Ladies Toilets

Erm, excuse me Bloke, not all Brits are complaining about the lack of 'Western' toilets.

I'm British and I made the point that we don't accommodate other cultures by installing squat loos, so why should we expect other cultures to accommodate us by installing 'Western' loos?

When in Rome... or Manchester... or Doha...

TYPICAL British attitude, so you though you would come and find the Queen's toilet!!!??

Give it time and stop complaining like a typical Brit!!!

Have you check your London? Manchester maybe? Leeds? Any toilet in your rail stations? For god sake, get a live, or choose another country or are you there just because of TAX?

SQUAT or NOT-TO_SQUAT...?

Western style toilest are definately needed....

But the cleanliness could be a rung higher...eg even in a Mall like CityCentre the Contrast between the floor of the loo and the shopping floor is quite high.

I have seen better floored (& maintained) toilets in lot less smaller & less swanky malls in India.

That the Toilets here can do better is definately on.

Its actually the fault of the Mall (or Toilet) Design-team not the toilet users or cleaners fault.

Actually all toilets get dirty the moment you use it irrespective of the country. It is the design of the floor & quality of the Tiles which withstands the constant abuse and is easy to clean.

Are you? … once you’ll get here you’ll understand what I mean! And I’m not referring in particularly to the infrastructures, that’s the easiest thing to fix in ten years time … but I totally agree with you on “never say never” …

let’s bring up the subject again after you spend sometime in Doha :)

tbh, I didn't think London was serious about the Olympics, the transport infrastructure is positively Dickensian; trying to get from A to B in London is a total nightmare. I didn't think London would win the bid at all. Anything can happen!

somehow I don't think squat loo would be the main issue in evaluating Qatar's bidding for the olympics …

P.S. they can't be serious about the olympics!!!

No, I wasn't accusing anyone of ignorance, it's just that I was very amused by the whole sense of indignation that a Middle Eastern country would fail to take special measures to accommodate Western tastes, when Western countries fail to accommodate Middle Eastern/Oriental cultural sensitivities all the time.

I mean, I've never stayed in an hotel or visited a restaurant or shopping mall in the UK with facilities that include a squat loo in order to cater for the cultural sensitivities of their international guests, in fact the attitude is usually 'When in Rome...'

I conceed that I have led a good life and that I have enjoyed many things deemed luxurious to other countries but I will not apologise for it. I would also say that I am not ignorant to the plight of many that do not even have a squat toilet. That is the hand dealt to them and many strive to escape that way of life.

Qatar is actively seeking expatriates and as such they must accommodate some of the things they take for granted - such as a western toilet.

I did not come to Doha with a holier than thou attitude and have tried hard to live by the customs and traditions here. I dress conservatively and I obey the rules during ramadan etc.

When I am shopping I do not complain about standing in a que waiting for the only western toilet but if I had paid a lot of money to visit a country hosting an international event such as the olympics I would be peeved. The point I was making is that if they are serious about bidding for the olympics then they must cater to the western needs.

There are people who like western toilets and those that do not. I did not say that those using a sqat toilet were ignorant and I fail to see why I should be labeled ignorant to the world because I prefer to have a western toilet.

It's all relative. It doesn't make it bad to want for a "real" toilet.

lack of worldly experience plus deliberate ignorance towards real world...........no squat toilet...no water and definitely no toilet papers in most places...its life and those people living in such a way are fine.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

I don't think it's so much a holier than thou attitude as it is lack of worldly experience. I'd like to see these guys try living in other parts of Asia where you're lucky if it's a squat toilet.

When every one comes with a holier than thou attitude what do you expect?

"If your number one goal is to make sure that everyone likes and approves of you, then you risk sacrificing your uniqueness and, therefore, your excellence."

srendipity...come here and you see a lot more funny things going on, different people and their attitudes. well....you will get to see a lot of them over here too on QL.

happy heart

drive safe because someone is waiting for you at home

I've been looking through some of the older threads and posts and came across this one.

It strikes me as quite curious:

I mean, how would you guys feel if middle eastern/asian people visiting the UK/US or wherever complained that the sports stadia, shopping malls, restaurants etc., just had those disgusting 'western' style toilets and didn't make any accommodations for middle eastern/asian people and didn't install any squat loos for them.

