Public Restrooms: A Huge Difference Between the US and Germany or France

If nudity is taboo in the US, why are American public restrooms a privacy nightmare? Europeans use a simple rotating lock with a green (vacant) and red (in-use) indicator.

In “Sexuality and Nudity: An American Paradox,” I wondered why America frowns on nudity but leads the world in adult film production. Recently, I found another paradox: If nudity is taboo in the US, why is there no privacy in American public restrooms?

The (very) public restrooms in the United States

During my first trip to the US in 1992, I felt very uncomfortable using public restrooms. Twenty-five years later, nothing has changed. After a few months of construction, our neighborhood library has reopened. While the restrooms have been remodeled, the doors are still showing an enormous gap at the bottom and wide gaps at the side (more than 1/2 inch!).

This problem isn’t unique to my library. In fact, restrooms in American restaurants, department stores, schools, and hospitals look alike. I can only share my female perspective (since I don’t know about men’s restrooms!), but I HATE this complete lack of privacy!

I really believe that American women care about their private moments as much as French or German women do. But, if I can see you, you can see me, right? Excuse me, but what other women do in the restroom is none of my business, and it should be the same the other way around!

In my library, the stall pictured above faces the main door. When you enter the room, you have a frontal view of the occupant. It’s simply impossible to avoid this view. Of course, I immediately look away, but it’s a small room with only two cubicles. One has to be blind or look at the ceiling when entering the place in order not to be blinded by the bare skin of a stranger showing through the gap.

That being said, I guess my experience in Germany as well as in France highlights that public restrooms are more private in Europe. Consider the next (graphic) sentence as my revenge for these mortifying moments in American restrooms. In Europe, you won’t see anything through a gap, but the noise from the next stall will let you know if someone empties her bladder or bowels.

Why is there no privacy in American public restrooms?

Believe me, French and German travelers and expats have already expressed their concerns about restroom privacy. After talking with my fellow citizens, I’ve done some research.

I don’t pretend to be a specialist in public restroom protocols in the US. Freaks and genuinely interested readers may want to consult the American Restroom Association (I’m not kidding!) for more detailed information. From my research, the reason for awkward American restrooms is a mix of monetary considerations and an attempt to keep people from getting comfortable while sitting on the toilet. Another reason: establishments hardly want to encourage doing drugs or having sex in their restrooms.

According to the ARA, “A properly designed public toilet facility improves the experience of both those who operate the facilities and those who use them. Proper design reduces queuing, misuse, and lowers initial and recurring cost.”

Now tell me, whose user experience is the ARA prioritizing?

Privacy matters!

The ARA also states on their website that “To prevent unnecessary queuing, anyone entering the restroom should be able to easily determine the state of occupancy of stalls.”

Ach, so! (German for “Oh! I get it.”) We need the gap to know whether we can enter a stall? In other words, to know if it’s vacant or not? Well, the Old Word has a solution: a lock with color indicator. Green means it’s vacant, and red means the stall is in-use, so check for another one.

I’m sure I’ve seen these locks here in the US and Walmart sells them online. But, I’m also sure that the door didn’t go all the way to the floor. Clearly, there’s still some work to do here in order to give patrons an appropriate amount of privacy in a vulnerable moment.

Anything to add here?