Have you ever thought about why the doors in public restrooms don’t go all the way to the floor?
Your interest in this article shows that you probably want to know.
The issue is, especially in a public restroom, I really prefer to be totally hidden.
I don’t want to stress that one broken lock could lead to a stranger seeing me with my pants down or catching me looking for an open stall.
I’m sure others feel this way too, but most public restroom doors have a big gap at the bottom and sometimes even on the sides.
It turns out there are several good reasons why those who set up public restrooms decide on short doors, even if it’s not super comfy when you need some privacy.
Emergencies inside the stall
Health issues can happen anywhere, including in public bathrooms. It’s very possible that hours could pass in a completely closed-off restroom before anyone notices you’re having trouble.
If someone fell and needed help, it would be visible from outside because of the space between the door and floor.
This point was supported by a blog post from Coastal Contract Hardware which states: “It is not unusual for an elderly person to struggle in an unfamiliar bathroom and end up getting hurt.”
“The stall doors let people see if someone is on the ground needing medical help.”
Emergencies outside of stalls.
I don’t like people watching me while I pee, but I also wouldn’t want to be stuck inside during a fire or other emergency.
In such cases, someone might crawl under if the lock got stuck or at least they could call for help.
Cleaning Up
Also, it’s much easier for workers to sweep mops under restroom stall doors because of that gap which makes cleaning simple.
Plus since these bathrooms get lots of visitors cleanliness matters more.
Cost Factors
It’s no shocker that there’s money involved with those short bathroom doors. The reason’s pretty simple: smaller doors use less material so they likely cost less than full-length ones.
So next time you’re wishing those bathroom doors went all the way down remember there are real reasons behind it!
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