May I step into the minefield of handicapped restroom stalls?

[missypie]

In my company, each floor has a men's room and a women's room. They are for employees. There are other "nicer" restrooms in the public areas for clients, guests, etc. Each employee's ladies room has three stalls - one handicapped and two regular. We don't have any employees in wheelchairs working here, so we all use all three stalls.

Several times in the past few months I've been in the handicapped stall and when I left, noticed that an obese employee was waiting for the stall when the other two were vacant. I'm sure it's easier for her to get in and out of. I've always felt guilty when that happens. Should the rest of us stop using the handicapped stall so it is availble for that woman?

 

[momof1princess]

having been super morbidly obese for several years, i can say the handicapped stall is definitely more comfortable for this other employee, but that doesn't mean it should be off-limits to everyone else. if you need to use it, use it.

 

[missypie]

Thanks for your reply. I don't know her well enough to know if she is thinking "how dare someone else be in there" or "just waiting my turn."

 

[Amelia Peabody]

I'm in that situation and just wait my turn. You were there first.
If I have an emergency, I squish into the other stall.

 

[monkey68]

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.

 

[Christine]

You're fine.

I actually prefer the handicapped stall because, where I work, the regular stalls have very low toilets. While I'm not an amazon woman, I am closer to 5'8" and I feel very scrunched up on these low toilets. The handicapped toilet is just perfect for me and it is the one I prefer to use. We also don't have any handicapped folks on my floor so we all just use it whenever we want.

 

[JohnsPrincess]

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.

I totally agree with the above. I'd continue you on as you have been!

 

[DarthKTrava]

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....

 

[WDWAurora]

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....

I can beat that. In some McDonald's, the door actually scrapes on the toilet when you open and close it. What an idiotic design. I think I took a cell phone pic at some point and sent it to DH. He was laughing so hard.

 

[sunnyday123]

I just wanted to say this is the nicest handicapped-bathroom thread I have ever seen!!

 

[Disney Doll]

Here is my opinion of handicapped stalls...

They are for people who are handicapped to use when they need to go to the bathroom.

However, if you walk into a bathroom and there are no handicapped people in there, I think it is perfectly fine to use the handicapped stall if you so desire.

I don't think there's a law against a handicapped person having to wait 2 minutes to use the bathroom, if you happened to be using the handicapped stall when a handicapped person came in.

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.

In your case, OP, I think it's probably easier for the obese woman to maneuver in the handicapped stall, but that doesn't mean it needs to become her own private stall.

 

[DVCLiz]

I saw such an ugly encounter this week at Disney World. We were in the bathrooms on the first floor of The Seas with Nemo - I saw a woman, obviously foreign, waiting with a small child to use the handicapped stall. It was obvious to me as a mom she wanted to use the larger space with her small daughter. A woman, obese and walking with a cane, either came in after I noticed or had been there and I had just registered her when she said, in a loud and I thought rude voice, "Are you handicapped? I don't think so!" The foreign woman, who looked startled, said "I don't speak English" in Spanish (I don't remember what that looks like spelled out - no habla anglais maybe?) The larger woman said, again in a condescending tone, "I am in a wheelchair. Do you have a wheelchair? I didn't think so! (She didn't have a wheelchair with her - she was standing with a cane.) At some point the foreign woman realized what she was saying and looked startled - they were still resolving it when I walked out. As I did, I saw her husband sitting in her scooter - not a WDW one, the ones that are available for rent by the week. I heard him mutter, "Oh, Geez" as I walked by. LOL!

Now, I have used a scooter in the past when I had a knee injury at WDW. And I too like the larger size handicap stall. I also like the handicapped stall because I think fewer people use it and therefore it is usually much cleaner.

BUT - I don't think it is to be reserved for ONLY a handicapped person - and if you are waiting your turn and you are YELLING at a foreign stranger who does not speak the language, then I think you are rude and you have no business behaving like that. You would have had to wait your turn if she had been handicapped so I think you were rude and obnoxious.

