Etiquette for wheelchair-accessible restroom stalls?

Question

What personal rules do you use about when to use/not use the wheelchair-accessible restroom stalls? My examples:
1. If all the other stalls are taken, I try and wait rather than occupy the (last) wheelchair-enabled stall. Depends on how urgent the need is.
2. If you are at an event where there are a lot of people in line, and a person using a wheelchair comes along, do they immediately go to the front of the line, or should they wait with everyone else, but of course get the stall when it comes available?
3. If I'm using the wheelchair-enabled stall and someone with a wheelchair comes along, I immediately finish up or try to transfer to another stall.

Your thoughts?

Answer 1

There's no reason for front of the line priveleges, and besides if the line's going through the door, it wouldn't work very well anyway. Once through the door, however, I think once the wheelchair accessible stall opens, it's probably okay to offer it to the wheel chair, if only to help flow of traffic and rack up good karma points. I think it's polite to finish up if you know a wheelchair is waiting, but to attempt a stall-transfer (while incredibly considerate to think of) sounds terribly impractical, and potentially very messy. Best just to take care of business and get out the way. If there's no wheelchairs around, I say the stall is free game for anybody as it comes up in the rotation.

Answer 2

1) If all the other stalls are taken, I plow into the first available and CLEAN stall, handicapped or not (we all have to pee, it isn't a "restricted" stall after all!)

2) The person in the wheelchair should move to the front of the line for a couple of reasons. First of all, they can ONLY go in the handicapped stall, so if they have to wait, they may have to actually wait longer than others. Second, that stall was made for those in wheelchairs, it is their only option whereas I can go in any of them. Third, people in wheelchairs often have conditions that we do not know about. This might cause them to have trouble or urgency while going. Unless you have a dancing three year old on your hands, you can wait an extra forty seconds for a regular stall to clear up.

3) If I'm already in the stall, I definitely would hurry up and finish but I would not "transfer". I'm sure everyone understands that it is not kosher to have to transfer mid-biz!!

Oh, and when I go into a bathroom, I ALWAYS go for the handicapped "cushy" stall. Why should they get all the perks? A stall is a stall as long as there isn't a wheelchair around!

Excellent questions. There was a Dear Abby column about this a while back with basically the same rules.

Answer 3

I don't use the accessible stall unless they are all full. If they are full, I don't have a problem using it. It's only going to take me a couple minutes, anyway, but I'd let anyone who needed that stall use it first.

I'd say the person in the wheelchair can go to the front of the line and wait until the accessible stall is open.

I don't think you need to move to the next stall, unless someone indicates they need the stall NOW. Like I said, how long will it really take you?

I know a lot of people use the accessible stall because they are larger (the person and the stall), which seems fine to me, as long as you don't take it from someone who really needs it.

A lot of parents also take their 12 kids into the accessible stall. Thank god they have family restrooms in a lot of places now. I don't really know any better solution, but it seems like they shouldn't take up the accessible stall.

Also remember that the elderly use the accessible stall for the high seat and rails. Some people forget about that and need to be more sensitive to their needs.

Personally, the seat is too damn high for me to hover.

Answer 4

I believe that the wheelchair-accessible stalls are only there as an option for a person in a wheelchair or handicapped in some way. They are not SOLELY for that purpose, only as an option. Anyone can use them and should use them - there is no reason not to. They are stalls just like the rest of them, only with different features. If someone in a wheelchair does come along and needs to use the restroom, then I would always allow them to go ahead of me because it takes them longer to get into the stall, get off the wheelchair, etc. That's just common courtesy in my opinion.

Answer 5

I don't wait for anyone in a wheelchair to come along. If there's a line and that stall is open, I take it. My mother, although she's not in a wheelchair, often uses those stalls because the toilet is higher and she's tall.

If a person in a wheelchair comes along in line, I would say let them use the wheelchair stall as soon as it opens up, seeing as how it's the only one they can use. The other people have more possibilities for stalls that will open up for them.

If I'm using a wheelchair-accessible stall and a person in a wheelchair comes along, I don't know it because I'm in the stall.

Answer 6

Onewlldandcrazyguy is an ***. I hope HE winds up in a wheelchair so he can experience the difficulties people face. My friend is disabled and it is VERY unfair for her to wait in line for ONE stall while everyone else has the option of serveral stalls. She goes to the front of the line. As for the stupid women changing their babies in there, find another place. Also, it is NOT a place to relax and smoke. Anyone doing any of this stuff is just ignorant.

Answer 7

Since when do people with handicaps no longer have any bladder control.

I just think it's crazy that we've spent the last 20 years changing everything from bathroom stalls to street corners to building steps to parking spaces so there can be a sense of independence and now a bunch of whiny, sniveling PC do-gooders want to run around making themselves "feel good" by "letting them to the front of the line."

Now that's true discrimination. It's like saying, "here you go you little weak freak, you got no legs so I'll let you pee before me."

What garbage.

And Merlot, I'm an *** for bringing attention to the fact that people with challenges want to be treated like everyone else but you have no problem assuming that women who need to change their baby's diaper are "stupid" for using the one stall that was most likely where the changing table was mounted?!!??!

Then let me clarify so you can understand there should be one line per stall, stay with me, so if there is 3 stalls = 3 lines, still there? OK, then if you happen to be in the line with the bigger stall, you should not have to give up your spot to the person in the wheelchair any more than give it up to the one with drool hanging from their lip.

You need to understand that being treated fairly and equal (which is what most people with challenges want) does not mean being treated more fairly or extra equal, grow up and ask your friend instead of assuming.

Answer 8

If you are in the United States contact your local Center for Independent Living. You can google it. They have made so many places accessible for people in my area. We have an advocacy club. This year we went around and found all the inaccessible parking places and we told the leader of the club. He went out and looked at the sites we found. He wrote letters to the business asking them to make the changes so they are following the law. He gives them time to make the changes if the don't comply he writes another letter if they still don't comply then he files a complaint against them and they get fined. So see if you Center for Independent Living dose some thing like that. If not then suggest it. Like some wise person told me, " I always thought, 'Why doesn't somebody do something?' Then I realized I was somebody."

Answer 9

Good questions! I used to think, why shouldn't people in a wheelchair have to wait, because everyone else has to wait in line, but then there's only ONE handicapped acc. stall.
I usually only use the handicapped stall if there's a really long line, and it seems silly for it to be empty.

Answer 10

1) sounds reasonable
2) they should be 1st in line for the accessible stall
3) just finish up