# Handicapped Bathroom Stall: A Poll **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867 "2011-06-26T00:55:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/21 "2011-06-26T10:28:25Z")
I will use it if that is where the baby changing station is, or I can’t get the buggy (stroller) into a standard stall with me (sometimes I can) and I need to go. I am not changing my kid on the floor or leaving her unattended. Other than that- no, I don’t use the accessible stalls. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/22 "2011-06-26T10:35:13Z")
I’ll use it if it’s the only one available. Otherwise, I won’t. ---
**Author:** ![stretch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@stretch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stretch)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/23 "2011-06-26T14:16:27Z")
I chose: Do not use handicapped stall because I want to leave it open for the handicapped. After several threads on the Dope, I have expanded my definition of “handicapped” in regards to bathroom stall usage to include someone with way too much shit with them and people with small children in tow. I have always tried to remember that many people have handicaps that I cannot see. You know what I don’t include as “handicapped” for the bathrooms at my work? The desire to change clothing. Ooh, you want to change for the Y, yoga, or running? Then go use the fucking locker room downstairs, assholes! The chances that our disabled co-worker will be in the bathroom at the same time they are changing may be slim, but they have an option available that she does not have. Selfish bitches! ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/24 "2011-06-26T14:26:53Z")
I checked “first available”, but with a caveat. I work in a very limited-access building located behind gates and guards. Only one handicapped person works in the building, and there are no “visitors” to worry about. Since the one handicapped individual does not work on my floor, I can use the stall with no worries. In public, I use the handicapped one only as a last resort. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/25 "2011-06-26T15:45:48Z")
Generally I do not use it unless it is the _only one open, or clean_. In that case I make an effort to make it a quick trip so I don’t tie it up for others. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/26 "2011-06-26T16:39:47Z")
> [@Acid\_Lamp](#): > > Generally I do not use it unless it is the _only one open, or clean_. In that case I make an effort to make it a quick trip so I don’t tie it up for others. Likewise. And even when I spent a protracted period on crutches, I used regular stalls - crutches fit in there just fine. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/27 "2011-06-26T16:53:43Z")
I travel a lot and so at least half my exposure to multi-stall bathrooms is in airport terminals. Often crowded airport terminals. And I’m dragging at least a suitcase & often a coat or jacket. I use the handicapped stall every time I can. I like the additional space although I’m not oversized. I like the fact they’re less used & therefore a little cleaner. In the 30-40 years since they were invented I’ve never emerged from the stall and seen somebody waiting for it; neither an overtly handicapped person nor somebody with no apparent need for it but still a desire for it. I describe myself as a ethically thoughtful selfish person. I’ll never knowingly inconvience others. But if there’s nobody else to inconvenience, then “what if everybody did it?”-type rules are made to be ignored. Holding up traffic trying to turn left across a busy street at peak times is selfish even where it’s legal. I won’t do that; I’ll go around the block making three rights. But when there’s no traffic I’ll turn left even where it’s posted not to \*and \*the rationale for the no-left-turns is clearly one of traffic flow rather than safety (like with limited sight lines). Choosing to take a dump in an otherwise-unused handicapped stall is the same thing. Some day some guy in a wheelchair will be sitting there glaring at me when I emerge. And I’ll feel bad & apologize. But in 30 years it hasn’t happened yet. ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/28 "2011-06-26T17:00:09Z")
I picked two answers: 1. tall so I fit better 2. claustrophobic because both together are the closest I can come to the actual reason I use those stalls. I have an anxiety disorder, and having people too close in to my personal space triggers panic attacks - most “normal people” stalls are waaay too close together for my mental health. Even when they’re empty, I worry that someone is going to come in on me, so that doesn’t really change anything. When I go to the movies, I plan ahead and don’t drink anything that morning, so I don’t have to use the restroom there - just too many people to deal with. If I’m out shopping I will often change stores to go to a place where I know there is only one actual whole restroom per gender, a whole room with a solid door, so I can use that instead of a handicapped stall in the original store. (Less because I feel guilty about the handicapped stall, and more because having a full room instead of a little cubicle is better.) There’s actually a few places around here where the partitions between the stalls go from floor to ceiling and the doors are likewise full doors. In stalls like those, I am totally fine with the normals. I hate to think that I’m bathroom disabled, but I’ve spent parts of enough trips hiding in my car and trying to breathe again to simply prefer the peace of having a little bathroom space that can’t be invaded. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/29 "2011-06-26T17:50:07Z")
How many times are we going to do this thread? I’m too lazy to search but I swear I’ve voted in the same poll like 4 times this years already. I don’t use the handicapped stall. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2011, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/30 "2011-06-26T23:21:22Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > I picked two answers: > > 1. tall so I fit better > 2. claustrophobic > > because both together are the closest I can come to the actual reason I use those stalls. > > I have an anxiety disorder, and having people too close in to my personal space triggers panic attacks - most “normal people” stalls are waaay too close together for my mental health. Even when they’re empty, I worry that someone is going to come in on me, so that doesn’t really change anything. I think that counts as a legit reason. I only use it if there’s no other stall open. Otherwise, I don’t like the high toilets. I’m short. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/31 "2011-06-27T00:51:04Z")
I’ll use the handicap stall if I need to check out a potential zit or something since the sink in there has no counter and I can get closer to the mirror. That said, the bathroom clsoest to me at work is a one seater so it is only a handicap stall. So I use that. If I’m using the two-stall bathroom in the public area, I prefer the smaller stall as I don’t like the vulnerable, wide-open feeling of the big stall. A bonus of the handicap stall is that it’s harder for a senator to hit on me in there. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/32 "2011-06-27T01:16:55Z")
Primary: Where the regular stall is too cramped… I’m not especially petite and it can be tough to maneuver around enough to take care of things. Sometimes (and fortunately this is quite rare), a regular stall is so cramped it’s nearly impossible even for a more slender person. Having knee problems, there’ve also been times where those grab bars were useful. Back when the kids were young of course it was a way to keep them confined while I did what was needed. The rest of the time: I’ll avoid them unless I’ve got bags etc. in tow or a regular stall isn’t available. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/33 "2011-06-27T02:39:13Z")
> [@Anamorphic](#): > > Other: I don’t use the handicap stall if other stalls are available, but if not, I have no problem using it. This is me. It isn’t my first choice of stalls, but I won’t leave it open if there is a line for the bathroom on the off chance a handicapped person might need it in the next 90 seconds. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/34 "2011-06-27T05:03:50Z")
> [@](#): > > In the 30-40 years since they were invented I’ve never emerged from the stall and seen somebody waiting for it; neither an overtly handicapped person nor somebody with no apparent need for it but still a desire for it. Whereas I can’t count the number of times when I’ve had to wait for the stall. I NEED those grab bars. Seriously, I do. It’s not a matter of size. A normal sized stall with grab bars is actually easier for me to use than a larger stall with bars, unless the throne is unusually close to the wall with the bars. It seems like I have to wait for a stall about one time in three. Occasionally someone emerges from the stall who obviously needed it. Most times, though, the person who emerges seems to be quite agile. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867/35 "2011-06-27T13:52:36Z")
Other. In my building, the thrones in the other stalls are uncomfortably low. I don’t feel guilt about using the handicap stall as in the building, of several hundred workers, there is one guy in a wheelchair, and he works on a different floor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handicapped-bathroom-stall-a-poll/586867.md?page=1)