# Am I (male) committing a crime if I decide to use the ladies bathroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489 "2010-01-26T07:42:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/1 "2010-01-26T07:42:40Z")
Well, I suppose it works the other way ‘round too, i.e., woman chooses to use the guy’s restroom. But I’ve been wondering about this from a guy’s perspective, so that’s how I’m asking it. I (and I would guess a lot of guys) just “know” that the ladies’ restroom is off limits, as is the ladies’ lockeroom. But is there a crime involved if I go in there and use the facilities? Would it be trespassing? Indecent exposure? I would imagine such laws would vary around the world, so let me say that I’m asking as someone living in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/2 "2010-01-26T07:45:28Z")
No crime involved. Building owner or occupant usually sets rules for bathroom use. You are liable to get tossed from the premises if you make a habit of it and/or people complain. ---
**Author:** ![statsman1982](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@statsman1982](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/statsman1982)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/3 "2010-01-26T07:47:49Z")
> [@astro](#): > > No crime involved, esp if you make a habit of it. You are liable to get tossed from > the premises if you make a habit of it and/or people complain. Heh. I’ve never done anything like it, or even been tempted. But it’s one of those weird things I sometimes think about. No one need fear **stats the stalker 😃** ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/4 "2010-01-26T08:04:28Z")
Basically, it is a matter of convention, as long as you don’t do anything that may be an actual crime (and a male going into a female changing room/locker room would get him charged with something, probably under voyeurism laws). If a room is labelled as being for a specific gender, then those of that gender have a reasonable expectation of privacy within, and will behave in line with that expectation - breaching that expectation of privacy will fall within the realm of a criminal offence. On the other side of the gender divide… French women have no compunction about barging into the mens room to use the cubicles, giving no consideration to the shy men using the urinals. :eek: English women are slightly more circumspect, ensuring that the mens is empty before taking possession, and barricading the door to ensure feminine privacy. :rolleyes: Si ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/5 "2010-01-26T08:20:03Z")
I seem to remember a case where two women were arrested and charged (don’t remember what specific crime) when they used the men’s room at a sports event. Fortunately they managed to convince the judge that they did it due to urgency (the line for the women’s room was really long) and not purient interest or whatever. This was in the US, although I don’t remember where, and sometime in the last ten or so years. My google fu is weak on this one, so I can’t come up with a cite. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/6 "2010-01-26T08:32:04Z")
What if the setting was an elementary school? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/7 "2010-01-26T08:40:18Z")
Couldn’t you be charged with trespassing? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/8 "2010-01-26T08:45:19Z")
I’ve had women come into the men’s room before. If it’s a bar then it’s not that unusual. When you gotta go you gotta go. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/9 "2010-01-26T08:46:59Z")
The female in the men’s room is not uncommon. Often both restrooms are the same size. Yet the men’s room has urinals, which don’t take up as much space. And women often stay in the bathroom since they have other things to do in there (I’m talking makeup and stuff.) Put this together, and, when there’s a large group of people, the line to the women’s room will still be quite long while the men’s room is completely empty. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/10 "2010-01-26T13:04:29Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I seem to remember a case where two women were arrested and charged (don’t remember what specific crime) when they used the men’s room at a sports event. Fortunately they managed to convince the judge that they did it due to urgency (the line for the women’s room was really long) and not purient interest or whatever. This was in the US, although I don’t remember where, and sometime in the last ten or so years. My google fu is weak on this one, so I can’t come up with a cite. Wow! What sporting event were they at!? I’ve been to parties, pubs, cruises, etc. where the women use the toilets in the Men’s room but at sporting events I’ve actually seen the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/11 "2010-01-26T14:08:29Z")
I once saw a guy go into the women’s bathroom at a mall. I told the security guard, who went in and escorted him out. They gave me a $25 mall gift certificate for reporting it. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/12 "2010-01-26T14:14:15Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I once saw a guy go into the women’s bathroom at a mall. I told the security guard, who went in and escorted him out. Was the security guard male, because then you could call another security guard to complain about the male security guard in the ladies … > [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > They gave me a $25 mall gift certificate for reporting it. You could have collect more than one if you had played your cards right 😉 Si ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/13 "2010-01-26T14:28:41Z")
Ha, ha. I’m sure male security guards have permission to go into the women’s room. I used the women’s room at the library a couple of weeks ago and realized the stall beside me had a guy in it. I finished before him and when he walked out and saw me (I’m a middle aged white women, he was a young black guy), he said in total surprise “Is this the ladies’ room?” I calmly walked to the door, opened it and made a big deal about checking the outside sign. He apologized. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/14 "2010-01-26T14:31:55Z")
is it a crime? As in illegal trespass? What do you think? If your want to loiter and listen or something, yeah it’s a crime buddy OTOH, sure if your bowels are about to explode and the nearest toilet is in the ladies powder room, Go for it, knock, announce, barge in! Many big arena’s and such can switch up the signs and create more stalls for men or women depending on the show or event. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/15 "2010-01-26T14:37:58Z")
In small restaurants where there is only room for one in a bathroom and there is a lock, I’ll knock to make sure and then use the women’s room if it is empty when the men’s room is locked. I wouldn’t do this if it were occupied or unlockable in any way. ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/16 "2010-01-26T16:36:29Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Couldn’t you be charged with trespassing? You’d have to be told to leave and refuse before this could happen. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/17 "2010-01-26T16:42:25Z")
Transsexual/transgendered people are sometimes arrested for using the “wrong” restroom. Usually, the official charge is Disturbing the Peace or something along those lines. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186374,00.html](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186374,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/18 "2010-01-26T16:47:51Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > In small restaurants where there is only room for one in a bathroom and there is a lock, I’ll knock to make sure and then use the women’s room if it is empty when the men’s room is locked. I wouldn’t do this if it were occupied or unlockable in any way. I’d give that a pass, but still, if you stood rather than sat while in the ladies room I would consider that a crime. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/19 "2010-01-26T17:00:21Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > Transsexual/transgendered people are sometimes arrested for using the “wrong” restroom. Usually, the official charge is Disturbing the Peace or something along those lines. I’ve issued disorderly conduct charges on people for doing it and they always stuck. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489/20 "2010-01-26T17:02:27Z")
> [@si\_blakely](#): > > Was the security guard male, because then you could call another security guard to complain about the male security guard in the ladies … > You could have collect more than one if you had played your cards right 😉 It might even work if one of the more…er, handsome female security guards were called in as well. I like the way you think! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-male-committing-a-crime-if-i-decide-to-use-the-ladies-bathroom/526489.md?page=2)