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by Fred-from-NYC on March 30th, 2004

Fred-from-NYC

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Why do public restrooms in the United States always have a gap between the door and the frame so that, unlike in other countries, the person using the toilet can be seen from outside?

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  • by RJTRIES on February 16th, 2006

    RJTRIES

    The quick answer is that in commercial establishments, bathrooms are not money makers, but rather can be a time and expense. Depending on your state and municipality, an organization need only provide facilities for its patrons ( if they provide processed, or served foods), that meet guidelines for numbers and types ( toilets per legal occupant). There is no requirement for the men's or ladies rooms to be larger than the other but I digress.... :-)

    The long answer is one that falls into two general categories:

    1) Cost: Because its an unrecovered cost, many establishments will try to create this space as economically as possible and to do that, many will use the cheapest types of materials possible. This is why some places have very flimsy partitions between commodes, and other fancier places often will have individual tiled rooms---Has anyone ever been to a store where the toilet paper was like wax paper? Very thin and 1 ply? Additionally since many of these restrooms will be abused by consumers, the partitions and fixtures often break quite often and need to be relpaced. These inexpensive partitions have gaps because it makes them easier to replace than something that fits joint tight.

    I worked for an individual who initially operated a restuarant which had floor to ceiling partitions for each commode, but constant usage resulted in broken doors. Because everything fit so tight, he was forever trying to fix them--additionally, the cost was very high. So, he removed the old fittings and put in the cheaper new ones and the for the cost of the original fittings, he was able to buy twice as many of the ones witht he gaps in them


    2) Psychological: If anyone has ever read the novel "All Quiet On the Western Front", the early part of the book talks about lavatories in a barracks and in the field and points out psychological impacts of relieving oneself. Some people could stand in the middle of Times Square and poo in front of TV cameras---some people need more time so their body can relax. Regardless, there is a tendancy for some people--most peopel to take their time when they have total privacy. These gaps, while giving privacy, at the same time make you feel you are not totally private and make you want to get upa nd leave alot faster from a psychological perspective. its sort of like the tables and chairs in fast food places that are joined to each other and the floor. They are specifically designed to be not 100% comfortable so you will want to eat fast and get out.

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