Ask WGW anything.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:06 pm

^Ugh, you've just reminded me of the time I was at a festival. I peeked into the gents' to see if the queue was any smaller and was greeted by the sight of a girl crapping into a urinal.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:44 pm

I've always felt like the segregation of things like bathrooms by gender was a contributing factor to the general oversexedness of society. So I'm strongly in favor of gender-neutral bathrooms. My college has them--the single-toilet-in-a-room kind--in the student center. I'm proud of them.

However, over the summer I went to Crete, and one of the restaurants I visited had a completely unisex bathroom. Wasn't awkward at all, because the other patrons were expecting it, and it was what I prefer anyway. I think people can actually get used to the idea.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:30 pm

I´d support unisex-bathrooms all around, if only I could get used to having to wait a lot longer in line before getting to use a public loo. Selfish, maybe, but guys don't take as long.

So, two follow-up questions:
- Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?
- Would this uni-sex bathroom for everyone have urinals, and wouldn't that be weird?

Contributor Join date: 2009-06-11 Age: 34

Jay/Cris wrote:

Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

A little bit of both. Assuming that you're just taking a pee, men typically have to unzip, adjust underwear, use a urinal, shake off, and fix clothes. Women have to completely undress the lower half of their bodies, pee, wipe up, then redress. The cultural aspect comes from clothing, and the biological aspect comes from bodily design.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Tue Feb 09, 2010 10:46 pm

ZoZo wrote:

^Ugh, you've just reminded me of the time I was at a festival. I peeked into the gents' to see if the queue was any smaller and was greeted by the sight of a girl crapping into a urinal.

I'm pretty sure I have a copy of Viz with a strip where that exact thing happens (though in fairness to the character, the toilet is full of turds and puke.)

Jay/Cris wrote:

- Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

There are a few things at work here:

1) Men can simply whip it out and pee. Women have to undo pants/hike up skirts, pull down underwear and sit down. Also, men can, if they choose, get away with giving it a few shakes rather than wiping.

2) Men's bathrooms have urinals and stalls. Women's bathrooms only have stalls. Any given women's bathroom tends to have the same number of stalls as the corresponding men's bathroom, rather than a number equal to the number of stalls and urinals in the men's bathroom. Hence, longer queues.

3) At least some of the women using the women's bathroom will be doing so in order to change pads or tampons. This takes a little while, and sometimes there's a bit of cleanup involved.

4) Once out of the stall, some women do take the opportunity to reapply their makeup, depending on the time of day and the setting.

So in answer to your question, it's about 50/50 culture/biology.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Tue Feb 09, 2010 11:27 pm

Jay/Cris wrote:

Would this uni-sex bathroom for everyone have urinals, and wouldn't that be weird?

The larger ones I've been in haven't had them. Even most of the single-room bathrooms I've used haven't had them. In fact, the men's single-room bathrooms in my university student center don't have urinals. And I don't think you could get people to use unisex bathrooms with multiple stalls and urinals, even if you could get them accustomed to the principle.

I think you could solve the wait-time issue if you just made the new unisex bathroom have enough stalls.

Hot and Botherer Join date: 2009-06-10

myeerah wrote:

Jay/Cris wrote:

Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

A little bit of both. Assuming that you're just taking a pee, men typically have to unzip, adjust underwear, use a urinal, shake off, and fix clothes. Women have to completely undress the lower half of their bodies, pee, wipe up, then redress. The cultural aspect comes from clothing, and the biological aspect comes from bodily design.

Also, given the fact that a) I have to sit down and b) I have an OCD boyfriend who's brought the nastiness of public bathrooms to my attention, I wipe the seat off and then cover it with a layer of toilet paper. And then some falls off and drags the rest with it and I need to start over and some seats are so rounded that absolutely nothing will stay on them, or, some toilet paper comes in these long strips, they are always too long and fall off all the time, and it takes forever.

Bastion of Sanity Join date: 2009-06-03 Age: 22

grmblfjx wrote:

Also, given the fact that a) I have to sit down and b) I have an OCD boyfriend who's brought the nastiness of public bathrooms to my attention, I wipe the seat off and then cover it with a layer of toilet paper. And then some falls off and drags the rest with it and I need to start over and some seats are so rounded that absolutely nothing will stay on them, or, some toilet paper comes in these long strips, they are always too long and fall off all the time, and it takes forever.

