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December 20, 2004 12:01 AM
Broken: Restroom sign
Catherine Mullican writes:
Here's a restroom sign of ambiguous gender. I found it in a research institute in San Diego. Sorry about the angle and quality; all I had with me was a cameraphone, and the hallway wasn't wide enough to get both signs in frame without angling.
[Makes one wonder what's being researched... -mh]
In response to , I thought that at first too, but whats broken about this is having a uni-sex bathroom sign on the door, when the plaque right next to the door clearly says "MEN". (Notice the original poster's comment about getting both signs in).
Definitely broken... nice catch Catherine
Well, clearly these researchers are simply being sensitive to the signage needs of America's crossdressers.
I am curious---is this a unisex bathroom or a mens bathroom? Which sign should not be there?
And finally---behind that door, is it just one stall of an "Ally McBeal"-style bathroom that both genders use?
WE HAVE A UNSEX RESTROOM AT OUR BUSINESS.I GUESS,ONE EMPLOYEE,IS IN THE PROCESS OF A CHANGE.(IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN)THEY THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE THEIR OWN,WHICH NOONE EVER
ENTERS ANYWAY.....MAYBE THIS IS THAT CASE!!!!
Next to this restroom is a women's restroom -- both signs agree on that one. The institute is a friend of mine's workplace; I haven't been inside the restroom in question.
It looks like the unisex sign is newwer. There seems to be an older triangular sign behind it, that the blue one covers. It is white, like the "Men" sign. Perhaps it used to be a mens washroom and the other sign isn't gone yet?
Actually, I can explain it - since it was outside my lab that the picture was taken, and I was with Catherine when she took the picture.
When I started there three years ago, there was two bathrooms on that side, in the traditional "Men's" and Women's" format.
However, since there's public areas downstairs, someone complained about there not being enough women's rooms. Since the rooms in question are single person bathrooms with a sink and toilet, they simply placed a unisex sign on the door of the men's room. Mind you, without bothering to remove the "men's" sign next to it. Or marking the "women's" room the same way.
When I was in college in the 70's, I took a couple of classes at MIT. Back then, because the male/female ratio was so high, there were many more Men's restrooms than Women's. (I wish I knew the percentages; in one class (6.031) with 175 students, I was one of only two women.)
Apparently someone complained about the lack of Women's rooms, so they converted a few Men's rooms to Women's that year. Despite the prominently displayed signs on the doors, there were still signs posted over the urinals saying, "Men, if you're standing here reading this, you are in the wrong place. LEAVE NOW."
One evening, for some special event, they put a large vase of flowers in each of the urinals. This seemed to make the men notice the gender-change more quickly.
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Previous: Tech-shopping guides | Main | Next: HOJO hotel features
Its a unisex bathroom. Both symbols for both kinds of people :)
Posted by: That Is Not Broken at December 20, 2004 01:43 AM