This should be a good debate: Handicap Bathroom stalls

[LynneSin]

I once had someone question me why I would use a Handicap bathroom stall. Mind you we were at a store and both needed the bathroom. There were 2 stalls - regular and handicap. I have a small bladder so when I have to go I hvae to go. She grabbed the regular stall first so I went into handicap. Then she questions why I would do that. I mean I had to go, no other people were in there and if someone handicap did come in I would finish up in 20 seconds and let them have the stall.

Mind you, if another stall is available I would not use the Handicap stall. But I will use it if I have an urgent need and no other choices. I also use the handicap stall at work if I want to change clothes, but I also know there are no handicapped women on our floor.

What is your policy when it comes to handicapped bathroom stalls?

[sammytko]

1. I'm not handicapped and use them all the time

Lots more room. And of course would remove myself from it quickly if needed by a handicapped person.

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. My preference is always to go for the handicapped ones - more room.

And in my many years of using a handicapped stall, I've never had a handicapped person enter the bathroom.

And even so, the handicapped stalls aren't like handicapped parking - it's fucking ludicrous to think that the handicapped stalls should always remain empty just in case a handicapped person shows up.

Like anyone else, the handicapped person might just have to wait, and that's okay.

The handicapped stalls are there to help people in wheelchairs, not because handicapped people can't control their bowels and need the stall RIGHT FUCKING NOW!!!!!

Maybe some are that way, but so are many non-handicapped people, and sometimes they have to wait as well.

[skygazer]

6. This

Word for word.

[Beetwasher]

10. I Actually Had A Handicapped Guy Come Into The Bathroom once When I Was In The HC Stall

I didn't realize it at first, of course, but when I came out he was waiting. It was a few minutes, no biggie on the wait, but boy did I light up that place with a barn burner! I didn't envy anyone coming after me. I was very proud.

[Deep13]

21. I was actually in one once when a guy in a wheelchair needed it.

Same deal, there were two, and the regular one was in use. I said something like sorry, the other was was being used. By then it was empty again. He smiled and said "that's okay."

[Beetwasher]

3. I Use 'Em Even When They're Already Occupied

I kick the door in, grab the handicapped person by the scruff and toss them AND their wheelchair/crutches/whatever out so I can do my business in comfort. And style.

[LynneSin]

5. I knew there was a reason I liked you! Good progressive values

:rofl:

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. Unfuckingbelievable. What a dick. Grabbing them by the scruff.

There's no leverage from the scruff, and you have to reach around 'em to do it.

grab 'em around the knees - lots of leverage there to swing and pull off and to toss.

[Beetwasher]

13. Well, One Time I Did It, The Guy Had No Legs

Handicapped you know.

The problem with the knee grab is that then you're trying to toss/swing them out of the narrow stall door horizontally and they won't fit. Yeah, I like the leverage of the knee grab, and let's face it, their legs are usually really skinny and I can get one hand around both knees, but it's easier keeping them upright and vertical by the scruff and then planting your boot in their ass to get them out the door.

[rurallib]

18. I come here to learn. Thank you.

[zanana1]

59. I'm disabled and I don't use them just to prove a point. nt

[AngryAmish]

24. I like grabbing an ankle and just hauling their lazy ass out.

Extra points when their head hits the back wall and toilet.

[smirkymonkey]

17. Thanks for my laugh of the day!

:rofl:

[TommyO]

4. I frequently use the handicap stalls

They're generally on the end and offer a wee bit more privacy, this is also why I use the "family restrooms" which are far more private than the Larry Craig memorial stalls.

[Iggo]

50. I treat the Family Restrooms as virtual Women's Restrooms.

NO IGGOS ALLOWED

[Crystal Clarity]

7. Pretty much the same as yours

If I absolutely have to go, :blush: I'll use the handicapped stall as the default.

[SunnySong]

8. First of all Handicapped people have to wait for the next stall just like anyone else...

Second handicapped stalls are not like handicapped parking spaces I prefer them and use them whenever available.


And third don't stare at me when you think I didn't wash my hands there is a sink in the stall and I used that,

[mockmonkey]

9. My belief...

is that it is a Handicap accessible stall. Anyone can use them. It's not like a parking space. Most places limit themselves to two stalls. I use whichever is clean and has paper. I've never seen anyone in a wheelchair use a public bathroom except on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". :shrug:

[KamaAina]

12. Accessible bathroom stall etiquette, as explained to me by an actual wheelchair user

It's really quite simple: If there's an accessible stall and another stall available, use the other one. But if the accessible stall is the only one available, go ahead and use it. The wheelchair user will then have to wait her turn like anyone else would.

[Gormy Cuss]

15. There is one caveat -- sometimes the disability makes it difficult for the person to wait

and because of that if you're using the wide stall be aware that you may be asked to depart before finishing your business by someone who can't hold it.

