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I’m all in favor of revisioning the way we do bathrooms. But you’d think that with people FREAKING out about this issue we’d do a better job with our designs. As it stands now it seems that we’re more interested in implementing a layout that is focused more on deterring homeless folk rather than in common sense comfort, usability, and inclusivity for everybody. Places with these little tiny bathroom ‘cells’ (New Seasons and Pioneer Square TriMet) with the sink removed and relocated to a common area where often times everyone and anyone can watch you cleaning yourself seems a clever excuse aimed at preventing a homeless person from locking themselves in to ‘shower’, shave, brush their teeth, or otherwise make a mess. Also, if your solution is to change the standard ‘Men’ sign and ‘Women’ sign to ‘All Gender’ and nothing else i.e. leaving one lined with urinals and one with only stalls, that really doesn’t help much. Another complaint: having automatic faucets that are either ice cold or scalding hot are almost lawsuit worthy. Some of us suffer from hands with burns or cold injuries like frostbite that never really heal. Final complaint: having a security guard just idly standing or sitting in the bathroom makes me feel incredibly uncomfortable. If there’s any silver lining to my whining about this it’s that as a cis gender hetero male I have now at least experienced a tiny glimpse of what it must be like for anyone who feels uncomfortable and/or unsure with which bathroom to use. Let’s do better all gender/user bathrooms. Thanks

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