Thursday, January 25, 2007

My Next Career

If I change careers again my next career will be Bathroom Designer. I have posted on this topic before but it's so important that I think it warrants another post. My complaint is this: (most)Women's restrooms are obviously designed and built by men. I say this because there are several common problems in most women's restrooms.
1. The latch does not work. Either because it's broken but usually because the two parts to the latch do not match. You go to slide the lock to the left and it misses fitting into the slot by centimeters. This happens even in brand new bathrooms (go see the bathrooms on the 6th floor of the GSU Law Building which were built this past summer). I think if a woman was building the bathroom she would check to see that the two parts to the latch actually fit together.
2. There are huge gaps between the door or the sides of the stall. These huge gaps allow other women, waiting to use the restroom, a clear view to your restroom experience. Again, I would think if a woman was building the restroom she would take a look to see how much privacy is given by the bathroom stall setup.
2a. This is number 2a. because it is a sub-problem of item 2. In the (brand new) bathrooms on the 6th floor of the GSU Law building the stalls are not lined up against one wall. Instead they are in a sort of circle around the room. And the gaps between the walls of the stall and the walls of the room are rather large. So when you're in a certain stall you can stare straight ahead into the stall that is perpendicular to your current stall. Not only can you see into the other stall, but the person in the other stall can look you straight in the eye.
3. This problem is unique to single bathrooms (meaning there are no stalls, just one toilet in the room). Your only protection to the outside is one door. I don't like it when the one and only toilet in the room faces the door because if the lock breaks or somehow someone opens the door on you they get a clear and straight view to the balancing act you are currently conducting over the toilet! I would rather have the toilet be perpendicular to the door and risk getting slammed in the knees if the door opens then have to face that door constantly worrying everytime someone tries the knob.

Am I the only person with this crazy phobia about public restrooms?

1 comment:

Aisha said...

I HATE the gaps in the bathrooms. I am so annoyed by the design of the bathrooms but the design should be no suprise considering the entire building is designed very inefficently. I agree with you though and I try not to use the restroom at school fo that very reason. UGH.