[SunnySong]

16. In reality why should we have to restrict ourselves to the cramped non-handicapped stall

Unless there is a person in a wheelchair right behind us...

That would be common courtesy.

Otherwise it is a bit of a tree falling in a forest situation.

[supernova]

14. I use the HC stall

And like the rest of you, I've never made a HC person wait.

I used the HC stall because:

1) It's usually the cleanest and functioning

2) Reliably has TP

Oddly, unlike HC parking spaces which are closest to the door, HC stalls are usually the furthest from the door. :tinfoilhat:

[LibertyLover]

19. If I am out on my own and they are the only ones open

I use them. If I'm out with the 8 year old and she is having one of her "must cling to mommy" days and a handicapped stall is available I use it for the extra room it provides.

[Initech]

20. To quote George Costanza: "It has that high toilet, I feel like a vulture perched on a ledge."

[rug]

22. That's what colostomy bags are for.

[AngryOldDem]

23. I've used them when that's all that's available.

When you're in line with 50 people behind you, like at the theater or sports event, you take the first stall that opens up.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

25. if there was someone in line for the accessible stall. i wouldnt use them

but if there isnt anyone, i would

[Kali]

26. I use it even if there are other stalls available.

More room, the door usually doesn't try to make you fall in the toilet, taller seat, etc etc. But really if I have to go I'm going where ever - regular, handicapped, men's, out in the alley - whatever - when I need to go, I need to GO!

[JonLP24]

27. I never thought about it

But I have used those in the past and didn't think twice about it. Inconsiderate I guess. I never had any problems with others trying to use it while I was in.

[hippywife]

28. I admit to using them once in a while

when the bathroom is empty and have never run into a handicapped person waiting for it. However, having spent some time in a wheelchair when I had a badly broken leg, I realize it does take longer because you have to swing yourself out of the chair onto the toilet while trying to get your pants down at the same time. It does take longer to get to go even if the stall is empty because of being off balance and trying to adjust for your handicap, so I can imagine if the person who really, really needs it has to go very badly, it wouldn't be a good thing to be in there if I don't need to be.

[Bennyboy]

29. I use them all the time...

And in all the time I have been using them NOT ONE SINGLE person needed to use the handicap stall. even when possible I use the handicap porto potty when that is happening.

I like the room, it kind of reminds me of wide lanes on the freeway (ala Kramer)...

[burrfoot]

30. Like others have mentioned,

I think that they're Handicap accessible, more than Handicap reserved. If someone behind me or coming in at the same time needed it I'd let them, of course, but otherwise it's fair game!

[jobycom]

31. I've had to clean my father because he couldn't get in a handicap stall.

And he only had to wait about 20 seconds. :shrug:

But oh well. It's not the worst thing ever. He's failed to make it when the stalls were open, too. Strokes suck. It's not nearly like stealing a handicap parking space.

[zanana1]

60. I know exactly what you mean.

Alzheimer's sucks, too. Once, I was with my mother and was told that the public was not allowed in the store's bathroom. She went all over the floor. I demanded that they help me clean it up and let her use the bathroom. Some people don't understand what serious illness is.

[madinmaryland]

32. I don't think I have ever used a handicapped stall. I try not to take a crap

in public. I save it for home so my family can enjoy it!!

:D

[Orrex]

52. All you do is give.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

33. Use the stall

if there are no handicapped people following you in
You are not going to park yourself in there for very long
Mr 'pede got a handicapped placard for our car, but I would never use it unless he is in the car with me

[Digit]

34. How do you KNOW they are not handicapped?

I use the handicapped stall all the time and if someone else is using it I need to wait until it is available.

No, I am not in a wheelchair.
My problem was caused by a botched knee replacement which makes it difficult (almost damned impossible) to get up from one of those low toilets. The handicapped stall not only has a higher toilet but I need to use the bar to pull myself up.

At home, I have to put my hand on the front of the seat to push myself up. I really don't like touching public toilets with my hands, so there you have it.

Why in the hell are the public toilets so low in the first place?

[gvstn]

37. These rails are cheap ~$30 and removable

My mom has been using them for over 20 years and they are not intrusive to those that don't need them.



Edit: forgot the pic

[gvstn]

35. I'd never thought about it before.

I've never considered them reserved for handicapped people. It is simply a stall that is big enough that a person in a wheelchair can maneuver in. I would have said I use whichever stall is cleanest. I also would have said if I walked in at the same time as a handicapped person was entering I would let them use the empty handicapped stall even if I had to wait for a regular stall.

Now that I think about it if I walked into a bathroom with only two stalls and the regular stall was dirty and the handicapped clean and a handicapped person came in I would tell them the regular stall is dirty and they have to wait their turn. (Unless they were having incontinence problems and asked to go ahead of me)

Just to note I've been in small restaurants that only have one restroom per gender. Now, most are handicapped accessible but everyone waits their turn if it is busy. One can always offer to let someone go ahead of them particularly if it looks like they need an assistant or is in urgent need of the facilities.

