Over the weekend, I went to the horse races at the
Meadowlands Race Track in New Jersey. Upon walking into the ladies restroom at the track, which was clearly labeled 'LADIES,' my friend and I both did a double-take.
We couldn’t help but to notice a pair of feet under the first stall in the bathroom facing inwards. After walking past the stall, (the door to it was wide open), and seeing it was clearly a guy, I didn’t hesitate to blurt out, "Wow!"
But I didn’t say "wow" in reaction to a man using the ladies' restroom. I said "wow" because it was a man! Using an accessible stall! In the ladies restroom!
That bothered me more than anything. As he was leaving the restroom, the clearly non-handicapped man said to a female worker of the Meadowlands, "Hey, when you gotta go, you just walk in any bathroom!" Despite that obnoxious comment, it didn't seem to bother him in the least that was using a stall not meant for him in more ways than one. Was he really that lazy that he couldn’t walk over and use the next stall?!
Even before our
Top Ten Things that Annoy People Who Use Wheelchairs poll was released, I never used the accessible stall, even if it was available, even if I was waiting in a long line. Seeing both the reactions to the poll in our online community pouring in, and how much it bugged me what this man did, it confirms even more so, my reasons for not using an accessible stall.
Does this bother you too?
Join the discussion!
Janelle
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