You'd probably think they were barking mad to be demanding culturally sensitive sanitary-ware in your own home countries.

Anyway, nothing really to add to the debate, except to state that I don't mind squat loos, and to say that I found these attitudes quite funny.

Ah so it wasn't just me who found most of the public toilets (Ladies) like paddling pools...

...holes in the ground - Is there a guide book to the correct squatting technique!!

...unisex - bizarre in a country where the sexes are usually segregated

... but I'm back in freezing cold UK and I'd swap it right now to be back in Doha ... paddling pools and all!!

I worked at the Khalifa for a very brief period last year. The toilets in the admin/media/operations areas where top class by any standards. They were cleaned every couple of hours too (and they had to be, as those rowdy broadcasties had very little sense of hygeine.)

Never had an opportunity or need to visit the spectator loos though. So can't comment on that.

If you have any trouble with loos at any of the Games venues, try to find a CLEANEVENT employee and let them know. They're a pretty helpful bunch.

>>>>It is not just the toilets for the Asian games but the country in general they have a much lower standars for hygine been for toilets or food.

Basically it comes down to a lack of education. We’re not talking about the uneducated migrant workers here, but in general in a whole, Qatari locals are not an overly educated bunch; so in turn, many public issues are overlooked (such as communal health).

>>>> Toilets in Qatar are terrible in general (with some exceptions), and toilets in Landmark mall are the worst. They look like a decoration from the "Bladerunner". I am talking about men's toilets!

I know! The women's bathrooms are just the same!! Hopefully the recent fire was able to kill off some of those overly-excessive bacteria!! I cringe every time I have to go in their. Sad!

You would think that a country with all this wealth could at least invest some money in “health programs” to promote basic levels of communal hygiene.

Culture of any country can be easily measured by two parameters: public toilets and bookshops.

It is not just the toilets for the Asian games but the country in general they have a much lower standars for hygine been for toilets or food.

i have been here for 11months and crave a western toilet that is not 3 inches deep in personal waste or a toilet block that does not look like a swimming pool.

The local labour they use dont care as long as they get paid.

Oh well only 2 months to go before returning to sanity.

Toilets in Qatar are terrible in general (with some exceptions), and toilets in Landmark mall are the worst. They look like a decoration from the "Bladerunner". I am talking about men's toilets.

Ladies.... it gets worse at other stadiums.... if there are toilets they are locked....

I asked at Qatar Sports Club once and the weasel on reception brushed me away and said 'no women'. Charming

You have to have someone on guard whilst you go to the gents.

I actually pointed this out to someone from the Qatari Football Association... no avail

If there are ladies loos, like al Saad... there are men in it anyway.

was the post for me dvargas..............shovel and curtain wud be stretching it too far.

i can take that chance of emergency in the middle of the desert.

but u being the good samritan that you are......you could stock up your car with the supplies :-)

peace.

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drive safe cos someone is waiting for u at home

thats strange...no western toilets.

i usually carry my own packet of cleaning swipes and dry tissues...for such emergencies like no soap and no tissues...sometimes no water.

it works.

happy heart

drive safe cos someone is waiting for u at home

At Khalifa Stadium, the last toilet is a Western toilet. In Aspire, the majority of the toilets are Western, I have actually only seen one Arabic toilet. And I haven't had any problem finding soap. if you are worried, maybe get a small comtainer of hand sanitizer to carry in your purse. I agree with Miss Canada..if the toilets are not clean (although I find the ones at the venues for the Games fine) i would rather a squat. Easier to keep your pants from touching anything and spreading germs.

I do think that more consideration should have been given to westeners but a fancy hole in the ground is their way so it is a bit unfair to knock it on the basis of poor education.

The beach volley ball venue has normal toilets and when I have been there they have been so clean I commented to my husband. They even had toilet roll, hand towels and soap!

The problem has to do with the high number of poor educated labours that would not be able to use westerner toilet.

Same thing at the Aspire Dome as well. $$$$$ facility and it's got a hole in the ground for a toilet. I don't get it.

I know what you mean! I think there was a lot of “minor details” overlooked in the planning. I personally don’t mind squatting; it’s a lot healthier for you in terms of proper technique (!!!) and better yet, safer in preventing the spread of bacteria. What I really can’t get over is the lack of overall cleanliness in public bathrooms (esp. at the venues ... sick). Soap anyone?