Handicap Bathroom?

Question

This isn't really political.. but it deals with political correctness (i guess)

The other day I had to use the bathroom reeeeeeeeeeal bad.. the only stall that was available was the handicap, so I used it. When I came out there was a woman in a wheelchair giving me the most evil eye ever, as I walked by she said under her breath "Inconsiderate". That really bothered me. Why should I wait in line for a bathroom when there is one available.

Am I completely out of line on this subject... or is just another case of people being overcompensated for their misfortunes, thus making them nasty when they have to wait a few minutes. I'm not about to walk on egg shells, what do you think?

What if I had been in a bad mood as well... if I had said somehting back to her you flippin liberals would have called me a handicap hater or something...

Answer 1

In a club where I used to work, we had a "disabled toilet". I objected to this use of language - simply because the toilet itself was not disabled.

It was then decided (correctly, in my opinion) that we also couldn't call it a "toilet for disabled people" - as society is what disables people who rely on wheelchairs etc - by having doors too narrow, and not enough ramps to cope with a significant chunk of our population. The people themselves are not disabled, they're perfectly capable of achievement and competence - society disables them.

So it was decided to call it an "accessible toilet". Fair enough.

But - it was a nightclub, and the management didn't want other (drunken) customers to use and break the accessible toilet - so, as part of the RADAR system, it was kept locked - with a special key.

Does anyone else think it odd that the "accessible" toilet was the only one which was kept locked?

Anyway - in answer to your question - it would have been a lot more insensitive toward all patrons of the facilities if you had been standing in line and sh@t yourself all over the floor!

When you gotta go - you gotta go!

If you had been having sex in there, or doing drugs, and taking twenty minutes over it, when there's a demand for that one "accessible" toilet - that's wrong, and the wheelchair user would be perfectly entitled to run over your foot on the way out...

I'm more concerned about your thoughts toward people being "overcompensated for their misfortunes". There are good and bad; patient and intolerant people within every sector of society - and, in fairness, wheelchair users are treated really badly the majority of the time...

anyway - all in my own humble opinion...

Answer 2

If I am alone and the handicapped stall is the only one open then I will wait for another stall to open up - although other people will sometimes jump ahead of me and use the big stall. However, I often have one or both of my children with me and the only way to get us all in the bathroom together, if a family restroom is not availalbe, is to use the handicapped stall. I've never actually seen a handicapped person waiting but if I did, of course I would not jump ahead of them with my kids - I would wait. But I am not going to leave my 3 year old standing in the bathroom alone while I pee, nor can she go all by herself in a stall. I have seen several bathrooms where the only changing table is in the stall that is supposedly for handicapped so I assume they also mean for families to use this. I appreciate when stores have a family restroom or two available because then we can all fit and do not have to take a handicapped one.

Answer 3

I have used them many times as well, when there wasn't another stall available. I f there was a handicapped person waiting, I'd let them go first, but unless you are going in there to catch up on your reading or something, I don't see where it's a huge deal to buzz in and out. Sometimes people go overboard with things, and if she had a problem with you, I'd leave it at that, HER problem. I'm sure she's done things that inconvenienced other people too at some point. Just a lady having a bad day, or one with a bad attitude if you ask me!

Answer 4

I see nothing wrong with using it if there is no handicapped person waiting for it. Now if you jump in front of them while they are waiting,then it is inconsiderate. Technically they say you are supposed to keep it open for a disabled person,but when you got to go,you got to go.
I am disabled myself,but I can use the regular stalls since I am not in a wheelchair. I do find that some disabled people use their disability to expect special treatment,but most just want to be treated the same as everyone else.

Answer 5

Not at all. Some people are jerks--and having a disability doesn't excuse that. I have a disability myself--and I see a lot of this. Most people with disabilities act like everyone else--but htere are some who think that "reasonable accomodation" means everyone is supposed to cater to them. You weren't being inconsiderate--or "pollidticallly incorrect"--you were using common sense.

Some public accomodations--like reserved parking spaces--need to be reserved for persons with disabilities. In other cases--such as restrooms--reserving special stallls or whatever for exclusive use makes no sense.

Answer 6

I wonder if she would have given the evil eye if you had come out of there in a wheel chair, with crutches, with a significant limp too. Either way she would have had to wait.

As far as I'm concerned if you have to go potty bad enough, that's a handicap in itself. It makes completing anything more difficult.

So, unless you were taking your sweet @ss time in the stall, I don't think you did anything wrong. It wasn't like you parked in a handicapped spot in the parking lot.

Answer 7

Forget it. Handicap stalls aren't reserved for exclusive use by handicapped people, they are there so handicapped people have access to facilities, not so they might not have to wait for a minute or two to use them.

Answer 8

I dont think that you were wrong. You have to wait to use the restroom why not her? I think its nice to let someone go ahead of me if they are handicapped but dont feel bad if someone comes in and expects to have everything and everyone waiting on them

Answer 9

Nope. For equality's sake she should have just as much right to wait for an open stall as you do.

I don't have those issues, there is always another fire hydrant right down the street.

Answer 10

I would have done the same thing. Don't worry about it.

Her handicapped most likely didn't give her an uncontrollable bladder.

It didn't hurt her to wait.