Interjet. Their A-320s have three restrooms, two in the back and one in the front. One, I forget which, is reserved for women.
This strikes me as unfair. If I felt that I was having to wait significantly longer because of the dedicated women's restroom I might complain about it. It is not our fault women take so long.
Quote: WizardThis strikes me as unfair.
I'm not surprised.
Quote:It is not our fault women take so long.
Not our fault, either. If you're a believer, take it up with god. If you aren't, rant against natural selection and social pressures.
Quote: NareedNot our fault, either.
I've asked women about this and they claim it isn't just taking extra time to undress. One theory I've heard, from women, is that they allow buffer time before and after going, so nobody will know what they did when exiting the stall.
What I've noticed is that the women who complain the loudest about having to wait on line at the restroom are the ones who take the longest once they get into a stall.
Quote: WizardI've asked women about this and they claim it isn't just taking extra time to undress. One theory I've heard, from women, is that they allow buffer time before and after going, so nobody will know what they did when exiting the stall.
I won't go into details. But if you want to reduce the time women spend in public restrooms, then get rid of all mirrors inside. if you want to reduce it even furhter, have every woman check her purse before being allowed in the restroom.
Of course that would be cruel and unusual.
It's the women who put their makeup on while they're in the stalls that are the problem ... or the ones who take phone calls while they're in the stalls and have to wait until they finish the conversation before they get out of the stall ... or the ones who require this alleged buffer time.
Quote: NareedAt Bank S there are only two tellers open. One is the Prefered Customer teller. He will take all comers, but give preference to those in the prefered customer line. Now, that line is empty most of the time, but it's likely a prefered customer will arrive before the prefered customer being served finishes a transaction.
Now, the other teller only takes regular customers in this situtation. But this time he was either doing something complicated and time consuming, or was handling a bunch of transactions from the same customer. There were 20+ poeple in line, including me. Seriously, every time I thought the line would move, someone wwnt into the prefered customer line.
Welcome to the world of lines at CZR venues. It was especially rocky for a while after they started the separate lines at every place of business.
I had always supposed it was that women's bladders are smaller than men's.Quote: WizardI've asked women about this and they claim it isn't just taking extra time to undress. One theory I've heard, from women, is that they allow buffer time before and after going, so nobody will know what they did when exiting the stall.
What I observe is not that they take so much longer --undressing is not that longer than unzipping-- but that they are more numerous, because they need more frequent stop-by's. Hence the longer queue.
Did I miss something?
As for the polled situation: if there is no "traffic guard", how am I to know the queue actually is for both stalls? I would innocently "cut", out of ignorance rather than malice.
Quote: kubikulannI had always supposed it was that women's bladders are smaller than men's.
What I observe is not that they take so much longer --undressing is not that longer than unzipping-- but that they are more numerous, because they need more frequent stop-by's. Hence the longer queue.
Did I miss something?
You must not be an old fart yet kubikulann. A male as he ages, and his prostrate enlarges and puts pressure on the bladder, is much more likely to need more bathroom stops then most ladies. The other old farts on the site can comment if they like but I am sure this is very common for most men as they age.
I never understood the male need to spend five minutes taking a dump. Really, does it take that long? What the hell are you doing in there? Contemplating life?
Quote: kenarmanA male as he ages ... is much more likely to need more bathroom stops then most ladies. The other old farts on the site can comment if they like but I am sure this is very common for most men as they age.
Related to this, my wife says that traveling with me is much easier these days; i.e., more frequent rest stops. ;-)
Quote: AcesAndEightsDoesn't this thread belong on Diversity Tomorrow? :p
Like the Half-Marathon, what happens in Vegas, and should stay in Vegas.
It blew my mind the first couple times I saw it. Thought I wandered into the wrong room. again.
Phydeaux
Btw, If you were to time 100 random men vs. 100 random women using the facilities, I believe the men's total time would be much less than half the women's, even less if the facility is equipped with a "trough" instead of individual urinals. Paperwork slows everyone.
Quote: AyecarumbaLike the Half-Marathon, what happens in Vegas, and should stay in Vegas.
Eh, I forgot where the story started. I guess it's acceptable then. Especially given the benevolent dictator-for-life started the thread.