Alright. Guys? You may want to skip this one.
Women's bathrooms usually come equipped with a small garbage can meant to dispose of used tampons and pads. This is in every stall for privacy's sake.
My school does not have these in any stalls in any bathrooms.
The only garbage can, in fact, is usually right next to the door which is past the sinks.
In other words, if you are menstruating, you either have to A) flush things down the toilet that aren't really supposed to be, especially given the age of the plumbing or B) carry toilet paper cozied products past the sinks, past the waiting females, and throw them away.
Because of this, pretty much all my students know far more about my cycle than I am comfortable with them knowing (believe me, I thought about using the bathroom in another building when I first discovered this, but it simply is not worth my time). One girl was recently excited that we had "synced" so early in the term.
I don't care what else is wrong this place that we fix this year but this HAS TO GO. We deserve the same sort of decency here that every other school has afforded us in this regard. Christ.
Also? Happy Valentine's Day.
Friend, that is an OSHA violation. The women at my workplace at undergrad successfully got the trash cans installed after filing a public complaint. Our manager was so flustered.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the dudes. They don't make these leaps of faith. Like the bus driver who won't let you get off the bus at a stop to use the restroom, because there is a toilet on the bus? Guess what, man, there are more than two things to do in a bathroom. And your stall is not equipped for what I need to do. Ditto at concerts. The dudes never think about this.
Complain!
Guys, you're gonna want to skip this comment, too.
ReplyDeleteLil' Proffie, honey! You need a *Diva Cup*! Best thing since sliced bread. Lifechanging awesomeness. Yes, sounds gnarley, but I can clean mine out before and after work and it's all good, and oh-so-environmentally friendly.
(continuing the "maybe you want to skip" theme)
DeleteCount me as another fan of the diva cup. I only wish I had discovered it sooner (though it deals well with some of the uncertainty that seems to come with approaching menopause).
However, I sometimes need to empty mine during the day, and that can get a bit messy without a sink available behind the same locked door as the toilet. It's doable, though, and hopefully MLP's students aren't closely examining too closely what she's washing off her hands after exiting the stall.
But yes, they need to fix this. I can think of workarounds, most of which involve carrying the equivalent of carrying a doggy poop bag in one's purse or briefcase and secreting it (very carefully and securely) away for later disposal, but nobody should have to do that. And MLP's students should learn some discretion.
I have friends who rave about the Diva cup, but there is the chance of overflow during heavy days. Do it but get used to it over your summer cycles first!
Delete(Oh man, I can hear Strel now: FEMINIZATION OF THE SITE!!!)
I was just going to weigh in here and say Diva (or mooncup, or meluna - meluna cups have OMG SPARKLES). Not only does it solve the trash can problem, you can do what I once did and drop it on the floor, creating the impression that you viciously stabbed one of your colleagues.
DeleteDon't you have to carry it to the sink for a rinsing? Wouldn't that be an awkward task in front of the flakes?
DeleteI have never had to empty it at work. Of course I'm on the pill and bleed less than I did before going on teh drugs. If you must you can just empty it, wipe the inside or outside or both with TP, and reinstall and just worry about washing your hands.
DeleteIf you want to rinse it, the easiest thing to do is take a water bottle into the stall. I usually just give it a wipe.
DeleteDr. Lemurpants,
ReplyDeleteI have considered this, but it doesn't change the fact that I see my students doing the same (or, in one memorable case, she hid in the stall till I left and was therefore late to class). Thankfully I don't point out the "me too!" to them!
IANAD but I thought anything with blood on it was a bio-hazard. I'd always assumed that those little trashcans were to separate out that particular type of waste from the general trash stream, as well as being damned convenient.
ReplyDelete@ Isis -- In theory, you may be right on the biohazard angle, but in practice, no. I had a job (two, actually) that involved cleaning the women's restroom, and lemme tell you, those wax-lined bags go straight into the ordinary garbage.
ReplyDeleteI figured they couldn't actually be following full procedures because they don't line the little trashcans with autoclavable bags, but it might be worth a shot in bringing it to the attention of higher-ups.
DeleteAt our school, the bags are sometimes missing, which creates another dilemma -- use the stall can, knowing you're creating a really unpleasant job for the cleaning people, or deal with the same dilemma as above, but with no warning whatsoever.
DeleteA lot of the liberal male teachers at my school menstruate too, so some guys can relate. After all, they're basically chicks.
ReplyDeleteThat made this comment thread almost bearable.
DeleteHey you WERE warned.
DeleteI'm not sure what the male equivalent would be, but let's face it--there are things we don't want our students to know about us. This is just one of many and the school is putting us all in a situation where we find out. Ick.
This post makes me SOOOOOOO glad I got my lady parts yanked out two years ago. But if I still had lady parts, I'd get a little sign made up and tape a couple of copies up in the restroom--
ReplyDeleteI INTEND TO FLUSH MY TAMPONS DOWN THE TOILET UNTIL THE VERY MOMENT THIS INSTITUTION PROVIDES A DISCREET, SANITARY MEANS OF DISPOSING OF THEM.
As for the diva cup--it seems to me like it would make something inherently gross even grosser. I know a lot of women love them, but...eeew.
I love my merena I.U.D. no cramps. No mess. Going on 12years now. Just sayin'
ReplyDeletePs.....I have loved you for some time now, Stella. You and one or two others here really seem to be living my life.
ReplyDeleteY'all give new meaning to the phrase "My Bloody Valentine."
ReplyDeleteAlso PS?: Lesbian on birth control here, so no periods or PMS. I wonder if we menstruation-resisters are a statistically meaningful sample of a) women or b) academic women.
DeleteIt doesn't work for me. *sad face* Stupid cysts. Doesn't matter what I try short of a freaking hysterectomy. *sigh*
DeleteThis has really been a TMI day for me.
F&T - Awesome, awesome! They had some kickass music.
DeleteOn the plus side, I think we gave some of our menfolk a few moments to blanch.
ReplyDeletehahahaha. :)
DeleteYeah, I googled "Diva Cup" to figure out what was going on. Cue some very uncomfortable squirming when Google Images shows a schematic of how the rather large looking cup is supposed to work.
DeleteMy Little Proffie, mail a used tampon to the dean with a note:
ReplyDelete"MORE are COMING if the LITTLE CANS don't ARRIVE..."
Don't let Rick Santorum see this thread. He'll twist it to come up with yet another reason for why women should stay home.
ReplyDelete"Alright. Guys? You may want to skip this one."
ReplyDeleteAs a man, I find this condescending. And as long as people continue to blush and giggle while discussing menstruation, stuff like this won't get solved.
It's true, it is condescending. I tried to come up with an excuse, but I've got nothing.
DeleteNo condescending at all. It was a warning shot. I simply can't help myself. The payoff is that I can:
DeleteA) Impress the ladies with my worldly knowledge of diva cups and small trash cans in restrooms.
B) Gross out my guy friends with this same knowledge.
I enjoy both A and B, making this knowledge really fucking awesome.
"TW: graphic menstrual discussion" might have been less overtly sexist.
DeleteThe thing I'm most curious about is the fourth to last word in the post, right before "Happy Valentine's Day". Is that "also?" meant in German or English?
ReplyDeleteIt makes sense in both, but the question mark leans me toward the German.