I do the exact same thing. It takes forever to go to the bathroom. I try not to go in public bathrooms because of this.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:41 am

grmblfjx wrote:

myeerah wrote:

Jay/Cris wrote:

Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

A little bit of both. Assuming that you're just taking a pee, men typically have to unzip, adjust underwear, use a urinal, shake off, and fix clothes. Women have to completely undress the lower half of their bodies, pee, wipe up, then redress. The cultural aspect comes from clothing, and the biological aspect comes from bodily design.

Also, given the fact that a) I have to sit down and b) I have an OCD boyfriend who's brought the nastiness of public bathrooms to my attention, I wipe the seat off and then cover it with a layer of toilet paper. And then some falls off and drags the rest with it and I need to start over and some seats are so rounded that absolutely nothing will stay on them, or, some toilet paper comes in these long strips, they are always too long and fall off all the time, and it takes forever.

Any chance you can find some kind of portable toilet liner?

And This is Why I Need Medication Join date: 2009-06-11

Jesus. wrote:

grmblfjx wrote:

myeerah wrote:

Jay/Cris wrote:

Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

A little bit of both. Assuming that you're just taking a pee, men typically have to unzip, adjust underwear, use a urinal, shake off, and fix clothes. Women have to completely undress the lower half of their bodies, pee, wipe up, then redress. The cultural aspect comes from clothing, and the biological aspect comes from bodily design.

Also, given the fact that a) I have to sit down and b) I have an OCD boyfriend who's brought the nastiness of public bathrooms to my attention, I wipe the seat off and then cover it with a layer of toilet paper. And then some falls off and drags the rest with it and I need to start over and some seats are so rounded that absolutely nothing will stay on them, or, some toilet paper comes in these long strips, they are always too long and fall off all the time, and it takes forever.

Any chance you can find some kind of portable toilet liner?

Some places I've seen provide them (though they're generally pretty flimsy and the dispenser's often empty). I knew a woman who used to carry her own in her purse. She also claimed she was going to teach her daughters to pee standing up because it was 'more natural.'

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:59 am

Rabid Badger wrote:

Jesus. wrote:

grmblfjx wrote:

myeerah wrote:

Jay/Cris wrote:

Is the fact that women take a lot longer in the bathroom a biological fact, or culturally ingrained?

A little bit of both. Assuming that you're just taking a pee, men typically have to unzip, adjust underwear, use a urinal, shake off, and fix clothes. Women have to completely undress the lower half of their bodies, pee, wipe up, then redress. The cultural aspect comes from clothing, and the biological aspect comes from bodily design.

Also, given the fact that a) I have to sit down and b) I have an OCD boyfriend who's brought the nastiness of public bathrooms to my attention, I wipe the seat off and then cover it with a layer of toilet paper. And then some falls off and drags the rest with it and I need to start over and some seats are so rounded that absolutely nothing will stay on them, or, some toilet paper comes in these long strips, they are always too long and fall off all the time, and it takes forever.

Any chance you can find some kind of portable toilet liner?

Some places I've seen provide them (though they're generally pretty flimsy and the dispenser's often empty). I knew a woman who used to carry her own in her purse. She also claimed she was going to teach her daughters to pee standing up because it was 'more natural.'

Uh... I can't even imagine the mess involved with that. I once went to the bathroom in a movie theatre that was COVERED in pee. COVERED. it was uncanny. I bet you anything it was a standing lady.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:22 am

Rabid Badger wrote:

She also claimed she was going to teach her daughters to pee standing up because it was 'more natural.'

Squatting. It's against nature.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Wed Feb 10, 2010 3:29 am

Vespers wrote:

Rabid Badger wrote:

She also claimed she was going to teach her daughters to pee standing up because it was 'more natural.'

Squatting. It's against nature.

not unless you know where to look.

And This is Why I Need Medication Join date: 2009-06-11

Jesus. wrote:

Rabid Badger wrote:

Some places I've seen provide them (though they're generally pretty flimsy and the dispenser's often empty). I knew a woman who used to carry her own in her purse. She also claimed she was going to teach her daughters to pee standing up because it was 'more natural.'

