bathroom escapades!

[Mattfromengland]

Ok, so you sat down because you needed to pee and your feet point forwards. That's just the way it goes with your physiology. So think about this: do cisguys ever sit down to use the loo?

You know they do.

And which way do their feet point when they're sat on the throne?

Exactly.

But it's only natural to feel a bit nervous if you're worried about being challenged, so there are two things I do to make myself feel more comfortable:

• I might take longer than I need, and pull more toilet paper off the roll than I actually require, to make it seem like I've had a no. 2
• If I don't have the time or patience for that, I just lift the toilet seat up whilst I flush, so it looks to the next guy waiting that I stood to pee. This is a major confidence boost.

Oh, and as we've established elsewhere, plenty of cisguys pee in cubicles for various reasons... and plenty of them sit to pee.

That's a very reassuring answer, thank you    Great advice!!!!!

[AdamMLP]

Can anyone who uses the gents comment on this thought???  I have been thinking, it's ok that we can use a cubicle, BUT isn't it uncomfortable if you think someone might see that you're feet are facing the wrong way for taking a P?

Just worried in case I'd find the gents just as uncomfortable but for different reasons than I do the ladies.

Anyone got any advice or thoughts???

ta!! 

Have you ever noticed which way someone's feet were pointing in a cubicle?  Because I haven't.  Ever.

[Mattfromengland]

Have you ever noticed which way someone's feet were pointing in a cubicle?  Because I haven't.  Ever.

Yes very good point!!! No I haven't!

[Danielle Emmalee]

Have you ever noticed which way someone's feet were pointing in a cubicle?  Because I haven't.  Ever.

I do all the time.  Maybe I'm weird.  Also, is it just a British thing to call it a cubicle?  Its funny because here a cubicle is only the work area in an office, gave me some weird images.  We call the room inside a bathroom a stall.

[Mattfromengland]

I do all the time.  Maybe I'm weird.  Also, is it just a British thing to call it a cubicle?  Its funny because here a cubicle is only the work area in an office, gave me some weird images.  We call the room inside a bathroom a stall.

Yeah we call them cubicles, but I don't think it would be queried if it was called a stall.

[Danielle Emmalee]

This reminds me of the time I went to London and asked someone where the "washroom" was.  They looked at me like I was insane.  Wasn't sure what to say so I just changed it to "toilet" that seemed to get the idea across.

[Mattfromengland]

This reminds me of the time I went to London and asked someone where the "washroom" was.  They looked at me like I was insane.  Wasn't sure what to say so I just changed it to "toilet" that seemed to get the idea across.

Ah sorry on behalf of whoever you spoke to!!! Although we don't say washroom if someone asked me where it was I would know what they meant without any hesitation!!!

[aleon515]

This reminds me of the time I went to London and asked someone where the "washroom" was.  They looked at me like I was insane.  Wasn't sure what to say so I just changed it to "toilet" that seemed to get the idea across.

And cubicles versus stalls. Ah yes, I was in the UK a couple summers ago. We are a people divided by a common language they say. It's not related but I found out you can get ice water if you ask for water with ice and fun stuff like that. And don't ever call anything a "fanny pack". Just a friendly reminder.

I think it's silly when I think re: where my feet are pointing, but I do anyway, it is that thing where you think about anyway. Someone told me you can lesson the sound of things by throwing TP in the toilet and I was thinking why would I do that? So we all have these ideas that everyone is watching us. I pretty much know the only person most people give a danged about is themselves.

--Jay

[Danielle Emmalee]

I don't get it, what's the difference between ice water and water with ice?

[Erik Ezrin]

^
Good point there Jay! Especially in the men's toilet. It seems like everyone is even MORE in their "Mindingmyownbusiness"-state there, lol.
When you're out of the norm there are people who kindly wonder or question, people who react aggressively because they don't know what to, but most of all the people just go into 'ignore' mode.

This is offtopic too, but it reminds me of an experiment of a guy who grew a Hitler stache and went to the underground, city center, mall, etc. with it, just to see how people react. And to his surprise most people didn't even say anything, they put on their "Not on my lawn" field generators and ignored him. Went quietly out of his way on the pavement and even moved to another place when he came into the train. They made clear they were spooked by him, but no one said a word. (he said he actually liked to be able to BREATHE in the underground, LOL! )

My main fear is just that when I go to a men's loo in a place I visit more often I'll run into someone who knows me :s that would be awkward...

[Darkflame]

I avoid public bathrooms in general, but over the years I've had several confrontations in women's bathrooms and exactly 0 in any men's room. It's just the mentality of women being more social in bathrooms where guys just want to use it and get out (I don't get why girls like to socialize in a place where everyone is taking a piss right behind them )

It was pretty awkward when I didn't even realize I was trans yet and I passed enough that I had people freaking out at me for being in the wrong place  I had a little kid try to physically push me out of a bathroom when I was 14. I was at a restaurant with my family too, so it was fun how one of my cousins saw it happen and everyone joked about it for years. Ha 

My main fear is just that when I go to a men's loo in a place I visit more often I'll run into someone who knows me :s that would be awkward...

I've never thought about that. That's a pretty terrifying thought, I'm living in my hometown too so it's entirely possible I'd run into someone I grew up with who has no clue  Welp that's a new thing to be paranoid about in men's washrooms 

[aleon515]

I don't get it, what's the difference between ice water and water with ice?

