The Toilet Door

Sleeve or tissue. Why dirty your sleeve?

In New Zealand, every public toilet pushes inwards and when exiting the facility, a handle is provided to pull the door toward you. Can you see where I am going with this? Hygiene. I always wash and dry my hands well but as I approach the door to leave, I look at the handle and think of previous users that didn't bother to clean their hands.

One could argue that a door opening out into a corridor could bump people walking past although most I see have an alcove around it. The fact is that either way the door opens it could bang into someone. Opening any door should be done with the realisation that another person is possibly about to enter. If a person collapses in a toilet room in your house and lands against the door, an outward opening door would allow access. It may be impossible to get to them otherwise.



Occasionally toilets do provide a devise to open the door with your foot. One has recently been installed for a ladies toilet in one place in our town but the male toilet didn't get one. Wow, what happened to PC? Anyway, another option would be to provide a receptacle for paper if one used a sheet of it to open the door that way. I really think it needs addressing.