U.K. PARURESIS TRUST

UK paruresis trust

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use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Adam on 11/6/2006, 6:22 pm

Hello,
I was wondering if it is illegal to use the disabled toilets? before my local pub got refurbished i had no problem whatsoever peeing in the toilets, then it got taken over (blah blah blah)and the toilets too also got renovated *cries* so anyway, when me and my mates decided to venture back to our old local i really found myself in desperate need to go to the toilet. So i went to introduce myself to the new toilet but i couldnt even get settled as the lock on the door didnt work so i wa stuck and thought to myself, 'well ive gotta go'. so anyway i waited for the only person to of entered the toilet after me to leave and decided to jump into the disabled toilet (which i have to add was like a palace in there) and i went without any problems. but afterwards although i felt good about letting go, i felt bad because i was using the disabled tiolet and i'm not disabled. did i do something wrong?
Thanks,
Adam
p.s. if anyone ventures into TGI's in Covent Garden in London, the men's cubicles are very impressive, it was like walking into another room...literally.

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Lusy on 11/6/2006, 6:28 pm, in reply to "use of disabled toilets?"

As far as I know it's not illegal to use a disabled loo. I've done in one occasion both when out and at work.
The thing to remember is that although we, as able bodied people, can access the disabled loo the disabled folks don't have that option.

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Adam on 11/6/2006, 6:37 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

i didnt think i was doing anything wrong but thought id ask just in case the next i attempted too i got arrested or something!!! Now that definately would be one for the forum LOL!!

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Andrew on 11/6/2006, 6:41 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Hi Adam
You're studying Criminology with Law, and you are asking US?! lol
We might be supportive friendly and knowledgebale about AP (?) but we don't know everyfink like...
best
Andrew

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Adam on 11/6/2006, 7:25 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Thats really funny Andrew, you don't actually think I pay attention at uni do you? how funny!! LOL

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Paul (Cambs) on 12/6/2006, 7:26 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Hi Adam.
Use of disabled toilets? Well the question for me is does suffering from paruresis mean that you are disabled? To answer that question you would have to establish whether disabled toilets are meant solely for the use of physically disabled people who cannot use 'normal' public toilets? Hang on a minute.................. 'cannot use normal public tiolets'........ isn't that us? (Note that by the wording above I've already discriminated against mentally disabled people who may also choose to use the diabled toilet facility but may not 'need' to. How many people would challenge them?)I doubt very much whether you would ever find a disabled person who would mind waiting for a few minutes while you used the toilet if you explained to them why. Obviously I'm not suggesting that you do but the fact is that you could validate your use if challenged. Think of the people who are caught and fined for urinating in doorways once the pubs/clubs throw out (I'm not suggesting that this is acceptable - depending on the exact location, but)how many of these people are unable to 'go' in a packed out club toilet scenario? Would they be able to overturn an imposed fine in court? Lots of work for you to undertake in the future perhaps - lol ;-)

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Lusy on 13/6/2006, 6:55 am, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Hey, *all* the best people have a degree in Crim!! (sociology with crim, in my case)

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Adam on 13/6/2006, 7:12 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Lusy this is so cool...something else we got in common

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Lee H on 28/11/2008, 12:10 am, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

It is not illegal however it is ignorant as you are blocking what would be an empty toliet from being used by someone with a disability.

I have MS and though not in a wheelchair it is painful for me to stand around which is what i would be doing if an able bodied person was using the toilet.

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Andrew on 28/11/2008, 7:57 am, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Hi Lee

I have to take issue with you on this. A disabled toilet is one that is for use of the general public, but is specially adapted so that disabled people (usually meaning in a wheelchair) can use it as well.

I can appreciate that you dont want to wait while someone else is in there, but that is a fact of life; there could be another disabled person in there. The idea is not that the disabled toilet should be available the minute you want it, but that it is one that someone in a wheelchair can use.

