There was just one. I rolled up, tried the door, found it locked, and then I pulled back and began to wait. I knew that the person in the accessible toilet knew I was there because the handle had shook when I tried it. I counted that 67 people came and went from the toilets as I waited for the one that I could use.
I tried the door again, wanting to signal that it was what it was, urgent. The words were unclear but the yell was not. The second try had annoyed whoever was there. Finally when he came out, he was a tall, thin man in his 30s with no disability at all. Not even an invisible one. In the apology that tumbled out of his mouth he mentioned that the didn't have a disability he just liked the space and he rarely sees someone like me use them. I glared but didn't cry because I had to go so bad, I feared yellow tears.
Then he decides to help me by holding the door. This guy who had a lot of options had taken my only option and stayed in there while 67 other people had been and gone then left. I told him I could do it myself. He insisted. He was going to make up for his behaviour by inflicting me with guilt tinged help.
Not this time.
I told him I'd piss myself before I took his help.
"I didn't realize ..."
"Yes you did and you did it anyway now get out of my way."
Flustered, he left.
And I went in and peed.
That, in a nutshell, was my day.
I once had two able bodied women ****cut right in front of me**** into the only wheelchair accessible toilet so that they could gossip easily and have somewhere to put their wineglasses.
ReplyDeleteI needed to go NOW, or I'd wet myself!
What the two women didn't realise, was that the toilet had an electronic door opening button on the OUTSIDE of the toilet that worked unless you pressed the electronic door-locking button INSIDE the toilet.
So I pressed the door opening button, wheeled in there while one was on the toilet pissing with her knickers down around her ankles and her skirt hiked up, and demanded that they leave!
They were so shocked and outraged, but I don't think they'll barge past a wheelchair user to monopolise the disabled loo ever again!
I have some sympathy for women dealing with small children. Some, not much.
ReplyDeleteI have some sympathy for large women - regular stalls are often small.
A tiny bit of sympathy for someone who has to change clothes (very little).
And none at all for those who think their convenience is more important than anyone else's. They get the evil eye when they get out, occasionally a word or two.
67 is a huge number of people to sit through.
Yeah I'm not many folks could wait for 67 other customers to do their 'business' while waiting for the clueless idiot.
ReplyDelete