Disabled Toilets - Would you use them?

[LellyBee 10]

I have a confession to make, some years ago, I went to Durham to see Death Cult and found myself at 2.30 in the morning with nowhere to sleep after the gig.

I wandered round Durham and found the only place I could lay my head on my back pack for a kip was the disabled loo, which I then used. It was a tad uncomfortable on the tiled floor but it was clean, tho smelling of disinfectant and I was out of there at 6 in the morning.

So yes, I have used them, albeit only once.

[Rich 12]

I've been known to use them, but as folk who've met me at the meets etc will know, I am disabled.. Having said that though I only use the disabled loos in the instance that they're cleaner than the *cough* normal *cough* ones, which is as rarely as possible but given that the ones in Town are usually a bit grotty you can't always help having to use disabled facilities even though you're not really supposed to.

 

At least Town has "some" decent facilities, Hillsborough is somewhat lacking in that department, the only loo on Hillsborough is in the Co Op and IMO the Gents ain't that hygienic... Why the Council don't tidy up the ones at the Park god only knows..

[RichD 10]

I would generally only use the Accessible toilets if the normal ones were out of order. But by the same logic, I'd also be willing to use the ladies' if the gents' were out of order (and the situation meant I couldn't just go and find some other gents' toilets).

 

Given a choice between the two, I'd prefer to use the accessible one, because while there is no actual law against a man using ladies' toilets, it is frowned upon by almost everyone, and they'd think I was a pervert. I'd prefer to be thought of as inconsiderate than a pervert.

[Belle 10]

Originally posted by scoop

I was just wondering what everyone thought about able bodied people using disabled toilets.

 

As far as I can see the point of disabled toilets is to allow people with access problems to get into the toilet, not to provide instant access, so why the disaproval when an able bodied person uses this facility?

 

Just because someone uses a whhelchair does't mean that they can't queue, does it? so it seems like madness for us girls to stand in a queue when theres a perfectly decent disabled toilet standing empty?

 

And if you are the kind of person who is likely to tut at someone walking out of the disabled toilet rather than wheeling out,

how do you know that they haven't got some kind of medical problem that necessitates having a wash basin within the cubicle at times (something that you very rarely find in your bog standard public toilet cubicle.)

 

What do you all think?

 

I agree with you.

 

Accessible toilets are designed for ease of access for people who need more room, or hand rails etc. They are not about fast-tracking.

 

There is nothing at all wrong in using an accessible toilet if it is totally free.

 

It is surely also helpful if it reduces the pressure on regular toilet queues.

 

Parking spaces are different - and not just because of the law but because you are stealing that space for ages, hopefully you would be in and out of the loo in a very short time.

 

I have never heard that you have to have a disability to go in the accessible toilets, however if you do have a disability, they are the ones that you should find easier to use.

[scoop 10]

Originally posted by Plain Talker

 

Until then, I have no compunction whatsoever, about giving someone a piece of my mind, about taking up the accessible loo when they don't need to.

 

PT

 

So to go back to one of my origional points, what if the person you were giving a piece of your mind to had a personal medical problem which meant they needed to have a sink within the toilet (acolostomy for example). Would you feel a tad guilty for speaking harshly to someone about what could be a very intimate and personal problem?

 

On another vein, I have noticed that disabled toilets often double up as baby changing facilities, so the issues I'm addressing here about the fact that a disabled toilet should not be seen as an instant access toilet are obviously factored in at the planning stages.

[Strix 11]

I suppose we could open up a whole jar of worms here about whether pushchairs should be lugged up the stairs instead of pushed up a 'disabled' ramp, or whether the automatic doors are for the exclusive use of wheelchair users too.

 

Having said this, there are occasions when it is necessary to damage a few ankles to get a buggy through a set of automatic doors with a stream of able bodied people barging through

 

Perhaps we should all be more considerate of each other?

[D2J 10]

I'm sorry but if I need to drop the kids off then I will go to the nearest toilet possible (without resorting to using the ladies!)

 

I can't waste time building up the pressure looking for an appropriate cubicle (why are the toilets ALWAYS upstairs in most places these days )

 

When ya gotta go, ya gotta go!

[H.P 10]

Must admit I have used the disabled toilets, but only when I have my children with me (my eldest has nero-disabilitys and cannot be left in the normal gents unatended).

I have never had any tuts or angry people telling me off when I have left. I am suprised because to look at my son he looks able bodied and just like any other child, so people could presume that I was just q skipping

[Grissom 10]

They should have it so that anyone can use it but if those who really need it like PT turn up then those persons jump the queue. Might be better

[discovery 10]

I use the disabled toilet if theres a big queue. Whats the problem with that if its standing there empty??

 

Isn't it there to be used? Obviously if there was a disabled person behind me in the queue then I wouldn't obstruct the facility provided for them, but if not, yes I do it regularly.

[medusa 16]

I look perfectly able bodied to most people, but I have a degenerative spinal condition and a partially paralysed arm, meaning that getting up and down are realy difficult and dealing with clothing's rather hard too.

 

I've lost count of the number of times I've encountered the people who tut and stare, both at the accessible toilet scenario (and attendants who won't hand over the key because I'm not in a wheelchair- yet!) and the car parking spot scenario (even been challenged by parking attendants to prove that my blue badge wasn't stolen after refusing to believe that the photo on the back was me).

 

There are plenty of people like me who need the accessibility but don't feel like justifying it every time they need to use a service.

[the_rudeboy 12]

Just a minor point but has anyone ever seen a queue for a 'disabled' toilet facility?

 

No......I haven't either.

 

Its a toilet with disabled access NOT for exclusive use of disabled people.