# Why are the doors to (only) men's bathrooms propped open? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557 "2009-05-15T19:20:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/1 "2009-05-15T19:20:28Z")
I’ve noticed repeatedly in public use buildings that men’s-- and only men’s-- bathroom doors are propped open. What is this about? ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/2 "2009-05-15T19:41:22Z")
Probably to discourage any extracurricular activity…if you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/3 "2009-05-15T19:43:08Z")
I’ve seen men’s rooms that have the doors taken off the stalls. You know something’s been going on in there ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/4 "2009-05-15T19:50:48Z")
I can’t say as I’ve ever seen this. The only time I’ve seen a public restroom door propped open is because the janitor was in there cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/5 "2009-05-15T20:03:14Z")
I’ve seen this in many places too, such as nightclubs where you can’t see stalls or urinals, but can see men washing their hands or something like that. I’m guessing it’s because men generally don’t care as much as women about privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/6 "2009-05-15T20:24:18Z")
I have not seen it, but I have seen places like a mall or sports arena where there are no doors at all to the restrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/7 "2009-05-15T20:30:25Z")
I seen it and sometimes they don’t have any real barrier to somebody standing close to the door from seeing you at the urinals, or they don’t consider the view from outside in the mirrors. All you can do is use the toilet stalls then. I’m talking about places that do this only to mens rooms and they weren’t designed to be doorless, yet they don’t pull that crap on the womens. Store owners go with a key or electric button lock if people can see in if you remove the door and stuff happens in the restrooms you want to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/8 "2009-05-15T20:31:17Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > I’ve seen this in many places too, such as nightclubs where you can’t see stalls or urinals, but can see men washing their hands or something like that. I’m guessing it’s because men generally don’t care as much as women about privacy. Right, but why prop it open at all? Is it really to discourage sex? I mean, I see this in business buildings and educational facilities. ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/9 "2009-05-15T20:34:59Z")
> [@Cagey\_Drifter](#): > > Right, but why prop it open at all? Is it really to discourage sex? I mean, I see this in business buildings and educational facilities. I recall seeing it where there’s usually a line and it’s easier than constantly opening and closing the door. My WAG is that since men are less likely to complain to anyone that they feel as they need more privacy, it stays that way. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/10 "2009-05-16T03:54:57Z")
> [@Cagey\_Drifter](#): > > Right, but why prop it open at all? Is it really to discourage sex? I mean, I see this in business buildings and educational facilities. What kind of educational facilities? It apparently happens on college campuses a lot. There was a bathroom at USC where they had taken off all the stall doors and had these big foreboding signs about penalties for anyone caught doing anything inappropriate inside. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/11 "2009-05-16T04:00:38Z")
I’m not expert, but 4 reasons pop to mind: #1: Men don’t care if you’re watching them at a urinal (From behind anyways, no side-peekers next urinal over please.) #2: Men are in and out in under a minute usually, taking the door off prevents the problem of some drunk guy opening the door right in your face as you’re reaching for the handle to leave. #3: Ventilation. There’s always more urine of the floor of a men’s room. #4: Recent problems w/ sexual relations in there. This is of course talking about the main entrance door, the only place I’ve seen a stall w/o a door is in a jail… and a financially poor friends house. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/12 "2009-05-16T08:59:51Z")
Cubicles without doors! That brings back memories of a bar in Dortmund when I was serving with the British army in Germany in the 60s. The bar was known to troops as The Hole in the Wall, the specialty of the house being whores at the tables who would give a handjob under cover of the tablecloth for a ridiculously low price. Of course, you get what you pay for, and all the women were, shall we say, past their prime, some by many a long year. The toilet facilities in the establishment were down a small flight of stairs. They consisted of four cubicles facing each other, two for men on one side, two for women on the other. There were no doors to the cubicles. Perhaps the bar considered this arrangement an extra attraction! A friend and I visited the place just once to, er, sample the wares. (Hey we were young, what can I tell you?) The whole red-light district was strictly off-limits to Allied troops and was regularly patrolled by British and American military police (we had Americans stationed with us to keep a beady eye on the atomic warheads of the Corporal missiles on loan to the British), although the place where one had to be most careful was round the corner in the LinienStrasse where the babes displayed themselves and negotiated from their first-floor windows. (First words of German I learned as a 17 year old were ‘Wie viel?’, ‘How much?’.) Anyway we parked ourselves at a table and were instantly joined by two bright young things (as if). Instantly busying themselves it quickly became clear to my ‘date’ that, in GW Bush’s words, ‘this will not stand’. The combination of alcohol and the face that sunk a thousand ships a few inches from mine had made sure of that. Ruefully smiling at my buddy opposite I held up my tie limply to indicate the position. The old crone next to me vented a wicked chuckle and also grabbed my tie, holding it however not as I had done, near the top, letting practically the whole tie dangle, but much further down, wagging a mere few inches of tie in a most derisory fashion and winning an appreciative guffaw both from her fellow whore opposite and my friend. My humiliation complete, we staggered drunkenly back to base where, before collapsing on to my bed, I vowed never to forget the lesson I had learned. Never let a German whore near your tie! ---
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/13 "2009-05-16T15:43:55Z")
> [@Mr\_Buttons](#): > > I’m not expert, but 4 reasons pop to mind: > > #1: Men don’t care if you’re watching them at a urinal (From behind anyways, no side-peekers next urinal over please.) > > #2: Men are in and out in under a minute usually, taking the door off prevents the problem of some drunk guy opening the door right in your face as you’re reaching for the handle to leave. > > #3: Ventilation. There’s always more urine of the floor of a men’s room. > > #4: Recent problems w/ sexual relations in there. > > This is of course talking about the main entrance door, the only place I’ve seen a stall w/o a door is in a jail… > > and a financially poor friends house. #1 might be true (though to be honest, I doubt it’s even close to universal) but it is not a reason for someone to take action to prop open a door. #2 does not sound like a compelling reason for management to get involved. Doors open all the time in all kinds of building. And why not at women’s bathrooms? #3 is a good reason to keep the door closed lest the whole building smell like urine. #4 is not going to be solved by propping open the restroom entrance; anyone could close it if they wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2009, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-the-doors-to-only-mens-bathrooms-propped-open/496557/14 "2009-05-16T16:36:19Z")
> [@Fantome](#): > > I recall seeing it where there’s usually a line and it’s easier than constantly opening and closing the door. My WAG is that since men are less likely to complain to anyone that they feel as they need more privacy, it stays that way. I vote for this one based on the places where I’ve noticed it.