Do you ever get confused as to which bano/servicio to use on the Camino?

[Al the optimist]

 

[Rob the Slob]

See my profile pic: I'm good either way.

 

[t2andreo]

Got foliage that needs watering...no problem...

 

[Diane Kinney]

O Cebreiro. No confusion there.

 

[Al the optimist]

LOL

 

[GreatDane]

Aloha Hostel in Pamplona.

 

[MichaelSG]

On our Camino Ignaciano, we had a pee break and morning coffee at a truck stop somewhere along the way. After having my food, I followed the signs to the toilets. When I arrived at the small alcove, there were three doors, one marked with an "S"' another an "M" and another with a "C". My limited Spanish failed me. Señors? Señoras? Mujeres? Mujer?Muchachos? Chicas? Caballeros? Why no "H" for "hombré"? I just stood there, stooped with crossed legs, praying that someone would come out of one of the doors that would at least give me a 50% chance of guessing correctly, if not certainty. I tried working out the possibilities. In the end, I just guessed and thanked God for getting me into the one with a urinal.

 

[GreatDane]

In the end, I just guessed and thanked God for getting me into the one with a urinal.

Does it really matter? We stop at a gas station/Starbucks on our way to Seattle all the time. One lady's plus one men's room. The line to the lady's always had 6 women plus kids in line and the men's maybe one in line. So I've always just used the men's room. I don't care if it has a urinal in it. Noticed on our last trip to Seattle that they've taken down the men's/lady's room signs and it just says restroom.

 

[oldman]

The necessity for local Spanish people along the way to put this type of sign up is one that bothers me.
Now becoming a common feature. Shame on Pilgrims ?

 

[Introibo]

The doors confused me. In a bar in Puente La Reina I tried several times
to get into the services and thought the door was locked. Thankfully the
bar man came over and rolled the door back for me !

Slaps head

 

[november_moon]

If I am unsure, I just pick a door. If is is a single-holer, I just use that bathroom. If it is one with multiple toilets, and I see urinals, I just apologize and go to the other bathroom. Women can sometimes be weird about men using the women's bathroom, but I have found that most men couldn't care less if a woman uses the men's.

 

[Al the optimist]

Quite agree with you oldman. As a collective group we should be ashamed of ourselves in this regard.

 

[jirit]

Coming to a Spanish bathroom near you ?

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-...throoms?utm_source=nextdraft&utm_medium=email

Certainly more common in some parts of Europe

 

[BrienC]

Quite agree with you oldman. As a collective group we should be ashamed of ourselves in this regard.

I totally get what you are saying Allan, but I dislike being in that collective. Those that leave their mess should be ashamed of themselves--don't include me.

 

[CaminoDebrita]

I totally get what you are saying Allan, but I dislike being in that collective. Those that leave their mess should be ashamed of themselves--don't include me.

Leave no trace, take only photos. I packed what I used OUT and disposed of it properly.

 

[t2andreo]

As regard using the ladies vs. the men's, as I frequently say in a cafe or Starbucks here, "it all goes to the same place anyway." I use whichever facility is available. If there is a line for the ladies loo, I will not add to their burden. But, if both are available, I will use whichever comes to hand.

 

[BrienC]

I packed what I used OUT and disposed of it properly.

It really is just that simple. Pack it in, pack it out. Leave no trace.

 

[DurhamParish]

One night in a bar in Bar Harbor, Maine, I was talking to a couple. He was fairly intoxicated, a bit ahead of me. He said that he needed to use the restroom, and I spoke up and said that "this is a Scottish themed bar and the men's room has a sign on the door that says 'Laddies' ". His wife was not amused that I was trying to trick him into entering the ladies restroom.

 

[AlanSykes]

Reminded of this Osbert Lancaster cartoon, where Willie Littlehampton can't remember who uses andron and who gynaikon:

 

[Castilian]

When I arrived at the small alcove, there were three doors, one marked with an "S"' another an "M" and another with a "C". My limited Spanish failed me.

Logic says:

S=Señoras (Ladies)
M=Minusválidos and minusválidas (male and female handicapped people). Didn't it had a bigger door?
C=Caballeros (Gentlemen)

Why no "H" for "hombré"?

To put H (for hombres, men) and M (for mujeres, women) could be not as clear as it may seem because some people might interpret it as H (for hembras, females) and M (for machos, males).

 

[MichaelSG]

Logic says:

S=Señoras (Ladies)
M=Minusválidos and minusválidas (male and female handicapped people). Didn't it had a bigger door?
C=Caballeros (Gentlemen)

The luxury of logic may be fine in normal time but I really had to pee!

 

[Susan Peacock]

This one had me really confused.

 

[Rob the Slob]

This one had me really confused.

It means "Men must use pogo sticks."

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Of course sometimes you shouldn't be going there at all!

 

[AlwynWellington]

Women can sometimes be weird about men using the women's

Not always.

On a boat with my wheelchair bound who needed assistance to move from one seat to the other. There were no larger spaces for those so handicapped and no time to go back to our cabin. And, no, she did not want to enter the men's.

With some trepidation we approached the women's loo and to my surprise we were both waved in with smiles from the women on either side of the entry.

 

[TonyC]

Slightly off topic but related to confusing door signs.

I remember walking along a corridor with a usually very staid colleague who suddenly said, as we passed through a swing door, " You know, I can cope with doors that say 'Push', I can also manage those that say 'Pull', but I really struggle with those that say 'Lift'! ". I didn't know what to reply, he just kept a straight face and carried on walking.

To appreciate that little story you have to know that here in the UK an elevator is known as a Lift.