Perhaps it is the relationship we have with our wastes and with our bodies. Waste is secret , shameful business and in public situations we must defecate in gender separated area. I wonder how many people have the same informal gender separation in their own home - that with out anything being said - there is a male and a female toilet?
I remember when I began teaching and on teacher only day - before the kids arrived - one of the first things I did as I explored my classroom and environs was walk into the boy's toilet block.
It was scary and unfamilar and I felt wicked for being there.
Of course now I use the male toilets whenever there is a queue for the women's toilet.
That happened yesterday. I was collecting old rusty bottle tops from the car parking building and needed to go to the bathroom. The closest one is in the cafe over the alley so I went there.
The women's toilet was occupied so I walked into the male cubicle - there is only one of each in that cafe.
Again I noticed the difference of male space. I felt uncomfortable sitting on the seat - which is strange because I dont feel that way using the unisex bathroom at the movie theatre.
Another thought that arrived in the movie theatre bathroom - how strange is it males urinate in public and women don't. We are even shown images in movies of men urinating in groups - so there must be some social reason for that behaviour. Imagine if women did so and there were little cup urinals for women to perch on as they peed!
It seems to me the bathroom is a social female space - how many groups of women go to the bathroom in groups - but the act of urination for women is a hidden thing, in a way it is not for males!
Our taboos are unthought and readily accepted - so even in this society of ours that works so hard at equality there are divisions between sexes and groups we never pause to consider.
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Funny, your post reminded me about this very thing:
ReplyDeletehttp://threechairs.webs.com/apps/blog/show/2528884-awkward-toilet-moment
Hey . . I totally missed your comment on my blog (threechairs), but was fascinated to hear about it from a female point of view. I agree we humans have some funny conventions. I remember at college once the mens toilet was out of order. Luckily the whole block was deserted otherwise I would probably have just let my bladder explode before venturing into the unoccupied women's toilet. But as there was no one around, I did sneak into the ladies and I felt so terribly naughty and guilty about it. What's that about?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I'm the only one who judges restaurants and cafes by their toilets? My husband thinks mixing the experience of food and toilet is bizarre, but to me they are intertwined!
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