With ‘Freedom Day’ on the horizon I thought it was worth taking a closer look at one of the strangest rules that seems to have been universally applied during the pandemic. Those around public toilet access and they are pretty nonsensical.
I don’t remember reading anything about this in the official government rules. It also wasn’t covered in the media. I’m really surprised that the Daily Mail wasn’t so outraged that it was a front page splash.
Before we take a closer look at these rules I do feel the need to caveat this with that I am a strong believer in rules, particularly around Covid, but they do need to make sense. So here we go…
One in one out
I don’t know how many public toilets you have been into but I’ve visited quite a few in my time. In all these visits I am yet to find one where you can see into the room and work out whether there is anyone already in there.
With “one in, one out” you are left with two choices in that you have to either stand outside in the hope that there is someone in there, you have a 50/50 chance after all, or storm in and do a quick audit. With the former you could be there for quite a while waiting and with the latter risk the passive aggressive stare of someone already in there.
Max x person/people at a time
The partner of “one in, one out” is the “maximum x people at any time”. I don’t know about you but I have never once been to a loo which has allowed you to do an audit of the occupants before making a decision. How did the government think that this was going to work? You are left having to ask people as they exit “excuse me but can you tell me how many still in there?” Being British this obviously has to be done without making any eye contact at all.
Closed cubicles and partitions
The final “rule” is where only every other cubicle is opened with the remaining ones closed to help maintain social distancing. I can totally understand this when it applies to urinals, that gets a big ✓from me, but cubicles?
Just to show how ridiculous this is walk into any shop and go to the payment counter where there will be a bit of thin perspex between you and the cashier. Yet go to the loo and a thick piece of MDF is no longer sufficient to keep you safe and it needs two pieces and a metre gap!
On Guard
While at Center Parcs last week they had found the solution to points one and two above by posting a guard at the entrance to the loos who did the audit for you. You were then escorted to the next available cubicle. I found myself being guided with another gentleman I’d never met before to the ladies loo.
I understand the need to keep people safe and I assiduously follow the rules but who thought that any these were a good idea? Of all the rules that have been brought in to keep us save during the pandemic this is definitely one that I will not miss.