[ChoralScholar]

36. George Carlin put it succintly

"Recently, in a public bathroom, I used the handicapped stall. As I emerged, a man in a wheelchair asked me indignantly, "Are you handicapped?" Gathering all my aplomb, I looked him in the eye and said, "Not now. But I was before I went in there."

[Inchworm]

61. hehe

:rofl:

[LWolf]

38. I use them all the time.

They are less claustrophobic.

Of course, if there is a handicapped person in the restroom when I'm there I use a regular stall. That has been so rare I can't remember it being the case more than 2 or 3 times in the last couple of decades.

[MiddleFingerMom]

39. Though not CONVENTIONALLY handicapped...

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...I really HAVE to use the handicap stalls. Otherwise...
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...I end up getting into trouble for my wide stance.
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[MiddleFingerMom]

40. Nice post...

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...Senator MiddleFingerCraig.
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[WolverineDG]

41. if there's a line, it makes no sense to NOT use that stall

whenever I've stood in the ladies' room line (often), the unspoken, but somehow agreed-upon rule, is that anyone can use it, but if a handicapped person is present, THEY are the next ones up, regardless of where they are in line. I've also seen permissive "line cutting" for pregnant women & those who are visibly sick & about to hurl (although they get an automatic pass in to the next available stall, whether it's the handicapped one or not).

dg

[Lil Missy]

42. Handicapped stalls are unnecessary special treatment that encourage them to feel entitlement.

I'M KIDDING!!! :7

[many a good man]

43. In my office building there are five handicap sparking spaces

and one handicap stall per john but not one handicapped person in the entire building! (Well, one guy has a pacemaker).

I like it cuz its always the end unit and lurking Republicans can't see thru the crack in the door.

[carlyhippy]

44. my knees are messed up, I have no problem using the handicapped stall

I don't consider myself handicapped by no means, but it's easier for me and doesnt hurt as much to use the higher toilet. If a handicapped person came in and needed to use it, I would let her go first, and I would wait.

[ThomCat]

45. I don't mind if non-disabled people use them.

I only mind when they make a mess of them.

I HAVE to use that stall. I have no choice. I HATE it when I have to bring stacks of baby wipes and paper towels in there with me to clean the damned stall before I can use it.

I am not the cleaning person. I am not physically able to be the cleaning person without hurting myself. I should not have to spend 15 minutes being a cleaning person, cleaning up your pee and crap in order to go to the bathroom! :puke:

So if you don't have a disability, and you use the handicapped stall, fine, just do me a favor and keep it clean!

[texanwitch]

47. I cannot understand how people can be so nasty in public bathrooms.

Don't they know that someone has clean up that mess.

[ThomCat]

48. I don't think they care.

:(

As long as it's not them that has to clean it up.

Which means the obvious solution is to catch them somehow, and make them have to clean up after themselves. After having to clean up their own mess a few times I bet they'd be a bit cleaner.

[barb162]

46. I'm probably with you on your philosophy

You're in there for a super short time.

[JTG of the PRB]

49. I have a wide stance.

:hide:

But seriously... I use the handicap-accessible stalls all the time. I don;t like feeling the walls closing in on me from ever side. It's a little distracting.

[Orrex]

51. I like the handicap-accessible stalls because I can stand on the hand-rails

To give myself some much-needed room to operate, you understand.

[MiddleFingerMom]

54. You DO know that there's such a thing as...

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...TOO much fiber in your diet, don't you?
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[handmade34]

53. don't hesitate to use them if they are available

[hfojvt]

55. I only use them

at Olive Garden. They give me more room to smoke while my pit bull breast feeds.

[Skittles]

56. THAT'S IT

SCHEDULING hfojvt FOR ASS KICKING; YES INDEED :7

[LynneSin]

57. My neighbor, who is handicapped, had a valid response to this

When it comes to parking spaces - the person with that handicap placard has been vetted by some government official to assume they really are handicapped. But unless that person walks around with the same placard hanging from their neck you may not know who is or isn't handicapped. He happens to have severe TypeI diabetes which limits his mobilities at times and only got the handicap sticker so they could have street parking reserved in front of their house. But most of the time you can't really tell just by looking at him that he has any handicap issues.

Which leads to the bathroom - anyone could really 'claim' to be handicapped so unless they have a walker/wheelchair/scooter/cane or some other obvious device you have no idea if someone really is/is not handicapped. So if there are no other options use the stall and like Thomcat said - clean it up afterwards pul-lease!

[av8rdave]

58. I sometimes have to change clothes at an airport

Into or out of uniform. The handicapped stalls are the roomiest for that. I would never use one if I thought someone handicapped was waiting to, and I get in and out of there fast.

I have never looked at it like taking a handicapped parking spot. With the bathroom stall, you are actually there the whole time, so you'll know right away if a handicapped person needs to use it.