I will always choose the handicap stall because I like the space between myself and the next stall. It seems like the US bathroom system encourages games of battle shits and I’m not willing to play. I’ve only had one instance where I walked out and a person who actually needed it was waiting. I felt terrible, but it was only once out of hundreds. Does anyone else do this?
No, those stalls are reserved for people who actually need them. They’re not for your comfort or convenience, they’re a basic necessity for people who have very different daily lives than you.
Even if all the other stalls are occupied, you should still pretend that the handicap stall is also occupied, even if it isn’t. There’s always the possibility that someone who needs it will arrive after you’ve gone in. You don’t park in handicap parking spaces, do you? Same deal, just one is based more on the honor system and basic human decency, and the other could get you a ticket.
Do you often see parking lots where there is one regular spot and one handicapped spot? What if there is one toilet in the whole establishment which is also handicapped accessible? Not sure where you draw the line, but the analogy to parking is a poor one.
Eh, I save the handicap stall for last, but if the rest are taken I’m 100% going to use it.
The stall isn’t reserved for people with disabilities, it’s there for if they need it. Someone who uses a wheelchair needs the extra space, but if someone is waiting either way, their bladder isn’t automatically more important than mine.
In the case of someone with a disability that requires them to have immediate access to a handicap stall, that is unfortunate, but I’d assume some sort of arrangement could be made with HR so that everyone knows that the handicap stall on x floor is off limits or something. But I feel that’s such a fringe case that we shouldn’t be expecting everyone to hold their pee over the possibility.