It's happened quiet a few times to me. I have to go really bad, walk into the men's restroom and there are no walls. The toilet is there for everyone to see, even sometimes right in front of the entry door. At one point I went out to my truck and dealt with the humiliation of peeing in a bottle because I was absolutely terrified that someone was going to walk into the bathroom.
What are you supposed to do in this situation? I felt so awkward walking out of the bathroom after pretending to just wash my hands or something.
That happened to me once. I just looked for a minute... The bathroom was empty so I contemplated sitting as if I was taking a dump and then cupping my hands over my genitals. Seemed reasonable enough for a guy to do that (saw it in a tv show once when a guy was going and someone walked in unexpectedly). But then I chickened out. Fortunately there was another bathroom upstairs. Otherwise I would have done the pee in a bottle thing too. I don't think it is humiliating. Few people want to "go" in front of others.
The bathrooms I have been in like that, having a toilet and urinal side by side no divider, they also have always had a lock on the door so you can by in there by yourself. So I lock the door and use the toilet, still trying to become comfortable using a STP without taking my jeans down to use one. This would be the place to try a STP through my unzipped jeans when I am ready to try that, noone else around to see what you are doing.
These situations are awkward. I once went in one with no doors on the stalls. So I just washed my hands and walked out. I did notice another guy walk in and right back out so that made me feel a little better. Still awkward tho. Can't wait to get a STP that I can get to work lol.
The only situations I've encountered like that are one where you can lock the door behind you, and one wacky public restroom where the stall walls were so low that anyone with reasonable height could just look over. Were they trying to save on money? ???
My solution to this would be something I learned from my grandpa (accidental walk-ins ;~;), which is when you pull your underwear and pants down, keep them on your thighs. Not on the seat, but still hanging on to your knees and forethighs. If you're sitting there with your pants mostly up and leaning forward on your elbows like you're bored, it's going to be really difficult for anyone to see (if they can at all). One time my mother walked in on me in the bathroom (she took forever to quit doing that), and she yelled at me to pull my pants down. If she's yelling at me to pull my pants down in the bathroom, safe to assume it's a man thing. ::)
I take it these bathrooms are on the US side of the map?
Wierd. Who would want to take a dump in front of an audience?? Doubt many men would, determine ftms!!
Seriously, what the hell is that about?! That was one of my reoccurring nightmares whilst I was pre-op. I always enter a women's bathroom desperate to go and all the cubicles are without walls. What do they call them, Toilettes sans frontières?! ???
Quote from: Nicolette on March 31, 2014, 03:57:48 PM
Seriously, what the hell is that about?! That was one of my reoccurring nightmares whilst I was pre-op. I always enter a women's bathroom desperate to go and all the cubicles are without walls. What do they call them, Toilettes sans frontières?! ???
I have seen some men's multi-user public restrooms without stall doors or with short walls and doors (some even without stall partitions). That situation makes me very uncomfortable. When that happens, I wonder what would happen if I would use the women's restroom.
Why can't we just have multi-user unisex public restrooms with adequately private stalls? That would reduce the space required for public restrooms, eliminate the need for individual or family units, and make waiting times equal for everybody.
Quote from: mac1 on March 31, 2014, 04:23:34 PMI have seen some men's multi-user public restrooms without stall doors or with short walls and doors (some even without stall partitions). That situation makes me very uncomfortable. When that happens, I wonder what would happen if I would use the women's restroom.
Why can't we just have multi-user unisex public restrooms with adequately private stalls? That would reduce the space required for public restrooms, eliminate the need for individual or family units, and make waiting times equal for everybody.
Because that's communism.
Seriously, someone used that as a legit argument once.
I've seen the ones where there's no partition but there's a lock on the door. Sadly, the vast majority of bathrooms I have to go to in public are common use for multiple people at once. I don't know of anywhere except the fancy rich grocery store that has unisex/single person bathrooms. The worse offenders are bars and clubs. Apparently drunk people don't have a problem getting an eyefull of some guy taking a crap on the toilet while they're 2 feet away at the urinal. Since I'm never drunk in public, it affects me.
I'm in the US and have never come across those kinds of bathrooms. I wouldn't think that it would be that unusual for even a cis guy to turn around without using the bathroom when faced with that situation though because I know for a fact that none of the guys in my family would use a bathroom like that.
I've not come across anything like that here in Australia. That's pretty odd. There's always a way to either lock the external door or stalls here.
I've never seen this bathroom configuration without a lock on the door. I'm pretty sure it's building code in California.
