National Key Scheme for toilets.

DragonCat16 said:

People are going to look down on you and hate you because of the autism anyway.

Not sure about hate. I hope that people do not hate autistic people.

But I have felt that people often find my behavior to be strange.

They often are confused.

Oh my word! If you find out which planet your from could you let me know!

I To need structure but need others to do it for me. My email inbox is 8334 yikes, my pictures are mounting up but I cannot bring myself to delete any, I suffer with dyslexia but mainly short term memory.

I find patterns in everything I see, I collect things that are not important, currently my obsession is receipts and price tags for all the things I am buying to please me, my new look, Victorian clothing and anything that makes it complete, each time I go shopping I take every receipt write a discription if what the item is in detail,then staple them all together.?

no idea why.

I saw a manikin type figure made from plumbing fittings which I find funny but shows imagination to give a smile as well. I found myself thinking it would be good to take pictures of all the ones I could find and archive them with dates and locations and each part used in its creation?

I also count things when I am stressed, it seems important for me to do all these things but I have no idea why?

could it be because my memory is so shockingly poor that I try to compensate to try and reinforce it? I am sure most of it is because of my inability to remember things, why must I keep counting letters on a box in front of me? I look at it often, I guess how many letters but never quite trust my guess so am compelled to count to make sure, not always the right guess.

()

I love India and I’ll be going back soon but the one thing I did struggle with initially was the toilets. Many people don’t use toilets, they just go anywhere, on the streets, in the open, anywhere  and the toilets they do have are just holes in the floor with a bucket of cold water if you’re lucky to wash, instead of toilet roll. 

That’s interesting Procastinator, do you know which planet you’re from? I’m not from this planet either which is what makes it so exciting probably to be here. Do you ever communicate with your people from back home? 

Ah - Thank you!

 :-) . I am from a different planet. I need structure but find it hard to implement it in my own life. The result is an email inbox with 4803 (just checked) unread emails and a constant struggle not to drown in the surrounding chaos. 

Maybe I ought to start a new thread on this topic? It seems fascinating to me that there are autistics who endogenically create their structure and those like me who need it so badly but like almost need someone to show them how to go about creating it?

Until the diagnosis was stamped on me (by no initiation of my own) I never really connected to the world of aspies, as the perceived care, organised and structured way of dealing with special interests is so foreign no me. 

I have a great love for instance of looking at facades of buildings. But I don't do anything with it (I haven't got a clue about it)

It is as if my fascination is meaningless looking without organisation. I also have a very bad working and visual memory - I wonder if the two are linked in anyway.

I downloaded images to a computer.  Process them, this includes deleting undesirable ones.  Then I back them up onto SD cards that go into tablets and mobile phones.

I also organise them by year/month and event or place visited.

Hi Robert 123 .

These loos still seem pretty decent to me - in comparison to some of the atrocious things I have come across.

I mean: there is toilet paper (!!!!) and there' s a functioning seat that can be covered in the toilet paper. The dirt on the floor looks like dirty damp floor with no obvious excrements smeared all over the floor, seat or walls.  There is no sanitary protection littering the floor.

Top tip number 1: when using a loo with a wet floor: first pull up or fold up your trouser legs if you are wearing trousers before you pull your trousers down :-) 

Tip 2 you can buy paper toilet seat covers.

Tip 3: use a tissue to touch doors and locks and taps.

Tip 4: don't drop anything on the floor :D 

I like the pictures. I can almost feel the atmosphere there. (And smell it)

PS I have a question for you

If you also take pictures of things: my phone automatically uploads everything to I-cloud, I have paid to expand my i-cloud, but because I take too many photo's I don't delete, that is also getting full up and I am feeling stressed about it because I don't have a computer brain.  
In the old days, I accepted my photo's got lost if I didn't do something about it, but now as it happens automatically I can't bring myself to actually delete them, and the next I-cloud back up is very expensive. Have you got a system?

