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Should you ever use an accessible toilet if you don’t have a disability?

Should you be able to use an accessible toilet if you don’t have a disability?

  • Yes, anytime

    Votes: 328 47.3%

  • Yes but only in emergencies

    Votes: 346 49.9%

  • No, never

    Votes: 19 2.7%
  • Total voters
    693
Sage

Sage

Member
Oct 27, 2017
680
Japan
Just had an experience where I was in a busy shopping mall when what was unmistakably a case of explosive diarrhea came on. For some reason there are ridiculously few stalls in the men's toilets per floor (only 1 or 2), leading to me checking every single floor from B1 to 7, slowly increasing speed in line with the pain and panic to a run. Every single one was occupied.

On the 7th floor however I noticed an open accessible toilet with the facilities for people in wheelchairs, baby-changing, etc. It was either shit my pants right there or use it, so fuck it I went in.

But I've seen for example in clubs people use these toilets before and leave people in a wheelchair waiting outside, and if everyone took this attitude then the people who genuinely need it may end up waiting.

Wondering what eras thoughts are on this?
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,492
Ibis Island
I think emergencies are fair.
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As long as you're doing your business and getting out, there shouldn't be much of an issue.
 
Border

Border

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
14,859
Use them whenever, sure. I mean, there's a world of difference between taking up a disabilty parking space for potentially hours and using a toilet for 3-5 minutes. I would use the other stalls if they're available, but if all the other stalls are taken (or covered in urine or clogged or whatever) then there's really no harm in using the accessible one.
 
Nida

Nida

Member
Aug 31, 2019
11,190
Everett, Washington
I don't have a physical disability, only legally blind, but I say if you have to go, then go.

Now if someone uses a handicap parking spot and they are fine, I do get a bit miffed.
 
Casualcore

Casualcore

Member
Jul 25, 2018
1,302
When the line goes out the door and down the hall, leaving a stall or two unused in case someone with a disability is in the building is insanity.
 
rein

rein

Member
Apr 16, 2018
713
If the other option is to poop on the floor then i think it's ok to use an accessible toilet in that situation.
 
Fatoy

Fatoy

Member
Mar 13, 2019
7,225
I've never used one myself, but I've been in a situation before when my kids were very young and still toilet training where I've taken them into a disabled toilet rather than letting them wet themselves.

Same with using a women's cubicle, in fact. I never had to actually apologise to anyone when we came out, but I'd have been willing to do that if the men's cubicles were all taken.
 
Zulith

Zulith

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,748
West Coast, USA
Use whatever one you want, but if you do use the handicapped one, don't linger in there in case someone who really needs it wanders in. That's a real dick move.
 
Duck Sauce

Duck Sauce

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,436
United States
I dont' use the one at work. Not because I have an issue with using it but when it flushes it sprays doo doo water at you when it flushes. Its an auto flusher so when you get up you have less than 2 seconds to get the fuck outta there.
 
Wanderer5

Wanderer5

Prophet of Truth
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
10,983
Somewhere.
If it the only stall that isn't being used or doesn't have shit everywhere, then I will use it. Just don't linger much.
 
Robin

Robin

Restless Insomniac
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,502
I use the one at work all the time, there isn't anyone I know of in the office that needs it and the other stalls are smaller than most stalls I've seen to the point of discomfort. I'm also kind of a lard ass tho :v

If it was out and about in a public space, honestly idk I hate public bathrooms and rarely use them.

Is this actually frowned upon?
 
Conciliator

Conciliator

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,129
I have used the handicap stall if it's the only one that's unoccupied, functioning, and not completely gross. But other than that I keep it free if I have the option.
 
1upsuper

1upsuper

Member
Jan 30, 2018
5,489
I use a wheelchair. It's fine for able-bodied people to use those stalls as long as there isn't a disabled person waiting to use it. Never park in handicapped parking without a permit though.

There are way more important disability-related issues for able-bodied people to spend their energies on instead of rehashing this little thought experiment to be perfectly honest.
 
Sunster

Sunster

The Fallen
Oct 5, 2018
10,017
if we only allowed disabled people to use them then there would effectively be one less toilet per restroom. imagine a line of people waiting to use the restroom with 3 toilets and 1 perfectly good one is being unused because no disabled person is present. sounds kinda ridiculous.
 
Fushichou187

Fushichou187

Member
Nov 1, 2017
3,313
Sonoma County, California.
I fish a lot along the coast here in northern California and in a number of bathrooms i come across while in state and regional parks, the accessibly-designated bathrooms are always larger, cleaner, and better stocked. If it's early in the morning and nobody is using the bathrooms yet, sure, I'll absolutely use the cleanest, most well-stocked option.
 
