The handicapped bathroom stall

That reminds me of the time I was flying on Air France (never do that again) and there was a line 12 long for the two bathrooms at the back of the plane. A pregnant woman couldn't wait anymore so she headed for one of two empty bathrooms at the front of the plane (in 1st class). A steward promptly stopped her and told her those bathrooms were only for 1st class passengers, of whom there were 3, all sleeping.

Using common sense would help
Using common sense when fitting public bathrooms. Instead of trying to change people's behavior, wouldn't it be easier to correct a design flaw?

It is strange that bathroom designers install two toilet heights in public bathrooms. One for regular stalls and a higher one for handicapped stalls. They don't cost that much more than the low seats. I just replaced the toilet in my master bathroom to one with a 19-inch height and I didn't pay any higher price for it than a regular height.

First, if all of the toilets were the higher type (prox 19 inches above the floor) and an important wall hand rail, the vast majority of disabled people could use any toilet without difficulty. Then handicapped people like me, who have great difficulty using very low toilet seats, could use any stall and not have to wait for the handicapped stall to be vacated. That would leave the large handicapped stall for people in wheel chairs or electric scooters to use.

Any children young enough to have difficulty getting on the higher toilet seat is usually accompanied by an adult who could help the child, so that would not be a problem. The extra two or three inches of the higher toilet should not be a problem anyway.

I've had to wait many times for access to a handicapped stall because of my disabilities when someone without any handicap was using it just because they like the larger stall, are thoughtless, are stupid, or all of the above.

BBB

Handicapped parking
When I lived in California before I retired, I had permanent handicapped license plates on my car. Now, in New Mexico, license plates are not issued, only handicapped placards are available.

Without handicapped parking spaces, my independent living would be very difficult. I can't tell you the number of times I've had to give up shopping because I couldn't find a parking space close enough to the store I wanted to go to. You cannot begin to understand my frustration and anger when I've gone to a mall and driven around for 5 or 10 minutes looking for a parking space and gave up and drove home. That store lost my business. That's why I've learned to do most of my shopping on line or by catalogue or QVC and having my purchases delivered to my home. There are still things I can't get that way (groceries, plant materials, Home Depot, etc.) but I do pretty well. I even spent thousands of dollars on a collapsible electric scooter and an electric lift in the trunk of my car so that I could use it when necessary to get around.

I so often find people without handicap placards parked in the restricted spots. I also see people using someone else' placard parked there. For example, I've seen able young people, contractors in pickup trucks, etc., clearly without a physical handicap parked in these spots. I realize that some handicaps may not be clearly visible, such as impaired lungs, etc., but most abusers are not in those conditions. I've even found employees (including one store manager whose abuse of the handicap spot enraged me) use these reserved spots for convenience and not necessity.

And for those of you who use the excuse that "I will only be in the spot for a few minutes so its OK to temporarily use the handicapped spot," that doesn't cut it with me when I arrive while you were there and I had to give up and go home. When you multiply your "few minutes" by the number of drivers with the same attitude, you will find the handicap spot is constantly occupied most of the day.

Just wait until you get old or suffer a handicap. Then you will understand how inconsiderate you are. I carry in my car a little friendly, but firm notice that I had printed requesting that a violator of a handicap spot not break the law (including the fine amounts) and not make it impossible for a disabled person to live with some independence. When I see an illegal parker, I sometimes place this notice on the car windshield as a reminder of their lack of consideration. On the few occasions I've spoken to a violator, I try to be a nice as possible, hoping that the person will learn something that never occurred to him. Most people have been nice and apologized, saying they never thought about the problem they created.

BBB

I am not inconsiderate or an abuser of parking in handicapped parking spaces. I just can't stand it when I go to places where handicapped people are highly unlikely to go and there are a bunch of empty reserved spaces. For example, the golf course, a ski area, or the gym. Anyone partaking in those activities probably isn't handicapped such that they require their own special parking space. Not to mention the fact that these spaces are almost always empty. I would be just as upset as a business owner having to set aside a great deal of parking spaces that never get used, as I have been after spending many spins around the parking lot looking for a space, while a dozen handicapped spots sit empty.

The Handicapped facilities are intended as an ACCOMMODATION, which is not intended as an ENTITLEMENT.

Created and maintained as a public service, they should not be ABUSED by EITHER party.

They are not intended as Reading Rooms, or telephone booths, or Wardrobe Changing Rooms, or "shooting galleries"...

So BBB, where does this leave me? Was I a jerk for spending that 12 seconds in the handicapped bathroom, or is it permissible because I had blood running down my leg? (Sorry for the graphic picture, boys!)

I won't park in a handicapped parking space unless I'm needed immediately to administer CPR and it's the only spot available. (Okay that's never happened to me, but its one scenario in which it might be acceptable.) I don't think any of us advocate running over little old ladies in wheel chairs or being selfish or creating unnecessary hardships for anybody.

