RANT: Architects & Contractors: Stop building dumb bathrooms!

[Dannyalcatraz]

This is a pet peeve of mine: Bathrooms designed or constructed by complete idiots.

I first realized this when the American Airlines Center (home of the Dallas Stars...GO STARS!) had to renovate their brand new bathrooms because the urinals (and some stalls) were in well-lit rooms next to large, plate glass windows- you could watch people taking care of business from anywhere in the parking lot. YAY! :\

Then I started noticing other badly designed bathrooms:

1) Single-person bathrooms with privacy screens. WHY? I was even in one that resulted in spaces so narrow I could support myself off of the ground between the wall and screen...by just wedging my shoulders. (For the record, I'm 5'7", 240lbs- not small, but no giant either.)

2) Bathrooms in which the arrangement is Door/Urinal/Privacy Screen/Sink/Stall. Someone washing their hands is screened from scrutiny from the hallways when the door opens, but they get treated to a full-on view of me emptying my kidneys- was this room designed by a voyeur?

3) Bathrooms in which the sink is outside the bathroom?

4) Bathrooms in which both trough-style urinals and sinks are used. Drunks cannot tell the difference!

5) And all across the world- even in so-called 1st world nations, even in big cities...please- get rid of the "abyssal hole in the ground" style bathroom! I've seen them in Cannes & Nice (France), Moscow (Russia)...don't tell me those cities don't have the money to replace them.

 

[Wormwood]

4) Bathrooms in which both trough-style urinals and sinks are used. Drunks cannot tell the difference!

*raises hand*

Guilty.

/hates the trough

 

[nerfherder]

*raises hand*

Guilty.

/hates the trough

You wash your hands in the urinals when drunk? Ugh!

Cheers,
Liam

 

[adwyn]

I just hate the troughs. More than once I've encountered people trying to "squeeze in" at busy venues.

On the flip side recently I encountered a recessed (2 feet or so) urinal that looked a lot like a dozen narrow fireplaces side by side. No splatter! Now how come a hundred years ago they understood what we no longer do?

 

[Jubilee]

I first realized this when the American Airlines Center (home of the Dallas Stars...GO STARS!) had to renovate their brand new bathrooms because the urinals (and some stalls) were in well-lit rooms next to large, plate glass windows- you could watch people taking care of business from anywhere in the parking lot. YAY! :\

What I hate about airport bathrooms is that when I'm traveling alone, it's very difficult to get my small (carryon-able) rolling suitcase inside the stall and the door closed without alot of struggle and swearing. I can't just leave my suitcase sitting in the bathroom outside the stall, because security might run off with it, and if I'm alone, I don't have anyone to watch my suitcase for me.

5) And all across the world- even in so-called 1st world nations, even in big cities...please- get rid of the "abyssal hole in the ground" style bathroom! I've seen them in Cannes & Nice (France), Moscow (Russia)...don't tell me those cities don't have the money to replace them.

OYE! I hated these while traveling. There's alot of them in Italy, too. I learned to go to the Mac Donald's to go to the bathroom. I couldn't figure out how to successfully use those hole-in-the floor ones - you men have an easier time of it, but imagine being a woman! Not only do I have to worry about peeing on my shoes, but I have to figure out how to keep my pants out of the way. I guess women in those countries don't use public bathrooms.

/ali

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

On my recent trip to Russia, we encountered the holes in the Moscow train station...the first woman came out horrified..."They can't AIM!" she wailed.

All of the other women managed to clench it up until we were well underway to St. Petersburg.

 

[devilbat]

Ahhhhh the troughs. Here in Winnipeg, the troughs in our old arena were hated. People complained about them, it was suggested that we were behind the times and that humans required more privacy to pee.

Then came the new arena, where there were no troughs. Instead there was brand new semi private urinals. The first event at the new arena resulted in looooooong line ups in the mens bathrooms, and what do you think the people were saying? "Bring back the troughs" of course.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Just to be 100% clear:

I have nothing against trough urinals or trough sinks.

Its when they're used in the same bathroom that you get problems with people who don't understand which trough is which...

One or the other...not both!

 

[Turanil]

Aaaargh!!... Trying to imagining it all, I now feel nauseated. Berk!

 

[Bront]

5) And all across the world- even in so-called 1st world nations, even in big cities...please- get rid of the "abyssal hole in the ground" style bathroom! I've seen them in Cannes & Nice (France), Moscow (Russia)...don't tell me those cities don't have the money to replace them.

I have been fortunate to have not seen any of these.

I've recently seen a bathroom where the urinals were so close to the doors to one of the regular toilets, that you would be unable to get out of the toilet if there was someone at the urinal.

Another bathroom where the wall extended out and they squeesed another urinal in there. So in order to use it, you have to stradle the lip and put your equipment IN the urinal :\