Uh... I can't even imagine the mess involved with that. I once went to the bathroom in a movie theatre that was COVERED in pee. COVERED. it was uncanny. I bet you anything it was a standing lady.

It might have been easier in the old days, when women wore skirts (and no underwear), and people weren't as fastidious about personal hygiene. But I defy any woman wearing a pair of pants to pee standing up. Our bodies aren't built for it.

Hot and Botherer Join date: 2009-06-10

Jesus. wrote:

Any chance you can find some kind of portable toilet liner?

Some bathrooms have them. I bought some once, too, but they fall under the category of "I forgot to bring them and I don't know where they are anyway". I'm ok with using toilet paper, it's just the person I'm out with who has to have a little patience.

While we're on the subject, I think all bathroom doors should open outwards, because the people going in, who would have to touch the handle, can then wash their hands, whereas some people don't wash their hands after and they touch the handle and then I have to touch it and walk around with nasty hands all day.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Thu Feb 11, 2010 5:39 pm

How good are memory foam pillows really? I wake up a lot having slept my shoulders into a knot and someone suggested one, but don't want to drop much money without knowing if they're actually good.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Thu Feb 11, 2010 6:39 pm

Salamas wrote:

How good are memory foam pillows really? I wake up a lot having slept my shoulders into a knot and someone suggested one, but don't want to drop much money without knowing if they're actually good.

I have a layer of memory foam over a normal spring mattress and I will say that it's like sleeping on a cloud. There's plenty of support but it's impossibly soft at the same time. I can't speak for the pillows but I can attest to the fact that memory foam is awesome. I haven't had any sleep issues at all since I got mine.

Contributor Join date: 2009-06-10 Location: computer chair

Two memory foam pillows came with the mattress we bought. I used to have to sleep with two regular pillows to keep from having neck-cramps. Now I only need one and I really like it. It's not one of the shaped ones, though. It's just an ordinary looking pillow.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:16 am

DID I PASS MY EXAM THIS MORNING?

You crack me up, little buddy! Join date: 2009-06-03

Kitbug wrote:

DID I PASS MY EXAM THIS MORNING?

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Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Fri Feb 12, 2010 12:44 am

OK!

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DID I PASS MY EXAM THIS MORNING?

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:33 am

The thing that gets me about all these public toilet shenanigens is that after all that messing about with improvised seat liners, the only part of your body that's making contact with the seat is the back of your thighs.

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Fri Feb 12, 2010 1:40 am

TheHedonist wrote:

I have a layer of memory foam over a normal spring mattress and I will say that it's like sleeping on a cloud. There's plenty of support but it's impossibly soft at the same time. I can't speak for the pillows but I can attest to the fact that memory foam is awesome. I haven't had any sleep issues at all since I got mine.

rae wrote:

Two memory foam pillows came with the mattress we bought. I used to have to sleep with two regular pillows to keep from having neck-cramps. Now I only need one and I really like it. It's not one of the shaped ones, though. It's just an ordinary looking pillow.

Thanks guys. I don't need a mattress, just a pillow. I especially seem to knot myself after a night of drinking, I don't know how my drunken sleep position differs from my sober ones...Know any good, not too expensive, brands?

Subject: Re: Ask WGW anything. Fri Feb 12, 2010 11:11 pm

Salamas wrote:

Thanks guys. I don't need a mattress, just a pillow. I especially seem to knot myself after a night of drinking, I don't know how my drunken sleep position differs from my sober ones...Know any good, not too expensive, brands?

I can wholeheartedly recommend The Kind That Come From Department Stores, which I think might be Serta. They look like regular pillows and are sold in big plastic wrappers. Some of them are like memory foam-pillow hybrids. They're great. And they aren't tempurpedic-level expensive.

Contributor Join date: 2009-06-10 Location: computer chair

How many people think they are being genuinely, hilariously clever when asking, "DOES THAT MEAN IT'S FREE?" when an item doesn't immediately scan?

Also, should I ever own my own business, should I post a sign stating that anyone asking that will be charged double?