Why are there gaps in American bathroom stall doors?

r/

When I travel to Europe, there are generally no gaps between the stall door and the rest of the stall so you don’t have to worry about creepy people looking in. Why in the US are there gaps?

Comments

  1. DONT_PM_ME_DICKS Avatar

    insisting on keeping construction and maintenance costs as low as possible. extra panels to cover hinges/junctions costs money

  2. Astramancer_ Avatar

    Because america heard the term “minimum viable product” and ran with it. It’s cheaper and faster to install. That’s really it.

  3. thebipeds Avatar

    Public bathrooms sometimes use the excuse, “to minimize drug use.”

  4. HistoricalString2350 Avatar

    Capitalism. Make it uncomfortable to stay too long.

  5. Progressive_Worlds Avatar

    As a taller individual, I wonder why these doors (and the stall walls/side-panels) are short enough for me to see over. I really don’t want to see over these, so this height seems very weird, even declassé.

  6. Danbannagaming Avatar

    Are Europeans really worried that people would just sit there and watch them shit between an 8th inch gap in a door?

  7. stonedfishing Avatar

    It’s far more cost effective

  8. Travelfool_214 Avatar

    As compared to say, China, which often has no doors at all much less sit-down toilets. You and your neighbor get to look each other directly in the eye as you squeeze out a deuce into a hole in the floor.

    EDIT: Not sure what’s going on with the downvotes, this is absolutely 100% true.

  9. MormonJesu8 Avatar

    I’d be fine with curtains. They have about as much security and privacy. Probably would be even cheaper. I don’t think anyone expects total privacy in a public bathroom anyways, it’s pretty obvious when someone is creeping by looking through the gaps since you can see whoever’s feet under the door, so I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone actually being stared at through those gaps for purposes other than seeing if someone is in there or not.

  10. paulyrockyhorror Avatar

    Cost savings is the answer most of the time to anything like this

  11. caeru1ean Avatar

    So our elected representatives that vote against gay and trans rights can still touch each other in private

  12. ABelleWriter Avatar

    I haven’t seen a public bathroom with a gap in a long time.

  13. asdfredditusername Avatar

    Those are called glory gaps.

  14. ccourter1970 Avatar

    So strangers can verify you are, in fact, using the correct restroom.

  15. shapes1983 Avatar

    So Republican senators can solicit sex in airport restrooms.

  16. FeWho Avatar

    So you can make eye contact with a stranger while taking a dump

  17. Shh-poster Avatar

    Because they’re all prisoners. And when you go there you are a prisoner too. That’s why they scream about freedom so much.

  18. briank3387 Avatar

    Nation of Perverts

  19. ILIVE2Travel Avatar

    To deter shoplifting

  20. BlogeOb Avatar

    For people to see you through

  21. DryFoundation2323 Avatar

    Have you ever actually had this issue come up? I’m 57 and never in my life have I ever had anybody trying to spy on me in a bathroom stall.

  22. hadtojointopost Avatar

    typical american we know better than you and what’s best for you mentality. you’ll like it and say nothing.

    cheaper to build it that way. less material. cost over your comfort.

  23. lilacs_and_marigolds Avatar

    To prevent drug use and homosexual activity.

  24. Mayor__Defacto Avatar

    So the cleaning staff can check whether a stall is occupied or not.

  25. fshagan Avatar

    It’s for the penis inspections so we can keep trans people from peeing and pooping.

  26. Velocipastas Avatar

    Also, why the little half-walls between urinals in mens bathrooms? I don’t want to make conversation. The few places I’ve been where there are full urinal cubbies are amazing.

  27. geek66 Avatar

    Just cheap… prefab materials panels etc, and install in a couple hours.

  28. DrSpaceman575 Avatar

    It’s fire code. If you fully enclose a space you need separate ventilation and a fire sprinkler. That’s it. There are nicer places with enclosed stalls and you’ll notice they’ll have a sprinkler and vent.

  29. Competitive-Future-1 Avatar

    My USMC boot camp had 12 latrines (toilets), no separators. I thought “there’s no fucking way”… or maybe shit at night. By day 3 you’re crapping alongside everyone else, cracking jokes. Get used to it.

  30. Perfect_Weakness_414 Avatar

    So that we can watch each other poop. This was brought to you by the same genius that thought guys are totally ok with standing shoulder to shoulder and pissing into a trough.

