May I step into the minefield of handicapped restroom stalls?

[ajk912]

I never think twice about using that stall. Especially in a fast food restaurant when there are usually only two stalls, or in my gym when there are only 3. I would let a wheelchair person cut to the front of the line, though.

 

[muffyn]

SHe may need the bars to help get herself up or to steady herself. She was out of line saying something, but after having knee surgery, I can see where she is coming from.
If the stall was being used by another handicapped person I would have to use a regular one if I couldn't wait, but to have someone run in front of you you use it, when I can't walk that fast. There was another area where she could have changed her child, she didn't have to take the only handicapped stall.

Suzanne,
question.
I use an ecv when I go to the parks, but I walk into the bathrooms slowww. I may or may not have a limp at the time, but there would be nothing for anyone to "see" that would make anyone think I am handicapped & want that stall ( which I only use sometimes, depending on if I want to use the bars or not.)
did I miss something that you , yourself walk in with a cane. wheelchair or something to let others have an idea you would be wanting to use the handicapped stall?
yea its stupid there are some bathrooms that have the baby changing spot IN the handicapped stall, but maybe some who use it do look a round & do not see anyone with an obvious sign of handicapped use waiting in line,, where yea , I agree with others it is not handicapped ONLY stall.

(anyway, I had a person YELL at me after I parked in a handicap spot, legally, guess they didn't think I looked decrepid enough,, I just snarled back, "you know nothing of me. I'll trade you my sign & what goes with it to park where you do" )

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

Suzanne,
question.
I use an ecv when I go to the parks, but I walk into the bathrooms slowww. I may or may not have a limp at the time, but there would be nothing for anyone to "see" that would make anyone think I am handicapped & want that stall ( which I only use sometimes, depending on if I want to use the bars or not.)
did I miss something that you , yourself walk in with a cane. wheelchair or something to let others have an idea you would be wanting to use the handicapped stall?
yea its stupid there are some bathrooms that have the baby changing spot IN the handicapped stall, but maybe some who use it do look a round & do not see anyone with an obvious sign of handicapped use waiting in line,, where yea , I agree with others it is not handicapped ONLY stall.

(anyway, I had a person YELL at me after I parked in a handicap spot, legally, guess they didn't think I looked decrepid enough,, I just snarled back, "you know nothing of me. I'll trade you my sign & what goes with it to park where you do" )

Yes, I was using a cane that day. I don't very often, but sometimes I do, depends on how my feet and knees are behaving that day.

There wasn't a line when I went it, but she and several others darted around me because I was slow because of the pain in my feet.


Suzanne

 

[jaycat]

I'm pretty indifferent in choosing between the typical stall and the typical handicap stall. When I see one of those handicap stalls that has it's own sink, I can't resist that. It's like going to a first class bathroom.

I've never seen a handicapped stall with its own sink! Must be on the lookout for these

 

[bas71873]

If they'd make the regular stalls larger, people would be able to use them easier, no matter their weight. Some you have to straddle the toilet to open the door....

Amen....and then trying to get into one with a child in tow who can't use a stall alone yet. Geez!!! DD and I use handicap stalls if they are available just so we can both go in together and not be squished. Glad to know we are not upsetting anyone over this.

 

[Darsa]

(anyway, I had a person YELL at me after I parked in a handicap spot, legally, guess they didn't think I looked decrepid enough,, I just snarled back, "you know nothing of me. I'll trade you my sign & what goes with it to park where you do" )

I gotta say... if I **ever** have to witness some moron being SO idiotic as to make assumptions and call someone out based on those assumptions... I don't know what I'd do but it probably would be pretty offensive

 

[cinmell]

It's handicapped accessible, not handicapped only. As long as it's your turn, you have every right to use it if it's free. If she and I both happened to walk in at the same time, I wouldlet her use it and then just use a regular stall myself, but it's not a big deal if you used it while it was free.

Agreed. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[TheAmazingSpidey]

I saw such an ugly encounter this week at Disney World. (story)

I don't know why some people are the way they are.

Just like the tootsie pop question...the world may never know.

 

[happywanderer2]

To OP--you are doing nothing wrong using the handicap stall in this case. I am obese w.arthritis and it's easier to use the handicap stall because of the size and the bar that help me up--but if I'm desparate I can use the regular stalls, it's just not as easy.