So there - I feel much better now. And I wish I had had my daughter with me, so she could have said, "Look, we are not all fat and rude. Some of us are fat and in need of the handicapped stall but we think it is rude to yell at you about it."

No wonder so many other countries think Americans are obnoxious - if we were judged by this lady we would be.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

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.

 

[shellybaxter]

I am a larger person and I have some issues with clausterphobia so I use the handcap stall most of the time. I am always happy to wait my turn for whoever is in there and whoever is ahead of me. If someone comes in with an emergency (in a wheelchair or whatever) who can't wait - I am happy for them to go first as well

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

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

I wouldn't say anything or be rude to someone, but when you are somewhere there are many handicapped people, think before you prevent them from access.

Suzanne

 

[Orangeandwild]

At work and the large woman, I would say it is first come first served and it is up to her if she wants to wait for the HC stall or not, that is what we did at work when no one was in a wheelchair that is.

I am HC but can walk into a restroom on my own. If I see someone in a wheelchair or needing it more than I do, I will use a regular one. If no one needs it though I think HC stalls should be availabe to everyone

 

[MelanieC]

At my work- I've had someone who has a handicap placard (had knee surgery) say that she is appalled when she walks in and someone who isn't handicap is in the handicap stall. I was thinking to myself - Why should someone who isn't handicap not use it when there are very few people who need it in the building. Why would a bunch of people wait while a handicap stall sits empty. Plus - she walks, she isn't in a wheelchair and she isn't that large - not sure why she can't use a regular stall anyway. I would never use one if someone handicap was in the bathroom - but it just seems silly to leave it open when no one is around.

 

[goofyernmost]

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.

Then what would happen if the stall were being used by another handicapped person?

If one of one's problems would be the inability to wait to get into a stall in a massively public place, perhaps the choice of location is a little in question. No, I don't mean that people need to deprive themselves of the pleasures of life because they have a problem, but I know that if I had that problem I would think twice about how far I traveled from one that would give me immediate accessibility.

Handicap Accessibility and Handicap Exclusive are two entirely different animals. There are so many places, especially in Men's rooms. that only have one stall. It is accessible but it is used by all.

Relax, you are OK using that stall.

 

[Inigo]

I'm disabled, but very mobile since my disability is an autoimmune disease. When I go to a public restroom, I usually go in the disabled stall just cause it's so big. I wouldn't if there where disabled people waiting to use the stall, but if it's just me, or just me and people who don't have to have that stall, it's for me!

I've noticed that they are usually the cleanest stalls too, since a lot of people are afraid to use the disabled stall since they aren't disabled.

Ironically, my disability is my intestines (crohn's disease), so I guess that means I'm really, really, really entitled to use that stall.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

At my work- I've had someone who has a handicap placard (had knee surgery) say that she is appalled when she walks in and someone who isn't handicap is in the handicap stall. I was thinking to myself - Why should someone who isn't handicap not use it when there are very few people who need it in the building. Why would a bunch of people wait while a handicap stall sits empty. Plus - she walks, she isn't in a wheelchair and she isn't that large - not sure why she can't use a regular stall anyway. I would never use one if someone handicap was in the bathroom - but it just seems silly to leave it open when no one is around.

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.

Then what would happen if the stall were being used by another handicapped person?

If one of one's problems would be the inability to wait to get into a stall in a massively public place, perhaps the choice of location is a little in question. No, I don't mean that people need to deprive themselves of the pleasures of life because they have a problem, but I know that if I had that problem I would think twice about how far I traveled from one that would give me immediate accessibility.

Handicap Accessibility and Handicap Exclusive are two entirely different animals. There are so many places, especially in Men's rooms. that only have one stall. It is accessible but it is used by all.

Relax, you are OK using that stall.

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.

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

I am not going to quit vacationing because of medical problems and neither should anyone else, because we might inconvenience a normal person.

Just put yourself in a handicapped person's place, think that you (god forbid) might be in the same position in the future, you never know what life will bring.

Suzanne