Monday, June 16, 2014

Public Restrooms

So I had an idea a few days ago. You know how everyone is getting really up in arms about 'females this' and 'males that'? How 'feminist' is becoming a dirty word? Well, maybe you haven't, but I have. And a really radical idea popped up in my head.
Now hear me out on this. You know how we have separate rooms for the two main genders (I say two main because all kinds of gender benders are popping up and naturally getting confused about what room to use)? Why do we do that? Hundreds of years ago, we squatted by the street and did our business, then kept on walking. None of this 'But I don't want my date to hear me doing the nasty necessary!!' nonsense.
Admittedly, it freaks me out to think that Hubby can hear me use the restroom, possibly smell me use the restroom, or anything like that. I can't help wrinkling my nose when I notice HIM! But that's so strange, don't you think? I do an obligatory nose wrinkle when I walk in on my sisters, but it doesn't bother me. And in public, you're not SEEing anything, just occupying the same space. So why don't we do that?
Yes yes, it's strange, it's new, and it's not how things 'have always been done'. But neither is races sharing the same bathrooms, and we've adapted to that quite nicely. Yes, it can be embarrassing, but I say we import 'Otohime's from Japan. The sound cancelling little jukeboxes that save your embarrassment. Or, just have really loud music in the restrooms, or get over your embarrassment (and since it's me saying it, I think it's doable). As for the smell....well, just hope your stall isn't next to your prospective bed partner. If it is, well, you know if your relationship can survive a bit of strain, and if it isn't, then you have a new topic of conversation begging to be discussed!
For the first decade or so, I'm sure people will be uncomfortable and upset and stage protests. But it will remove a LOT of the 'gender myths' and cut down on wait time between genders (You KNOW you hate waiting for your lady, and you KNOW you're jealous the man gets done so quick). There won't be urinals, unless they want to make those into stalls as well, but....honestly? How is that a lack? I've had to clean them, and men? WORK ON YOUR AIM YOU MOTHERFUCKING BITCHES!!! Or grow a real pair of balls and just sit your asses down. I think anyone that's ever had to clean a men's bathroom (especially a bar) will agree with me.
It will also help to fight the idea that either men or women are somehow unequal to the other. There's no perceived difference (ever heard of ladies rooms that have couches? I've seen them. ....They're way more comfy than they should be, honestly), there's an equal amount of waiting and service rendered, and there's no need to say 'Oh, I'm YY so I need YY bathroom!' for those gender different folks. And you can make the other bathroom into a children's changing room or something!!
So..... what do you think of my radical idea? :D Shall we try to make it happen? Or does it bother you when you think of pooing next to a strange man/woman? I promise, you'll get over it eventually....

3 comments:

Caitlin said...

I would agree to this if we lived in a culture where people thought it was important to keep public bathrooms clean. I shared a restroom with a guy my senior year of college and he peed the seat every single time. It was so disgusting. I don't like that so many women "hover" either, but since it's from less of a distance the pee splatters less at least. Women need to sit on the seats way more often then men do.

Runa said...

I definitely agree that bathrooms should be cleaner. I also feel that if we do unisex restrooms, we should have floor to over the head doors so people can't creep up from under. Though it would make passing the toilet paper to a friend in need difficult.
I don't understand the hover. What's the point? Exercise???

college kid said...

I'm pretty sure we as a country are worried about unisex bathrooms just because men in general are stronger than women and can overpower them and do bad things, like rape. If there is only one bathroom and it happens to be deserted....and there is only one man in the bathroom when you go, wouldn't you feel really uncomfortable? Or even just a tad less safe? I think alot of women would. Women, I assume, do breastfeeding in bathrooms, but now even that has been taken away as a "safe" place to do such things, not that I think it is wrong to do that in public places, but some people think so. The infrastructure is already in place for two bathrooms (i.e. they have already been built), so I don't really see the need to make it mandatory for one huge unisex bathroom to be put in place.