Posted on 06/07/2007 1:05:03 PM PDT by Kimmers
Proposal Would Have Doors Swing Out, Not In
BOSTON -- If Bellingham resident Douglas Flavin has his way, all public bathroom doors in Massachusetts will open outward, not inward.
The Legislature's Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight reviewed the bill Wednesday. State Rep. James Vallee (D-Franklin) filed the bill on Flavin's behalf.
Survey: What Do You Think?
"[Think] how easy it would be to prevent germs and disease," Flavin's wife Tracy told BostonNow. "If state residents could open bathroom doors with a knee or elbow instead of a handle."
Flavin also claimed it would prevent litter resulting from people protecting their hands with paper towels.
A representative for the state Department of Public Safety told the newspaper that the state building code does not specify the direction public bathroom doors must open.
I wonder how Seinfeld would suggest we hold the rope.
Shucks. I was looking for a little help in keeping the smoke cloud from exiting in a no-smoking establishment. :-)
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
I don’t think the government should be involved in this, but I have to say that I like the idea. The best public restrooms are the ones that have automatic flush toilets, automatic faucets, and automatic paper towel dispensers. Usually when I get to the door, if it’s not push, I use my paper towel to open the door, and I usually end up doing the half splits trying to get my paper towel into the garbage can. I always feel sorry for people in wheelchairs trying to get in and out of the bathroom door. Ideally, I guess the doors should be automatic or have a push button so that the handicapped can get in and out easier.
Lots of public restrooms don't have doors at all. There is just an open entry way and then a wall or curve that must be walked around.
It works great.
If I find one of those foot-baths, I might just mistake it for a urinal.
Seeing how few people (well, men, that's the loo I use!) wash their hands, I can understand your point. But I'm just as happy with using the paper towel that I wipe my hands with, and a wastebasket near the door to drop it into.
Urinal? I might just sit down. LOL
No, they should equip them with mechanical door openers set up by bumping a switch on the side of the stall. I believe this is absolutely necessary to the safety of our citizens.
And I’m getting into the automatic door-opener business as soon as I see legislation heading that way.
> Usually when I get to the door, if it’s not
> push, I use my paper towel to open the door
And do you feel you have significantly fewer illnesses than those of us who don’t give — forgive me — a crap, and who just use their hand??? I find this whole germ phobia thing ridiculous. Germs are everywhere. Get used to it. It’s a battle you’ll never win.
You don't have to get all pissy about it...
/s
LMAO
I don’t know. I usually don’t get a lot of stomach viruses, which can be caused by somehow touching another’s fecal matter and then ingesting it by rubbing your eye or putting your finger in your mouth. I know that there are a lot of people that don’t wash their hands or don’t wash them very well after they go the bathroom, and I really would like to avoid touching those germs.
On a side note, my mom, aunt, and grandma are big germaphobes, and they don’t get sick very often.
The door should swing both ways. Just like their constituents do. Well, most of them anyway.
What I really hate, though are those giant doors in hotel bathrooms. They open inward and block the tub or sink area so you have to go all the way in and shut the huge, heavy, unwieldy door just to wash your hands, which is ridiculous when you are alone. It makes a tiny hotel bathroom even more crowded.
Half baths, small rooms, why do they all open inwards? Does someone have a reason? It makes no sense to me. They take away from usable space in a tiny bedroom, but if they opened to the hall, which is wasted space anyway, you would have more room to arrange furniture.
They make them in China for cheep cheep!
I heard about this on the Roe Conn show, this very afternoon!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.