    I’ve seen stall doors that are literally barely large enough to obscure anything from the neck down.

    Weird fucks design this shit 100%

  31. Slagggg Avatar

    Americans thrive on the awkward momentary eye to eye contact through the gap in the stall door.

  32. bobroberts1954 Avatar

    Because most of us don’t give a fuck about it. If it was a problem we would complain, but nobody really cares. What are you doing there that worried you so much?

  33. pinkyandthebrain-ama Avatar

    I don’t understand it? Why leave gaps there in the first place? Is it a security thing? A safety thing? I can think of why they’d do that? Can anyone enlighten me?

  34. GSilky Avatar

    Materials cost less.

  35. Little_Red_Sloth Avatar

    Because the US is predatory and creepy and they wanna peek in and make sure “a man” isn’t using the women’s toilet. It’s weird.

  36. EastAd7676 Avatar

    How else would nosey religious people ensure that “the homos” aren’t doing something that could offend said zealots?

  37. dan1101 Avatar

    Ask Scranton Products, they say they are the leading manufacturer of toilet partitions.

    Even they seem to be recognizing the need for privacy though because one of their partitions is called…”Hiney Hiders” lol.

  38. Garytown Avatar

    It’s for the awkward eye contact.

  39. Head_Razzmatazz7174 Avatar

    As long as I can remember, there have always been gaps of varying sizes in bathroom stalls. Including that gap at the bottom. My mother told me no one wanted to bend down far enough to see if there were shoes that indicated someone was in there, and it was easier to just glance through the door gap to check.

    I have no idea if this was the reason, but at the time it made sense to me.

  40. AnnualNegotiation838 Avatar

    I have never worked about “creepy people looking in” what a weird thing to fret about

  41. LLM_54 Avatar

    Years ago I worked at Starbucks and the downtown stores had an issue with homeless people locking themselves in and living there. Considering the US loves to not help the homeless, they’re left to do what they can so gaps let you know if someone is inside and gaps at the top and bottom make it easy to get someone out.

  42. Top-Cupcake4775 Avatar

    Because American conservatives are obsessed with other peoples’ genitals and they want to be able to check if you have what they consider to be “the appropriate” genitals for whichever bathroom you are in.

  43. Spirited-Humor-554 Avatar

    Under the door to make it easier to mop. I even experience them mopping while one is using the stall

  44. Poop666Pee123 Avatar

    Why can’t you use the search function?

  45. Far_Spread_4200 Avatar

    Because they refuse to measure the doors in metric units and insist on calling cubicles’stalls’?

  46. Profoundly_AuRIZZtic Avatar

    It’s easier to clean with mops or hose it down

    Anything else is PR

  47. mnfimo Avatar

    I’m an American of 45 years, never once had someone creepy looking in. Why are Europeans so creepy that you need that kind of protection in a bathroom?

  48. airheadtiger Avatar

    Compared to Europeans, when it comes to going to the toilet, Americans are not as hung up on being in a hermetically sealed invironment. 

  49. panhellenic Avatar

    I just want occupied/vacant notification on the outside. I hate bending over to see if there are feet. I think even those slide-y “locks” can be made with that feature.

  50. Ithorian Avatar

    We like looking in to make sure you are not stealing our votes

  51. OldBat001 Avatar

    I’m just wondering how many “creepy people looking in” you have in your country.

    In 63 years, I’ve yet to encounter that.

  52. PM_Your_Wiener_Dog Avatar

    Unpopular opinion, but I’d like to see larger gaps.

  53. Under_Lock_An_Key Avatar

    So Karen’s 13 year old boy can look up my skirt and she can get offended that I have revealed myself because it’s some how my fault she can’t parent and he stuck his head on a dirty bathroom floor to do just that.

    🙂 Okay serious answer.

    American bathroom stalls often have gaps for several practical reasons, including ease of cleaning, ventilation, and occupancy detection, as well as cost-effectiveness and ADA compliance. 

    Essentially it makes them easier to clean, and allows for disabled janitors and staff to be hired because it makes them easier to clean. It helps prevent mold, and a quick glance down you can see if it’s occupied or not. Also you can see if someone has overdosed or done drugs or might be in need of help without breaking in to find out.

    I still think ones outside the US are nicer and am not trying to defend them, those are just why.

  54. Popular-Forever4385 Avatar

    There called glory holes

  55. GaryNOVA Avatar

    The better to see you, my dear.