But, when you gotta go you gotta go. There are always those temporary emergencies as Boomom has explained. And many folks getting some age on us, especially those who have borne children, as well as those who are about to bear children, frequently gotta go more often than the rest of the average population and there is sometimes a measure of urgency involved. (Was I sufficiently discrete here?) To not have facilities available can definitely create a handicap of sorts.

When in a hurry and there's no one there in a bigger hurry, I'm gonna use the stall available.

Common sense in all things.

People should never never assume that because someone is not visably h/c that they are not. A friend of mine and her b/f were walking into a store and saw some guy pull up and park in a h/c spot. He didn't appear to have a sticker for his car or his license plate. He got out and walked into the store. They followed him in and her b/f proceeded to ream this guy out for parking there. The guy stood there taking it and then ever so smugly pulled up his pant leg and said "I have a prosthetic." Apparently he'd forgotten to put his sticker out. How embarrassing is that?

I did that once and the guy turned out to be blind.

Cjhia--

I know the handicapped parking spots at gyms are used by cardio rehab patients and people getting other sorts of physical therapy.

BBB is a well loved member of the forum but we love you too, bloody leg and all......and I feel certain that had BBB been the lady waiting for the stall and undertod your emergency she would have been gracious and understanding about it, so probably it just depends on the people you are dealing with......I still say just pop her one and then take two steps back :wink:

My mother, who passed away in 1989, contracted polio when I was 3 years old (1955). She was unable to walk without crutches, and then only on level surfaces, and could only drive a car fitted with hand controls.

She refused to park in handicapped spaces.

Nobody got my joke?

It's fairly easy to decide really, when using a handicapped washroom in a public place. If you really need to go, look around and see if there are any handicapped people around. If not, and if you prefer the larger stall, go for it, but hurry it up, just in case. Anyone who actually uses a handicapped stall while a real handicapped person is waiting for it is just plain cruel. The best thing to do in that situation is just hold it, give them the stall, and while they're in there, break into their car and steal their parking sign. :wink: I got your joke cjhsa. I heard a funny comedy bit on the radio, written by a blind guy, about the "All Blind Olympics". It was damn funny, especially when they talked about javelin and shot put.

In all sincerity, I wanted to share this story. Please read: http://www.toronto.com/feature/12682/

Re: Using common sense would help
[quote="BumbleBeeBoogie"]Using common sense when fitting public bathrooms. Instead of trying to change people's behavior, wouldn't it be easier to correct a design flaw?

It is strange that bathroom designers install two toilet heights in public bathrooms. One for regular stalls and a higher one for handicapped stalls. They don't cost that much more than the low seats. I just replaced the toilet in my master bathroom to one with a 19-inch height and I didn't pay any higher price for it than a regular height.

First, if all of the toilets were the higher type (prox 19 inches above the floor) and an important wall hand rail, the vast majority of disabled people could use any toilet without difficulty. Then handicapped people like me, who have great difficulty using very low toilet seats, could use any stall and not have to wait for the handicapped stall to be vacated. That would leave the large handicapped stall for people in wheel chairs or electric scooters to use.

Any children young enough to have difficulty getting on the higher toilet seat is usually accompanied by an adult who could help the child, so that would not be a problem. The extra two or three inches of the higher toilet should not be a problem anyway.[/quote]

I find it interesting that no one responded to my remedy suggestion that all toilets in public restrooms should be handicapped height. Does anyone think it has merit?

Cav, of course I would invite someone having a real emergency to use the handicapped stall. My only problem is that most of my visits to a public toilet are an emergency because of a medical condition. I consider myself lucky to find a vacant stall of any toilet height. Women have more problems than men because women can't use urinals. This often results in lines of women waiting to get into a stall, a situation I think most men don't experience.

BBB

I did, cj. Having a visual handicap myself (yes, I am somewhat falling apart) I have often thought of this. I barely pass the eye exam at the DMV. They have to adjust it or just let it go. When looking into the machine, I see, for example, lines 1 and 3 but not 2 because line 2 only appears as a test of the right eye. I do not have central vision in my right eye.
However, when able to use both eyes, I can see the line and read it off for them.

I COULD get a handicap sticker or plate, and use handicap parking, but how weird would that be? I would be one of those "non visible" handicapped that people stop and yell at for parking in handicapped, only to have to tell them it is because I am partially blind. (Might actually be kinda fun)

Ummm Squinney, if you're blind enough to merit a handicapped sticker, wouldn't that present a sort of a problem in driving to the handicapped space in the first place?

BBB- Its a great idea, but I think it goes a little further than that. The stalls would also have to be slightly larger to accomodate the arm rail. May seem like a little thing until you consider...

a little more floor tile

a little more space for BR instead of sales space

a little more paint

a little more lighting

a little more for larger doors for wider stalls

etc.

Eventually it all adds up. May not be a big deal for 2, rather than one stall, but if all were handicap accesible it likely would be a bigger financial difference than is feasible.