Bathroom Psychology

[spacebug]

My office shares 2 bathrooms on our floor with several other small businesses/artist work spaces. The bathrooms were labeled as a Mens and Womens. Earlier this year, one of our neighbor businesses petitioned to change the signage to unisex, which has since happened. There were a few reasons for this- I signed on because I think the designation is unnecessary in order to do what you need to do in there, and can be an annoyance (or in the case of one acquaintance, a major legal battle) for transgender folks.

Anyway, I note that people still generally use the bathroom with the label that used to apply to them, even if either one is available. This is true for me, but it's because the former womens room I find to be cleaner and, as it doesn't have a urinal, is free from the overpowering smell of urinal cake. It makes me wonder if the dudes still use the former mens room because having a urinal is convenient, if it's just out of habit, or if it's some other reason.

Comments

[spacebug.livejournal.com]

Heh. Apparently the women's rooms at the Ordway theatre are twice the size of the men's room to compensate for the lines that happen. Personally, while I mildly envy the peeing convenience male hardware affords, especially when camping, and especially at Burning Man when wearing things like multiple layers of long underwear with a voluminous tutu that you'd like to not get all grody is not uncommon, I'm also relieved I don't have to experience "the trough".