But, my mother and I had an incident happen at the airport that still burns me. My mother is 82 and has had two knee replacements and walks with a cane (and sometimes a walker). We had just arrived and gotten off the airplane and (as it happens) my mother needed to use the restroom. I didn't, so I waited outside. A while later my mother exits and we start walking. She tells me she hopes we can get home soon because she really needs to go. I said "I thought you already did"? and she then tells me what happened in restroom.

As she walked into the restroom (using her cane) a flight attendent pushes past her and proceeds to take the handicap stall. My mother decided to just wait for her to get out, thinking it wouldn't be too long (by the way, there were other stalls open). She then sees her (from looking under the stall door) changing her clothes! My mother waits for 10 minutes and the chick must be putting on make-up also! So, my mother just walks out.

When I heard that I wanted to go back and confront the FA, but my mother didn't want to make a scene. I did contact NWA (whose FA it was) but heard nother from them.

Now, I would call that true disregard for the reason for these stalls--not to mention totally rude and crass and I hope that FA got canned in the recent buy-out w.Delta.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I've never seen a handicapped stall with its own sink! Must be on the lookout for these

Our Publix has one, but that is the only one I know of.

Suzanne

 

[N&B'smom]

monkey68 posted what I was going to say, it's handicap accessible NOT handicap designated. Parking spots are designated for the soul purpose of ONLY a handicap person parking there. Bathrooms HAVE to have a handicap ACCESSIBLE stall to be up to code, it does not mean no one else can use it.

Think about places that have only a one person bathroom, they have to be handicap accessible and therefore larger. Anyone can use that type of restroom. In a bathroom with several stalls only one is required to be larger than the others for the purpose of being handicap accessible, just because it is done that way does not mean someone who is not handicap can't use it.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I do use it in some places. Like others have said, at a lot of fast food restaurants you can't close the door without straddling the toilet. I will not use a stall like that. I am not a contortionist. If somebody obviously needed that stall, i would obviously not use it, but I have never come out of an accessible stall and had somebody waiting to use it. And even if they were, it doesn't kill you to wait like everybody else in the world. There are people without obviously disabilities that have conditions that make going imminent as well, and yet we expect them to wait just like everybody else.

 

[shortbun]

Some of these stalls are so small that people of normal size can barely fit. Ever had to stradle the toilet so you could close the door?

The larger stall is for everyone. Anyone caring to wait for it can do that. I try to use the regular ones but sometimes they are just uncomfortable. A local theatre comes to mind. I literally have to stand with my legs on either side of the comode to shut the door and there is no place to put my purse but on the floor. I use the large stall.

 

[sbell111]

... Now, if I am in a bathroom at the same time as a handicapped person, obviously they get first dibs on the stall. But if there is not a handicapped person in sight, and it's one of those really busy bathrooms, it's not like I would leave the handicapped stall vacant "just in case"...it goes into the "stall rotation", just like any other stall, until a handicapped person does come in and needs it. ...

Stall rotation. I'm going to have to remember that.

I understand the point of this and it doesn't matter to me what stall you use, but you do have to remember sometimes that handicapped person may have a medical problem and they can't wait.

I had a woman with a small child run in front of me to the handicapped stall to change a diaper, I had to go then, waiting wasn't an option, so I had to squeeze myself ( I am obese, but have other medical issues that require me to use a larger stall) into a regular stall and I was almost in tears when I came out, she was still in the handicapped stall.

I'm reminded of a recent visit to a local department store. The baby change gizmo was in the handicapped stall.

... Well, the mens room is one place I won't go, although I was considering it, since there are no lines

My wife, due to her pregnancy, has recently become a frequent restroom user. On a number of recent occasions, she has needed to commandeer the men's room. I fully support this action, as I'm sure most men do.

... (anyway, I had a person YELL at me after I parked in a handicap spot, legally, guess they didn't think I looked decrepid enough,, I just snarled back, "you know nothing of me. I'll trade you my sign & what goes with it to park where you do" )

That very thing happened to me a few months ago. I didn't bother to stop and reply to him, but it angered me (and still does) that he felt that he had the right to question me on this. Like he is somehow more qualified than my doctors (and myself) to tell me how I feel.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think at work, even I would use that stall without much worry (and I try to avoid using the accessible stall, especially since DS has been out of diapers).

I don't understand why they have to put those in the handicapped stall, especially at WDW, because their restrooms are large.