Version 3.0

Version 3.0

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,174
The bathroom I use at work has 4 stalls: 2 huge handicap ones on the ends, and 2 narrow, cramped ones in between. Everyone uses the handicap ones, including me. I hate the narrow ones. They even have sucky toilet paper dispensers, but the ones in the big stalls are fine.

It does cross my mind, that maybe I shouldn't use them, but it feels like a victimless crime.
 
sweetmini

sweetmini

Member
Jun 12, 2019
3,921
In fact it is also ok for ladies to go to gentlemen's toilets or gentlemen to go to ladies' toilets in these emergency moments.
You would be surprised, but in my residence country these rules of conduct are often written in corporations behavior rules that employees must abide by.

Rather have the toilets inaccessible 2 minutes than a splat of vomit on the floor, in the paper basket, or a coworker humiliated by a Gastroenterology accident.
Just ask... your fellow human might be in emergency as well.
 
16bits

16bits

Member
Apr 26, 2019
2,862
Sunster said:
if we only allowed disabled people to use them then there would effectively be one less toilet per restroom. imagine a line of people waiting to use the restroom with 3 toilets and 1 perfectly good one is being unused because no disabled person is present. sounds kinda ridiculous.
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This happens every day in my workplace, but with male and female gendered toilets!

The queue for the female toilets, on occasion of big meetings or end of lectures, can be 20 deep and the queue for the gents is none existent.

That's ridiculous!

I see disabled facilities as regular facilities that are also suitable for people with disabilities. I use them all the time, but never if a disabled person is queuing. And the above posters are right, use them quickly.
 
Pluto

Pluto

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,449
Sage said:
But I've seen for example in clubs people use these toilets before and leave people in a wheelchair waiting outside, and if everyone took this attitude then the people who genuinely need it may end up waiting.
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Then they have to wait, so what? An accessible toilet is supposed to be accessible by offering more room, it's not supposed to be exclusively for people with a disability so that they don't have to wait.
 
StopMakingSense

StopMakingSense

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,729
They are an accommodation, not a reservation like handicapped parking. go ahead.

(speaking as someone who needs to use a handicapped stall)
 
kvetcha

kvetcha

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,835
jacktuar said:
I wouldn't feel bad, I think the person was making a joke and is now doubling down on a whataboutism to avoid having to apologise. But I could be wrong and if so I DO apologise.
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Honest to God, have none of you ever had to shit so bad it had to doubled over in cramps? This is baffling.

put another way: I can't imagine anyone having a problem with a person using these stalls in an emergency, because I've been there. in the moment, 'accessible' trumps everything else.

I suppose I can see how my first post could be seen as making a 'disabled' joke, but I meant it.
 
CommodoreKong

CommodoreKong

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,709
Honestly OP if you're about to shit your pants with explosive diarrhea don't feel bad about using whatever toilet you have available to you.
 

Deleted member 426

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,273
kvetcha said:
Honest to God, have none of you ever had to shit so bad it had to doubled over in cramps? This is baffling.

put another way: I can't imagine anyone having a problem with a person using these stalls in an emergency, because I've been there. in the moment, 'accessible' trumps everything else.

I suppose I can see how my first post could be seen as making a 'disabled' joke, but I meant it.
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The issue was that you equated needing a shit to having a disability, and then when called out by someone with a disability, using a whataboutism instead of apologising. Your initial comment was clearly jovial even if you meant what you said and that's inappropriate.
 

DarkJ

Member
Nov 11, 2017
1,095
I always saw it as a toilet that just also happened to be accessible, like a ramp or elevator. If there's no other toilets available you should use it. It'd just make lines needlessly longer.
 
cupcakeunicorn

cupcakeunicorn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,350
My place of work has male and female toilets on alternating floors, but an accessible toilet on every floor. It's pretty normal for everyone in the building to use the accessible toilets if we're not on the right floor for our gender. The ratio of toilets to people is high enough that I don't think I've actually ever seen anyone waiting to use a toilet.

Obviously, in busier places or if there's a queue, those who specifically need the accessible toilet should get priority.
 
kvetcha

kvetcha

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,835
jacktuar said:
The issue was that you equated needing a shit to having a disability, and then when called out by someone with a disability, using a whataboutism instead of apologising. Your initial comment was clearly jovial even if you meant what you said and that's inappropriate.
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I said that having to go so bad that you would otherwise shit your pants is disabling, and it is. Other totally appropriate words to describe it: crippling, painful, incapacitating. You cannot operate normally in that situation.

I did not call it, or equate it to, A Disability, which is a different word entirely. I'm sorry if you found my 'jovial' language inappropriate in this thread about toilets.
 
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