I have often considered getting one of these keys. I struggle enormously with the lack of privacy in many toilets, but I have always worried that I didn't deserve it, or how I would feel if I walked out to find a wheelchair user waiting.

I tend to avoid drinking whilst out to avoid using toilets. That's my usual method in any public space or someone else's house. I would love more freedom, but don't know if I could bring myself to actually use a key.

I have occasionally used disabled toilets, but only ones that were already open. I think the key is the extra element that would worry me and make me feel guilty, but so many places do use this scheme which limits options if you don't have one. 

I have to agree.  If you have a key,. Use it!

Disabled toilets tend to be larger and cleaner and less busy.

The general public toilets are often a mess.  I have come across toilets that have flooded floors (both water and the other stuff) this means a clear slip hazard.  I have seen toilet seats missing, cubilble doors that don't lock, no toilet paper, toilets that are unflushed because they don't flush. *** on floor and seat!

People are going to look down on you and hate you because of the autism anyway. You might as well give them a reason to feel badly toward you. It's not as if you are going to meet any of them again anyway.

Everyone has a right to a clean toilet. You have a key so that you can exercise that right for yourself. If others want to have a clean toilet to use, they should petition the proprietor to maintain their toilets better.

I say go for it. I would not hesitate for a second if I had a magic key.

Thank you for letting me know about the potential problems in India. This is a good advice and very helpful for me to know.

I would feel extremely uncomfortable in ones like these.

Especially, if someone else could come in at any time.

I feel very vulnerable in toilets.

I do not understand why people like to write rude things or graffiti on the walls. This is so upsetting. I like nice walls.

) ( said:

Also I never use urinals as They give no privacy at all.

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I expect to do what all humans have to do with privacy and a level of cleanliness.

The same here.

Trainspotter said:

I do face another problem with public toilets and that is complete lack of privacy.

I experience the same. This is a huge problem for me in public same sex toilets.

NAS36609 said:

My solution (similar to what Robert has said) is to have a few “safe” places where I know I can go to the toilets and they will be in a pleasant state. Alternatively, I have been known to deliberately not drink anything while I’m out so that I don’t have to go - not recommended but I’d rather that than the anxiety of using a toilet when out.

I have the same approach.

Robert124 said:

Being seen coming out of disabled toilets when you don't have a visible  physical disability can be embarrassing.

I experience this and I am trying to deal with this inside me.

I experience similar problems.

I feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe in same sex public toilets.

They are also smelly and unhygienic with wet (urine) soaked floors, rudimentary hand washing facilities.

I would also almost say that they are only slightly better than wetting myself.

I also feel embarrassed to use the Radar scheme, but this scheme is very helpful for me.

I also like everything to be clean.

I always clean everything after myself and leave the place in the best condition as I can.

I would suggest you ignore your own thoughts. Leave other people free to have their own thoughts and use the toilet for disabled people. Or are you saying you can actually hear the thoughts of others? And that’s why you have to consider ignoring them??

Under the social model of disability, which replaced the medical model, we are disabled so you therefore have a legitimate right to use the toilet. You can use it with a clear conscious. 

One thing though. Don’t go to India. You would never survive their toilets. Not without a considerable amount of effort. 

The regulars on this site know me as the guy who photographs everything.

Including public toilets 

I came across these disgusting ones on my travels.

In our local Morrison supermarket the disabled toilet door has a big sign on it that says “ Not all disabilities can be seen”.

I use disabled toilets often, I have no trouble doing so, the other toilets are wrecked normally, Sainsbury have zero flush urinals and they smell disgusting, 

If I am in a supermarket and there facilities are not good I will use the facilities that are good,i treat them with respect. I am a human being just like anyone with a disability is, 

Also I never use urinals as They give no privacy at all. 

I expect to do what all humans have to do with privacy and a level of cleanliness.

Also if a disabled toilet becomes unusable would it be ok to judge a disabled person for using non disabled toilets,?  they would be stopping a non disabled person by doing so.

I wish  all beings could just share and be  more tolerant instead of always trying to be judgemental.