My worst bathroom experience was Dodger Stadium. The urinal is literally a communal latrine. Chavez Latrine. (If you get that joke I will kiss you.)
I havent' seen one that was intentionally like that. But I have really noticed that the repair of men's rooms is markedly worse than women's room (more than differences in cleanliness). So if the door comes off the hinges or partly off they feel men won't really care and don't fix it.
--Jay
Only been into one that has a toilet an urinal next to each other but it did have a lock on the door. If you happen to really needed to go, bend over and rest on ur knees or cup ur crutch i seen my house mate do it all the time (he always leaves the door open) and keep a tissue in hand and pretend that your wiping your butt.
Quote from: Jill F on April 01, 2014, 02:15:05 AMI've never seen this bathroom configuration without a lock on the door. I'm pretty sure it's building code in California.
My worst bathroom experience was Dodger Stadium. The urinal is literally a communal latrine. Chavez Latrine. (If you get that joke I will kiss you.)
Same at the MSU football stadium. Of course, I lost the ability to pee standing up years ago, so I had to wait for one of the three stalls in the men's room, where 20 or so could fit at the latrine urinal.
Quote from: Lauren5 on April 01, 2014, 11:43:56 AM
Same at the MSU football stadium. Of course, I lost the ability to pee standing up years ago, so I had to wait for one of the three stalls in the men's room, where 20 or so could fit at the latrine urinal.
How did you lose the ability to pee standing up? If that is the case why don't you use the women's?
Quote from: mac1 on April 02, 2014, 07:49:46 AMHow did you lose the ability to pee standing up? If that is the case why don't you use the women's?
It's a psychological thing, probably. I just cannot pee while standing over the toilet. I have to be seated.
I was presenting as male at the time, so I had to use the men's room. Now that I'm presenting as female, I use the women's room. Of course some still criticize me for it, like when I was going into the laddie's room once, I hear someone yell out GIRL'S ROOM! loud, presumable at me, but I pretended not to notice. Two or three people were staring at me as I walked out. It was very embarrassing and I had a good cry after getting back to my room.
Quote from: mm on March 31, 2014, 12:16:44 PM
The bathrooms I have been in like that, having a toilet and urinal side by side no divider, they also have always had a lock on the door so you can by in there by yourself. So I lock the door and use the toilet
This.
I've never seen something completely open with no lock.... Out of curiosity, what country are you in?
I am in Michigan, USA.
I have gone into state highway reststops where the stall doors were only 3 feet high starting 1 1/2 feet above floor (top of door 4 1/2 feet above the floor). The women's restrooms, at the same rest stops, had 6 foot high stall doors.
When I was in basic training in the Air Force in 1962 there was not even any stall partitions in the barracks restroom.
Quote from: mac1 on April 02, 2014, 05:55:15 PM
I am in Michigan, USA.
I have gone into state highway reststops where the stall doors were only 3 feet high starting 1 1/2 feet above floor (top of door 4 1/2 feet above the floor). The women's restrooms, at the same rest stops, had 6 foot high stall doors.
When I was in basic training in the Air Force in 1962 there was not even any stall partitions in the barracks restroom.
I've seen that before! (the like 3 1/2 foot walls) SO annoying. At a rest stop in NC. I wonder if the women's were the same. No way I can check at this point in my transition (I almost always travel the route solo and if not with another guy sooo).
God that scares me. Truck stops can be dangerous places. Now I have to worry about people being able to stare at me while I'm sitting on the toilet.
Great.
I'm in Texas, and a few bars definitely have the urinal and toilet with unlocked door combo, but everyone treats them like a single user bathroom. Before learning how to use a urinal i just let my shirt or jacket hang down and cover my crotch area while sitting down. I had a guy walk in on me once but by the time i finished saying "hey, ocupado!" He was already backing out the door with a "sorry buddy!"
Random Roads, if you have been on T for almost a year i imagine people don't look twice at you, i wouldn't be too concerned...
Quote from: Polo on April 03, 2014, 06:08:03 PM
I'm in Texas, and a few bars definitely have the urinal and toilet with unlocked door combo, but everyone treats them like a single user bathroom. Before learning how to use a urinal i just let my shirt or jacket hang down and cover my crotch area while sitting down. I had a guy walk in on me once but by the time i finished saying "hey, ocupado!" He was already backing out the door with a "sorry buddy!"
Random Roads, if you have been on T for almost a year i imagine people don't look twice at you, i wouldn't be too concerned...
That's a good way to deal with it, better than the hand idea.