I don't understand it either. It always bothered me so much that I had no choice but to take up that stall when DS was in dipes.

I also don't understand why all the accessible (with tall toilet) stalls I've seen have very very LOW TP dispensers. Someday I have to ask my architect friend about it...he's designed public bathrooms before and might have an answer. If I'm nearly toppling over to reach down for the TP, isn't that really dangerous for someone more entitled (I don't mean that word in a bad way) to use the stall? The TP should be up *higher*, since the toilet's up higher.

There wasn't a line when I went it, but she and several others darted around me because I was slow because of the pain in my feet.

Ugh, I hate that! We try to not dart around if it's an obvious line situation. Walking down Main Street is one thing, there's no line. But going into a bathroom, IMO, it's first come first gets-in-line. There's just no reason to dart unless you're frantic to use a bathroom, in which case you should be saying please and excuse me and auuuuggggghhhhhh (or maybe that's just what I would do, LOL), not just silently cutting in front of people.

Sorry that happened to you.

 

[SaraJayne]

I've never thought twice about using the handicapped stall. If no one is in line that needs it, I have no problem using it. Like others have said, it's handicap accessible, not handicap exclusive.

 

[sbell111]

I also don't understand why all the accessible (with tall toilet) stalls I've seen have very very LOW TP dispensers. Someday I have to ask my architect friend about it...he's designed public bathrooms before and might have an answer. ...

Sometimes, they are low because they are bolted to the stall wall using the same bolts as the TP dispenser in the next stall, which is at normal height for that non-handicapped stall. Sometimes, it's just because whoever put it on the wall was dumb (or cruel).

 

[disney1990]

It's handicapped accessible, not handicapped only. As long as it's your turn, you have every right to use it if it's free. If she and I both happened to walk in at the same time, I wouldlet her use it and then just use a regular stall myself, but it's not a big deal if you used it while it was free.

Absolutely.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I think at work, even I would use that stall without much worry (and I try to avoid using the accessible stall, especially since DS has been out of diapers).




I don't understand it either. It always bothered me so much that I had no choice but to take up that stall when DS was in dipes.

I also don't understand why all the accessible (with tall toilet) stalls I've seen have very very LOW TP dispensers. Someday I have to ask my architect friend about it...he's designed public bathrooms before and might have an answer. If I'm nearly toppling over to reach down for the TP, isn't that really dangerous for someone more entitled (I don't mean that word in a bad way) to use the stall? The TP should be up *higher*, since the toilet's up higher.



Ugh, I hate that! We try to not dart around if it's an obvious line situation. Walking down Main Street is one thing, there's no line. But going into a bathroom, IMO, it's first come first gets-in-line. There's just no reason to dart unless you're frantic to use a bathroom, in which case you should be saying please and excuse me and auuuuggggghhhhhh (or maybe that's just what I would do, LOL), not just silently cutting in front of people.

Sorry that happened to you.

IF I could have waited, I would have found a different restroom, but sometimes I don't have that option and that day I didn't. I normally try to use the lesser known WDW restrooms, but as I say, I didn't have that option at the moment.

A good many of WDW restrooms have that counter off to the side as you go in that is larger than those diaper stations and we all know that you aren't using those stations because it actually has the paper thing to lay a baby on, so use the other counter instead of trampling someone with a cane/crutch, or invisible disability.


Suzanne

 

[goofyernmost]

If the stall was being used by another handicapped person I would have to use a regular one if I couldn't wait, but to have someone run in front of you you use it, when I can't walk that fast. There was another area where she could have changed her child, she didn't have to take the only handicapped stall.Suzanne

I guess you misunderstood what I was asking. You stated that it might be OK to use the handicapped stall but "what if someone had a handicap that wouldn't allow them to wait"...I replied...Well, what if the stall were already being used by a handicapped person. Would that mean that the person with the more immediate need should force out the person with the lesser need? Wouldn't it be unlikely that someone with a problem that called for "immediate" need use of facilities in a public place, be pretty slim? Bottom line...it is OK to use the stall. If you see a person ahead of you with a definite need, then be a decent person and let them go first or use a different stall. Just common sense. If a person get belligerent about someone other than a handicapped person using it...for heavens sake...ignore it. They are already making a fool of themselves, no sense making it a twosome.

Yes, you heard me correctly, just because someone has a handicap does not necessarily shield them from being wrong and not a very nice person on top of that. It takes all kinds.