LNER should have consulted women over toilets - Yorkshire Post letters

I TRAVELLED to York the other day, and after using the new women’s lavatories, I noticed a sign asking for feedback, but it featured a QR code.

You should not assume passengers have smartphones or mobile wifi.

So, I noted the web address, and this seems to be the most sensible address to write to.

If one goes to a train station one may observe the sheer differences human sizes, the number of those travelling with children, and those with suitcases.

The new lavatories have been built with absolutely no gesture to serving a woman unless she is below a size 14, travelling without children, travelling without a suitcase, and over 5ft 4in.

It is incredible that a brand new facility in a place which people use in transit, has cubicles in which:

1. One cannot take one’s suitcase (are we supposed to leave it out to be stolen?) for lack of room. There are no oversize cubicles or ones where the door swings out, rather than in.

2. One cannot enter and shut the door if over a size 14 because the door swings so close to the lavatory there is literally no room in which to manoeuvre? Please get real.

3. Referring to my first point, what is one supposed to do when travelling with children or many cases?

Leave them all outside? It is no good stating ‘well, there is a baby change cubicle’ when said cubicle has no lavatory or basin for use.

4. None of the cubicles appear to be furnished with basins.

What exactly is one supposed to do when suffering an extremely distressing sanitary disaster?

It happens with great frequency and ignoring the fact does not make it go away.

5. The sinks are all one height. What about children? Where is the half-height sink? Even Sainsbury’s and Waitrose manage to have the forethought to provide such.

6. Besides the sinks there are no hooks provided upon which to hang bags or coats while washing hands. Is it proposed one drapes them upon the floor or clamp between legs as is all to often the case?

Did LNER even ask any women what is needed, or did it just lazily hire a male architectural technician? Really, it is a very poor show indeed.

It is surprising that there have been no lawsuits yet against LNER with regard to discrimination.

I look forward to their response and views of other travellers.