I hate peaking under the stalls or knocking doors to figure it out. The answer is so simple.

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[–] 162 points 2 years ago (2 children)

TIL occupied indicators are not standard in the rest of the world.

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  • [–] 124 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    In the US just peer through the crack between the door and the wall. Ensure solid eye contact with the current occupant. Determine how much time they've left. Adjust plan accordingly.

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  • [–] 80 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    We have these for years in Europe

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  • [–] 24 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Where is the 6 in gap between the door and stall??

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  • [–] 61 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    They do. Or at least, here in Europe they do. Seems rather absurd there'd be a place where they don't.

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  • [–] 58 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    They do in the UK - where are you?

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    [–] 40 points 2 years ago

    Because in the US you can usually see the person shitting through the ridiculous gaps in the stalls.

    This is why we can't have nice things.

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  • [–] 38 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah here in Japan most places have a red and blue indicator that moves with the lock. Bidets and toilet seat sanitizers are also pretty standard in any decently modernized areas. We kinda win when it comes to bathrooms.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    Just got back from Japan. I'm always surprised when I'm in the middle of nowhere and the public restrooms have heated sitting, deodorizer, bidet, background sounds. Like... Wtf? That's better than my toilet at home. And I'm not even from the US 🙃

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  • [–] 31 points 2 years ago
    [–] 28 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Australia checking in, those are definitely a thing here

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    [–] 27 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Cost. The gaps in most NA stalls are so big you will know whether it's occupied anyway just by walking past.

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    [–] 26 points 2 years ago

    Americans, isn't it?

    Next they realise that toilets shouldn't have massive gaps around and under the doors.

    Y'all are living with prison toilets.

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  • [–] 21 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I've never seen one without.

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    [–] 21 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Uh, like if the door’s closed it’s more than likely occupied.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago

    You guys don't have an indicator near the door handle?? It's super common in the Netherlands. Almost every toilet has a small indicator, except for maybe some old doors the owners didn't replace, but all else always shows if it's occupied or not (not that people won't try anyway even if red for occupied).

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  • [–] 18 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    I'm genuinely curious to know where in the world you live. I would be horrified if someone was peeking under the stalls or bothering people by knocking on the doors.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    When I frequented small cafés before the epidemic lockdown, it was typical in San Francisco to get frequent impatient door-knockers.

    Part of the problem is the lack of publicly available restroom facilities. Shopping malls often might have two restroom pairs, usually at the food court and by the movie theater, and then one each at thr major department stores, typically hidden by the changing rooms.

    I cannot say how this compares to other towns or other nations, but designing public lots in The Sims 2, I quickly learned to make sure there were facilities a short walk from everywhere. (Also skip the sinks and install showers, since sims dress and undress with a quick spin)

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    [–] 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I just leave the door open, that way everyone knows I'm in there. I even wave at the kids.

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    [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    All the ones I've seen stand open when they're not locked.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago

    TIl us North Americans apparently are the only ones with this problem...

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Do your toilets not have these things:

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    [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Some do. Most are too cheap to bother.

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  • [–] 14 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    In my experience most do? Maybe the US is different from everywhere else?

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    The US is cheap. We even famously have large gaps between the door/stall panels. I can only imagine it is to accommodate temperature/humidity changes so that they don't jam.

    Nicer places sometimes have actual deadbolt locks connected to a vacant/occupied indicator on the exterior. But it is rare. Usually it's just a gapped stall with a sliding lock that will often not even line up correctly without wiggling the door.

    In some instances I have had to use my gym key fob in place of the missing sliding mechanism to secure the door.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    Basically they skimp like mad on this basic infrastructure because they don't care. Whatever companies make the standard shitty metal toilet cubicles in the US have a lot to answer for.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    How else am I supposed to make new friends?

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