Public handicapped restrooms...

[Vanquisher]

Right now my thinking is that handicapped stalls make the bathroom accessable to handicapped people; they're not designed for the exclusive use of the handicapped. They get priority if we arrive at the same time of course, but otherwise, it's a toilet, for goodness sake, not a hate crime.

Heck, I've been known to use the men's single toilet bathroom when the women's door was locked. :huh: What's the big deal. A smile and a comment like "Sorry, I'm illiterate today." usually makes anyone waiting chuckle. Guys are so laid back, I love em.

I totally agree Jody. "Handicapped" stalls are there for EVERYONE to use, and are designed to be accessible, but not exclusive. As others have pointed out, it is often where the diaper changing station is, is the only place you can cram your gaggle of kids into, and sometimes is the only stall available.

Sorry, but I'll go into a handicapped stall even if there are others open and I am by myself if it is the cleanest.

Too bad you didn't have a witty comeback. I always think of them after the moment is long past. I am usually so shocked by people and their aggressive, hateful attitudes that I can't say anything, but usually manage to mutter a shy, "sorry" even if I'm not and the situation doesn't warrant it. I am a habitual apologizer. I get it from my mom.

To hijack....There are 8 handicapped parking spaces at the baseball field where my son plays. There aren't enough spaces for all the people who are there, ever. People park in the fire lane and in places that aren't parking spaces, blocking people in and creating parking lot chaos. So, is it better, in this circumstance, to take an available handicapped spot, or park in another illegal and probably more dangerous location? This happened to us on Tuesday, and I told dh, "just park in a handicapped spot. We can move when some of the other cars clear out." As it happened, we ended up getting a spot further away when we saw reverse lights come on just after this exchange.

I think that there are several occasions when handicapped people do have very difficult times of gaining access to places, but I have noticed the flipside in places too. Should there be a strict, 10% of spaces need to be handicapped, OR should the type of setting be taken into account? Maybe the store front only has 3 spaces. Should one of them have to be handicapped?

[PrincessFiona]

I never thought about this before.........

hmmmm

[GrayMatterWife]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

Should non-handicapped people use handicapped stalls? (Do you use them?)

In response to your "personal" question: yes, I use them.

From a legal point of view, persons with disabilities do not get priority use of the modified stalls. This is not what the law requires. The law requires only that the public facility provide a properly modified stall. Anyone can use the stall and the disabled don't have a legal right to "line cut" simply because there is a specially modified toliet for them. You did nothing wrong. The stall is there to ensure that a person with a disability who cannot use an ordinary stall is not prevented from patronizing the facility. It is not for their exclusive use. ADA requirements are meant to provide access, not privilege.

Note that there is not a sign on the door advising that you should cede the stall should a disabled person need the stall. Compare that with signs on buses that require that you give up your seat if you are seated in a disabled-priority area. In both situations, you may use the handicap-modified facility. It is not reserved only for the disabled. In the latter situation, you must immediate cede the bus seat, however, if a handicapped person gets on the bus and needs the seat because immediately doing so would not pose a health or sanitation concern. Clearly, you do not have this burden to cede the toliet seat, for those same concerns.

And both of the circumstances, of course, contrast with protected parking spots. These spots are for the disable patron's exclusive use. And the exclusivity makes sense: people stay parked in a parking spot a lot longer than they stay parked on the pot or in a bus seat. And it would be completely impossible to enforce a "cede your spot" rule for a parking spot. It's not like on the bus, where people can see a disabled person get on the bus and then can immediately move, accordingly.

From a "social manners" point of view, this is my opinion: If the disabled person had been standing in line, and you were ahead of that person, and the disabled stall opened up first, I would think that good manners would dictate that you offer the stall to the disabled person. However, if she was not there, you did NOTHING wrong in using the stall. She was being a bitch. Apparently, being physically disabled was the least of her problems. An inability to walk is not an excuse for an inability to be polite.

At least, that's what I'd think.

Print out Abigail's response just in case you bump into her again Jodi!

[PrincessFiona]

Print out Abigail's response just in case you bump into her again Jodi!

That is exactly what I thought! Thanks for the lesson, Abigail. I hadn't thought about this issue before. Now I know.

Kris

[GrayMatterWife]

Print out Abigail's response just in case you bump into her again Jodi!

That is exactly what I thought! Thanks for the lesson, Abigail. I hadn't thought about this issue before. Now I know.

Kris

Yeah, well...

I'm not sure if it is all that helpful. I mean, if I was accosted by a wheelchair-bound bitch in the ladies' room, I think even I would be shocked speechless.

Well, maybe not speechless , but I don't think my response would have been very well-though-out or kind.

[Rapunzel]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

Something this makes me think of is: Pregnancy.

When I am at the end of pregnancy I am severly limited in my capacity to do physical activity. Total strangers will run over to me concerned that I'm about to go into labor - because I LOOK like I am! I am huge, I cannot walk properly from the severe backpain and sciatica (sp???) - I literally shuffle along S-L-O-W-L-Y.

This has already started with this particular pregnancy - and I have six weeks to go.

When I am in this condition it is so frustrating for me to see people park in the handicapped parking lot of, say, the grocery store, leap out of their car and just walk - normally - inside. While I shuffle along taking about five full minutes to get from my parking space to the grocery store doors. These are people who have handicapped tags - no doubt about it. Often they are elderly. But, there are soooo many times when I have been tempted to just park in a handicapped-only parking space. Because, I am pretty much physically handicapped.

Anyway, I was always under the impression that handicapped-access restroom stalls along with handicapped-access grocery store check-out were open to all unless and until someone came along who needed THOSE particular facilities because use of the other "normal" facilities was just...impossible.

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

Speaking of TR's post: some places have pregnant mom parking up near the entrance of a building. All places should have this.

[Rapunzel]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

Speaking of TR's post: some places have pregnant mom parking up near the entrance of a building. All places should have this.

I WISH!

At least then I wouldn't scare the crap out of people in the parking lot - thinking I was about to break my water and deliver right there!

[alison]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

This reminded me of how it is in some parking lots in Germany -- women's parking spots. You're closer to the entrances and well-lit areas of the parking garage!

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

This reminded me of how it is in some parking lots in Germany -- women's parking spots. You're closer to the entrances and well-lit areas of the parking garage!

Can't those German women just deal? Why do those women expect special accommodations when they're pregnant and who pays for the parking spots? Does that come out of the tax revenue? Maybe they shouldn't drive while they are pregnant.

:> just jokin'

Seriously...I was going to post the same thing, Alison.

[alison]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

This reminded me of how it is in some parking lots in Germany -- women's parking spots. You're closer to the entrances and well-lit areas of the parking garage!

Can't those German women just deal? Why do those women expect special accommodations when they're pregnant and who pays for the parking spots? Does that come out of the tax revenue? Maybe they shouldn't drive while they are pregnant.

:> just jokin'

Seriously...I was going to post the same thing, Alison.

I didn't think it was for pregnancy, but for safety. I think it's so funny that they call them Frauenparkplaetze. Or at least that's what my husband calls them. This would not fly in the US.

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

We have parking spots designated for mothers with infants/young children. I LOVED them when I had 2 non-walkers. Brilliant.

Funny story:

I told dh about my handicapped bathroom theory...

Dh: "Well then, what about hc parking spaces?"

Me: "That's different, you're not going to spend all day in a toilet stall."

Dh: "Speak for yourself. There's a lot of interesting things going on in there. Especially if you happen to be in Minnesota."

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...

[Stella]

Re: Public handicapped restrooms...



Oh, and I completely agree with Abigail.