As we celebrate 100 years today (June 22nd) since the biggest suffragette rally, let me say this blog is really for all you gals out there who feel something should at last (at least?) be done about our lack of equality - our inconvenient 'public conveniences'.
Feel free to comment on here or direct to my email (click 'view my complete profile')
Ally
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Sunday, 8 June 2008
email from Lorraine
I've had an email from Lorraine, a girl who goes to a different school in France than the one mentioned below, and she says things are not as wonderful there!
She says the toilet block was built in 1975 with equal numbers of cubicles (6 each) for girls and boys, but since then SIX urinals have been added to the boys'.
Apparently these are situated so that the girls can see them - but that's small compensation. Though PERHAPS doing it out in the open will make the boys feel guilty? But... well no it probably wont!.
And we don't really want to see teenage boys being unable to aim, do we?
She says the toilet block was built in 1975 with equal numbers of cubicles (6 each) for girls and boys, but since then SIX urinals have been added to the boys'.
Apparently these are situated so that the girls can see them - but that's small compensation. Though PERHAPS doing it out in the open will make the boys feel guilty? But... well no it probably wont!.
And we don't really want to see teenage boys being unable to aim, do we?
Monday, 26 May 2008
One gold star...
...to a primary school in Les Eyzies (I think u spell it like that) in France.
The new toilet block there apparently has FIFTEEN individual doored cubicles for the Girls.
The Boys have a communal urinal, which is apparently big enough for 9 (!) plus 6 cubicles, 2 with doors (so that male teachers can use them we're told!).
So equality at last ?
At least starting in primary/elementary schools makes sense, maybe the girls will expect toilet equality for the rest of their life - and let's hope they enforce laws to get it!
Ally
The new toilet block there apparently has FIFTEEN individual doored cubicles for the Girls.
The Boys have a communal urinal, which is apparently big enough for 9 (!) plus 6 cubicles, 2 with doors (so that male teachers can use them we're told!).
So equality at last ?
At least starting in primary/elementary schools makes sense, maybe the girls will expect toilet equality for the rest of their life - and let's hope they enforce laws to get it!
Ally
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Does TP stand for TransPennine or... ?
On the TransPennine express train from Manchester to Edinburgh on Tuesday morning there was no tp.
"I'm desperate to wee", said 1 girl to her male companion, who seemed disinterested (what's new?).
And there were no staff to even make the complaint to (the woman collecting rubbish seemed to have disappeared).
Isn't it bad enough that we have mixed toilets on British trains (unlike Canadian ones) without everyone being supposed to (offensively) 'drip dry' in the same way?
This may, yet again, seem like a minor chink in a world suffering earthquakes and cyclones, but if the small things aren't paid attention to, even more big things will erupt.
"I'm desperate to wee", said 1 girl to her male companion, who seemed disinterested (what's new?).
And there were no staff to even make the complaint to (the woman collecting rubbish seemed to have disappeared).
Isn't it bad enough that we have mixed toilets on British trains (unlike Canadian ones) without everyone being supposed to (offensively) 'drip dry' in the same way?
This may, yet again, seem like a minor chink in a world suffering earthquakes and cyclones, but if the small things aren't paid attention to, even more big things will erupt.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Quoting...
I quote from an email from Thea Langley (with her permission) to a friend of mine.
"We arrived in Macau from Hong Kong. Both Rxx and I needed to water the grass as he calls it. What a surprise that he walked into an 'open' Gents and did his business (I could see him) while I stood in a line with 8 women waiting. When I got in there was no seat and no paper!"
I think that says a lot. Just because we need the privacy and the paper that men don't, shouldn't mean we have to suffer for it. Whether or not Thea should have been able to see Rxx, he didn't mind, and she could have chosen not to anyway.
Men will no doubt say that this demonstrates as usual how easier it is to provide for them than us, but, once again, that isn't the point!
What it also demonstrates (as usual) is that adequate toilet provision is even more important for us than for them.
Ally
"We arrived in Macau from Hong Kong. Both Rxx and I needed to water the grass as he calls it. What a surprise that he walked into an 'open' Gents and did his business (I could see him) while I stood in a line with 8 women waiting. When I got in there was no seat and no paper!"
I think that says a lot. Just because we need the privacy and the paper that men don't, shouldn't mean we have to suffer for it. Whether or not Thea should have been able to see Rxx, he didn't mind, and she could have chosen not to anyway.
Men will no doubt say that this demonstrates as usual how easier it is to provide for them than us, but, once again, that isn't the point!
What it also demonstrates (as usual) is that adequate toilet provision is even more important for us than for them.
Ally
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Where are you?
Thank u for your comment & vote Stace.
Is alnyone else reading this?
One idea was to give examples of where SPENT is needed.
I suggest everywhere in France (sometimes we're supposed to squat over holes AND there's no paper!), and in Amsterdam - if we had just a single cubicle for every street pissoir the men have we'd be about 500 loos up!
AND in London theatres - everyone aims to pee at the end of the interval. (I don't mean 'aims' in the sense that men don't!!) but of course the men, who have about 10 urinals per toilet (+ 2 cubicles) all manage it. But we can't when there are only 4 cubicles in each equivalent (and u can bet at least one's run out of paper or isn't working!)
Is it any wonder that women miss the start of the 2nd act?
Is alnyone else reading this?
One idea was to give examples of where SPENT is needed.
I suggest everywhere in France (sometimes we're supposed to squat over holes AND there's no paper!), and in Amsterdam - if we had just a single cubicle for every street pissoir the men have we'd be about 500 loos up!
AND in London theatres - everyone aims to pee at the end of the interval. (I don't mean 'aims' in the sense that men don't!!) but of course the men, who have about 10 urinals per toilet (+ 2 cubicles) all manage it. But we can't when there are only 4 cubicles in each equivalent (and u can bet at least one's run out of paper or isn't working!)
Is it any wonder that women miss the start of the 2nd act?
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Those Funnel Things...
... are stupid! You know what I mean - the Shenis, the Sherinal. the 'Knows Hose', the Funnel (Google them if you don't know!) all items which are SUPPOSED to make it easier to pee.
All they are doing is making us into 'men without dicks' - talk about penis envy!!
What we want are equivalent conveniences to men - not a way of adapting our bodies to use men's conveniences!
Men use urinals because that's the way they are made. They pee next to each other because they don't strip off.
We need proper toilets because that's the way WE are made. We need privacy because we DO strip off (partly anyway).
WE DON'T COMPLAIN if men's toilets have condom machines or razors in - so they shouldn't complain if ours have paper and private cubicles in!
All they are doing is making us into 'men without dicks' - talk about penis envy!!
What we want are equivalent conveniences to men - not a way of adapting our bodies to use men's conveniences!
Men use urinals because that's the way they are made. They pee next to each other because they don't strip off.
We need proper toilets because that's the way WE are made. We need privacy because we DO strip off (partly anyway).
WE DON'T COMPLAIN if men's toilets have condom machines or razors in - so they shouldn't complain if ours have paper and private cubicles in!
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