Do you use the handicapped stall?

[monkey68]

This afternoon, I went to the diner for lunch with a friend, and go to use the restroom. I walked in, and there are 3 stalls, 2 regular stalls, and one handicapped stall. The 2 regular stalls were taken, so I went into the handicapped stall. While I was in there, the people in the regular stalls come out and I guess a handicapped person came in.

Anyway, I go out, and the handicapped woman starts yelling at me, that I should have used the other 2 stalls and left the handicapped stall free. I told her when I came in, she wasn't in the bathroom, the other 2 stalls were taken. She is basically screaming at me that I should have left it open just in case somebody who needed it walked in. I wasn't going to get into a screaming match with her, so I just washed my hands and said the stall is free now. If you need to go that badly, you can go ahead.

Now, I know people could be having bad days, and I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but come on! I wasn't even in there that long! What was I supposed to do? Walk out in the middle of peeing once I heard the other people leave the regular stall? Or just leave that stall open just in case a handicapped person comes in? If we had come into the bathroom at the same time, I would have let her use it, but she wasn't there when I got to the bathroom, so where is the problem?

 

[tchrrx]

I would have done what you did. I don't use the handicap stall when others are open. However, I'm not going to stand there and leave it empty either on the off chance that someone who needs it will be coming in.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

Handicapped stalls aren't equivalent to handicapped parking spaces. Unless the sign on the door says "handicapped only", it just means that it's handicapped accessible. Maybe someday there will be potty police, but until then, she is capable of waiting her turn for an open stall.

 

[robinb]

Personally, I think it's first-come first-serve UNLESS there is a handicapped person waiting for the bathroom in line. In that case, that person should go ahead of everyone else once the handicapped bathroom opens up.

 

[My sister's princess]

I use the stall if the others are all taken. I think it is silly to leave a stall open. If she had come in while you were waiting would she have cut in front of you?

 

[Kirby]

She was just being a jerk. I use the handicap stall all the time but I always check to see if there is a handicap person needing to use it first. If not, I head on in there. To save them just for handicap people is just senseless. Besides, how does she know that you're not handicapped? Lot's of people don't look handicapped but are.

 

[Magic Mom]

Yes, I use the HA stall. You didn't do anything wrong. She was the rude person, not you.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

In my opinion she was being rude. If she had already been in the bathroom, behind me, and the handicap stall was the only free stall I would have let her go ahead of me, but how are you supposed to anticipate the need of someone who isn't even in the restroom yet. And how did she know you didn't need the stall? There are some invisible issues that some people have that make it easier to use the handicap stall, ie needing the raised seat.

I also don't think that needing the handicap stall should mean that a person cuts in front of a long line. They should wait with everyone else until they are getting close to the front of the line and at that point should be allowed to use that stall when it opens up. How close to the front of the line depends on how many regular and handicap stalls there are.

You will get a variety of answers, however.

 

[MAKmom]

I always use the handicap stall it is the cleanest.

 

[Disney Doll]

If there's not a handicapped person in the bathroom who needs it when I go in, and the handicapped stall is the only one available, then I use it.

She was rude, handicapped or not.

 

[Tinijocaro]

Funny you should ask this, as I was just wondering about this yesterday as dd and I went into a handicapped stall together.

 

[MushyMushy]

She was rude.

That happened to me once too -- at an amusement park. There wasn't a long line when I went in, and certainly nobody handicapped. But as I was finishing, a line developed and an older woman there. No cane, no wheelchair, no visible assistance. She laid into me right in front of all these people. It was so humiliating!

Just put it behind you and realize that people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life can be nasty.

 

[CajunDixie]

If I have to use a public restroom, I must really need to go so therefore I'd use the handicap stall. Some places regular stalls are so tiny because of having a handicap stall it's a real PITA to use the regular one.

 

[Stacerita]

You did what just about everyone else would have done. She was rude. Its handicap accessible, not handicap only. I believe there was a thread a while back going over this very thing.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Handicapped people are like everyone else. Some of them are nuts.

But having to spend your life in a chair has to really suck. Enough to make one especially cranky, I'd think...so I'd have cut her some slack, apologized and moved on.

I'd have used the stall, though, no doubt.

 

[yeartolate]

Yup. Handicapped folks can be jerks like the rest of us.

 

[brockash]

Yep, I use them. If I'm by myself and there's regular stalls/dressing rooms available I don't use them, but if it was the only one left I would, and if I have a stroller and 2 children with me I'll usually wait to use the handicap ones, as that's the only way we would fit. I would never park in a handicap spot, but I see those as 2 totally different things.

 

[pfishgirl]

I agree with most.. 1st come 1st serve

Since when did being Handicap make you Not have to wait like every other person in the world that has to use the Potty?

 

[justhat]

I was flamed for this very issue on this board 4 years ago. A handicapped person posted basically what you said the handicapped person told you and I pointed out that often times the handicapped stall is where the changing table is for babies. When you have a child who needs to be changed, what should you do? You have no other choice but to use that stall. This person thought that you should have to change the baby in a stroller or your car if there is only one handicapped stall as a handicapped person might come into the bathroom and need it. Or that if you must change the baby there because you have no access to the above options, you should leave the stall door open so that if a handicapped person comes in they can use the stall and I could finish changing my baby after the handicapped person has used the toilet. Point was that my baby can wait, whereas this person might not be able to 'hold it in' long enough.

 

[GeorgeG]

Unlike parking spaces, handicap bathroom stalls are there for handicap access, but not exclusive to a handicaped person. I will always opt for a regular stall if it is available (and clean), but if I really have to go my options aren't as broad and it's better for everyone that I use what's available.