Disabilities of all sorts exist. Being unable to empty your bladder when you need to is a disability, since it could result in needing to be rushed to A&E to be catheterised.

You say you are not in a wheelchair, so I assume you could use a cubicle in a public toilet, and are not restricted to a disabbled toilet.

Please acknowledge that others have disabilities and needs as well as you, and that we all need to help each other with our difficulties.

best wishes

Andrew

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Steph on 28/11/2008, 3:48 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

The generalisation of disabled toilet has been a real blessing over the last ten years for me. Especially in airports were I used to stress so much about not peeing on planes that sometime I couldn't even use normal cubicles two hours before take-off and ended up keeping a full bladder fro up to 10 hours... The disabled loo give you some real privacy and your own space to chill out and eventually pee without problem. I have never let anyone give me any shit about this, be it toilets attendants who try to prevent me from using them or other users who feel like they are more entitled to use them and give me a bad look or even verbally complain. No one carries a disable logo tatooed on his forehead and disability can be invisible for other people. I also happen to have chronic lower spine problem and also find the disabled toilet seats much better for my chronic pain as they tend to be much higher than regular ones. I am 6'3 and if I sit on a seat that's too low it will eventually trigger pain and then numbness in my back/groin/pelvis after 5mns. Does it show on my face or in the way I walk when I enter the disabled loo or leave it ? Absolutely not. If someone tries to bully me on me using the disabled loo I am happy to give them a lecture on either spinal compression or paruresis. And I often consider paruresis a much worse disability than my spinal problem. So don't let anyone bully you in the loo. That's a good start to deal with your AP. Everyone with a legitimate reason is entitled to use the disabled loo. And you are the only judge here. Don't give a damn about what the others think. Only your own conscience and comfort matter. You will always be someone else's disabled/abled person anyway. One thing disabilities of any kind should teach you is tolerance.

Sorry for sounding angry here but I feel quite strong about this. I hope that helps.

Steph

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Vincent0ne- on 31/8/2006, 6:53 pm, in reply to "use of disabled toilets?"

Hi there
Use of Disabled toilets is perfectly fine, as i always used it myself, last time i did attempt to use it i did get told off by some security guard but waited for him to dissapear and carried on using it.
Main thing now i cath, i dont need to worry about that idiot who told me off.
Vincent0ne-

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by Alison on 5/9/2006, 3:49 pm, in reply to "use of disabled toilets?"

Once, several years ago, when I was on a course for work I tried several times to go to the 'normal' toilets without success, so I nipped into the disabled toilet, but felt so guilty I couldn't go there either, and had to last out all day. I regard it as part of my recovery that I can now go in a disabled toilet if I need to without feeling any guilt or embarrassment at all. I have done so several times, and never been challenged - I doubt if anyone has ever even noticed, and wouldn't have cared if they had. I think the purpose of having disabled toilets at all is to enable people who would otherwise be unable to go to the toilet to have the same right to have their needs met as anyone else, and I think that applies to us as much as to any physically disabled person. I doubt if there is any law against it, and if there was it would need to be challenged.

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by K on 3/1/2009, 3:11 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

I don't see any problem with using them and I keep a RADAR key in the car so that I can use locked ones if I need to. Nobody queried it when I applied for one I just paid the 7 UKP or whatever it was then.

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by AdamP on 12/1/2009, 9:21 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

RADAR keys are available on ebay from £2.00 + postage.

Happy New Years fellow readers.

AdamP

Re: use of disabled toilets?

Posted by James on 14/1/2009, 9:04 pm, in reply to "Re: use of disabled toilets?"

Mmm I have one at work that I find others using and Im not using it! I must be crazy. Man this problem sucks (big time) I am so confident and fun loving in every other aspect of life but this is just a fun wrecker for me. Im fine in crowded public loos where no one knows me (in cubicles) but at work I struggle! But i dont think there is anything wrong with using them. Some physically disabled people probably find it easier to pee than we do.

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