It's the same stuff. Just sounds odd to their ears (and a bit so to mine). I think about 95% of the stuff with guys using the men's room here is a head game. Deal with it and you can use it. I'm not saying "all in your head"---well I am, just not so condescendingly. It's in the head but who says in the head makes stuff easy.

--Jay

[YBtheOutlaw]

here's another little dramatic incident. our family was travelling and i had a serious need to do no. 2. there was a bus station up ahead and i had to use the public toilets there though i didnt like the idea. i was in such an emergency that i literally ran all the way through the station to the toilets and dashed into women's, while mom was slowly following me for safety (i hate it when people do that). just as i shut myself in a cubicle or stall or whatever i heard footsteps outside and a man shouting 'hey! that's the womens!' then i heard my mom talking to him and she found that he was stationed there to collect the fare for using the toilet. the man sounde so worried and kept telling mom that a boy went into the womens and that he wouldnt come out, and mom was trying so hard to convince him that it was her 'daughter' who went in, not a boy. it took quite long to convince him becos he was weak in our language, but mom had cleared the grounds before i came out. if she hadn't followed i'd have been dead meat

[Mattfromengland]

here's another little dramatic incident. our family was travelling and i had a serious need to do no. 2. there was a bus station up ahead and i had to use the public toilets there though i didnt like the idea. i was in such an emergency that i literally ran all the way through the station to the toilets and dashed into women's, while mom was slowly following me for safety (i hate it when people do that). just as i shut myself in a cubicle or stall or whatever i heard footsteps outside and a man shouting 'hey! that's the womens!' then i heard my mom talking to him and she found that he was stationed there to collect the fare for using the toilet. the man sounde so worried and kept telling mom that a boy went into the womens and that he wouldnt come out, and mom was trying so hard to convince him that it was her 'daughter' who went in, not a boy. it took quite long to convince him becos he was weak in our language, but mom had cleared the grounds before i came out. if she hadn't followed i'd have been dead meat

Interesting story!!!

[FTMDiaries]

Now I'm laughing at what I'd imagine our American friends must be picturing when we speak of peeing in cubicles.

Yes, anything to do with the word 'fanny' would get you an extremely shocked response in the UK. For anyone who doesn't yet know, 'fanny' is a very crude word for 'female genitalia'. It's not quite as offensive as the 'c' word, but it's pretty close. 

'Ice water' doesn't come with actual ice: it's just what we call chilled, refrigerated water. Oh, and if anyone asked me for a 'washroom', I'd think they want to do some laundry.

So... back to the topic: here in the UK we do have many gender-neutral toilets countrywide. For example, Subway and Costa have a policy of providing single-stall, gender-neutral loos in pretty much all their branches, and gender-neutral loos are getting more popular in shopping centres too. I started out by using gender-neutral loos; then I would look for quieter men's loos; and now I just march into any men's loo without a second thought. Confidence is key: just march straight in like you have every right to be there. Because you do.

[aleon515]

Now I'm laughing at what I'd imagine our American friends must be picturing when we speak of peeing in cubicles.

So... back to the topic: here in the UK we do have many gender-neutral toilets countrywide. For example, Subway and Costa have a policy of providing single-stall, gender-neutral loos in pretty much all their branches, and gender-neutral loos are getting more popular in shopping centres too. I started out by using gender-neutral loos; then I would look for quieter men's loos; and now I just march into any men's loo without a second thought. Confidence is key: just march straight in like you have every right to be there. Because you do.

A cubicle in the US is where you work inside dividers, those little "boxes" are cubicles. You wouldn't necessarily want to pee there. (or worry about where your toes pointed). Oddly a stall is also for horses.

--Jay

[Danielle Emmalee]

Thain't no bathroom can scare me now.

Wow, a contraction inside another contraction.  I like it.

[birdline]

I usually go to disabled toilets, if there's no-one in there and no-one waiting. Otherwise, like a crazy person, I wait. I can't deal with going to the female toilets or the male toilets. I went into the male toilets once and I freaking panicked. Stayed in the cubicle for a good ten minutes until no-one was there and ran out. I don't pass well enough, especially with my voice, so justifying it with a "What?" is a little hard. Having said that, I know it's mostly in my head. Working on it. Sometimes I'll go in with a dudefriend or my boyfriend, but only if they need to go, too.

Side note; on the 'fanny' thing, at least with where I grew up in rural Australia, it was one of those slightly more innocent sounding words kids were told to use instead of vagina. We're pretty British in our word usage but it does tend to get filtered by our crudeness, especially in... the outback? I want to say outback, but really it's just kind of a little bit out back, but not far enough that you'd get lost for years and/or die.

[AdamMLP]

I never thought "fanny" was that crude, maybe it's a generational thing, because no one of my generation bats an eyelid at the f-word, and even the c-word is used by some people, and that just gets, "That's a bit harsh!" if anyone comments on it.  It works the other way though, when I was little and went to Canada, I needed the toilet after I got off the plane, and couldn't see any signs for them, except for loads of signs for a "restroom".  I wouldn't believe my mother when she explained that they were the bathrooms and weren't rooms where people would lay down for a sleep after being on a long plane journey.

[FTMDiaries]

Wow, a contraction inside another contraction.  I like it.

A contraction within a contraction? I guess you could call it...

*sunglasses*

... contraception.

YEEEAAAAAHHHHH!