Wheelchair Etiquette

What personal rules do you use about when to use/not use the wheelchair-accessible restroom stalls? My examples:
1. If all the other stalls are taken, I try and wait rather than occupy the (last) wheelchair-enabled stall. Depends on how urgent the need is.
2. If you are at an event where there are a lot of people in line, and a person using a wheelchair comes along, do they immediately go to the front of the line, or should they wait with everyone else, but of course get the stall when it comes available?
3. If I'm using the wheelchair-enabled stall and someone with a wheelchair comes along, I immediately finish up or try to transfer to another stall.

Your thoughts?

There's no reason for front of the line priveleges, and besides if the line's going through the door, it wouldn't work very well anyway. Once through the door, however, I think once the wheelchair accessible stall opens, it's probably okay to offer it to the wheel chair, if only to help flow of traffic and rack up good karma points. I think it's polite to finish up if you know a wheelchair is waiting, but to attempt a stall-transfer (while incredibly considerate to think of) sounds terribly impractical, and potentially very messy. Best just to take care of business and get out the way. If there's no wheelchairs around, I say the stall is free game for anybody as it comes up in the rotation.

2006-06-16 11:21:44 by Wide Awake

The counselors going through orientation this week have already been taught how to transfer to and from a wheelchair. This afternoon, they learned ...

Oh my god, I'm going to hell for laughing so hard on that one... HAHA...oh god, I can't take it. Yeah, I suppose that's offensive if you don't know them very well.

2008-01-07 13:43:56 by karma13

Yes it would be a great idea to ask. They are use to people treating them like they are handicapped and if you challenge them to a foot race it will make them feel like an equal.

2007-03-17 15:11:31 by betchslappu

She's in a wheelchair and for the period we're together I feel really uncomfortable around her. Don't get me wrong I think she's really knowledgeable and really good at what she does but I can't focus on what shes trying to teach me. All I think about not doing/saying something that would offend/make her uncomfortable.

And yes I already googled wheelchair etiquette advices. I just want some suggestions from different people.

Well I'm not in a wheelchair but I am a CNA (nursing assistant) and care for alot of people in wheelchairs...trust me......most likely she is already very well aware that you feel awkward. I have a speech problem due to a cleft palette and I instantly the very second I meet someone know if they have a problem with my speech...long before they slip up and say something lol. But I don't get offended by it unless they're deliberately rude about it because I understand that something out of the "norm" can make people uncomfortable or curious. Alot of times I have made friends and about the 2nd or 3rd day later.....they still haven't asked me why I talk the way I do but I can very much tell that they are dying of curiousity LOL to know "why" so when the time is right I just kinda get on the subject and tell them.

Once someone knows WHY the person is like they are its amazing how much more comfortable people are around you. BUT...this lady may be more self conscious about it.

But I wouldn't worry, I certainly think she already knows how you feel and won't take it bad if you slip up and say something you don't mean. Actually, it hurts more to have someone try to avoid you because they don't want to slip up and say something that may accidentally offend you. I'd much rather have someone try their best to be around me then ignore me :)

Wish ya the best!

2008-11-09 07:04:27 by Monte

I recently watched a hilarious (as always) episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry David uses the handicapped stall. As he walks out, a man in a wheelchair yells at him for using it and tells him that he's supposed to wait. It's described as "bathroom etiquette."

Who teaches this bathroom etiquette? Is it universal? Has anyone ever even SEEN a handicapped person using one of these stalls?

I pretty much ALWAYS use the handicapped stall. Does this make me a bad person? I do have a handicap. It's called claustrophobia and a fear of small toilets.

Feedback?

Hello Red,

Unless there is a handicapped person waiting to use that stall at that very moment, of course you may use that one! A larger stall does not mean nobody else may ever use it, especially if there is a line of people waiting to use the facilities. In fact, it would be downright silly to have a line of people waiting to go when there is a perfectly good stall available there empty.

I have found that the handicapped stalls are not only roomier, the toilet is higher up, the toilet paper is hanging higher on the wall, & it's generally cleaner than the other ones. When I need to change clothing, it's very convenient to be able to move around in there. Many larger people or the elderly find that space much more comfortable too. Not only that, many establishments only offer a baby diaper changing station in the larger bathroom stall. I've also seen mothers take small children in there & I see nothing wrong with that. I don't believe handicapped people would have a problem with that either. The movie you saw must have been a comedy.

Rest assured, there are no "toilet police" after you. There are no laws against doing so. This is far different from parking your car in a handicapped parking spot in a parking lot, which would be frowned upon by the police. So relax, you are not a bad person either. Use it all you want, even if the other stalls are empty.

P.S. In a perfect world, ALL of the stalls would be roomier. Now if they would just install a few of those larger stalls on airplanes!

2006-10-21 00:21:33 by Red