Walmart stealth bathing

[WanderingRose]

I agree wholeheartedly with the “no, no, and NO” group here.

If even half of those who overnighted at WalMart started doing this, overnighting would soon be banned.

If you think they won’t figure out what you’re doing in there, you are wrong.

This is taking advantage, in my opinion.

 

[CityWoman]

I dunno, but it seems to me that people are coming down pretty hard on GypsyJan, especially after she was so excited to report on her success.

She's said she's a handicapped person who used the handicapped stall to wash up and it was super quick to do. And I'm sure she had the good sense to do it at a time when the store wasn't busy. What's the chances that another disabled person would need the stall at the exact same time when a store doesn't have many customers present? What, maybe it took 10 or 15 minutes, tops? I've had the experience of taking 10 minutes in a restroom, especially in winter with lots of layers of clothing. It's possible that someone in a wheelchair or whatever would take just as long to do their business - so who would know she wasn't dealing with some kind of disability and changing a bag or a tube or whatever and then pooping and peeing? I don't think she did anything wrong.

Well, I won't harsh your buzz, GypsyJan. I say good for you, well done!

 

[Stargazer]

Where does OP say she is handicapped? Imust have mossed that.

 

[CityWoman]

Where does OP say she is handicapped?  Imust have mossed that.

Post #12.

 

[gramakittycat]

Regardless the bathroom is NOT the place to shower!!!

 

[RoamerRV428]

remember all she isn't doing a real shower in any way....she is doing a wash down with a bit more pizazz then just using the sink and washing her face When one needs a bit more of a wash up, one needs it and if this solution suits her then so bit it. From all the NO posts I read I have to say none have convinced me what she is doing is bad in any way.
Keep on rocking it out GJ!

Grama, actually the bathroom is where one showers in life HAHA

 

[1shemp]

I think this should go on the list of things that people do to screw things up for everyone else.Bad idea.

 

[Qxxx]

I think anyone with disabilities deserves all the breaks they can get, as long as they "don't" leave a mess in their wake. Of course, the latter applies to everyone equally. The older I get, and mobility problems increase, the more I appreciate such issues.

 

[CityWoman]

I think anyone with disabilities deserves all the breaks they can get, as long as they "don't" leave a mess in their wake.

Yes, indeed.

The handicapped stall GypsyJan used has a sink inside for one reason - hygiene! Why does hygiene in a public restroom have to be limited to hands only? Why not feet, pits, nether regions, etc., as well? For example, many people, handicapped or not, always rinse or sprinkle their butt with water after every bowel movement - who is going to decree they can't do that in a public bathroom?! And I remember seeing an old movie years ago, in which Catherine Deneuve comes home and sticks her feet in the bathroom sink to wash them. I started doing that after I saw it. If one has the opportunity to wash their feet in a sink inside a public stall, why not?

There's no reason for people to scold and shoot someone down for taking care of their hygiene quickly, privately, and neatly inside a stall. For what? To feel holier-than-thou? I don't understand the vitriol.

 

[Dingfelder]

Maybe it's just our local Walmart, but it is a giant store with many employees and customers walking in and out all the time. However, there are only a few stalls. I think I've seen McDonalds with more stalls. You can easily have a terribly long wait. I would think that using one of the very few stalls for an extended period would be doing a big disservice to every other customer, and employee, but yourself. I think you're crossing a courtesy line here.

There is little you can't do fairly easily to clean up with some water and soap, or some rubbing alcohol, along with a washcloth or kitchen towel and/or paper towels on your own. Washing your hair is more difficult, but even that is doable with a jug of water out by the side of the road in a minute or so. Just wipe down your hair when cleaned thoroughly to squeeze the water out, give your head a shake, and wrap a towel around your neck when you're done so you don't leak water back down into your clothes.

 

[RogerD]

I have no desire to drive around wasting time and gas trying to find a place to shower or pay any membership fees. I don't have a high top, so my set up is a tote, seat, pump sprayer and I rig up a shower curtain. When not in use, the tote fits snuggly between the front seats and doubles as a center console.

 

[Cammalu]

I thought it was really funny - earned her a YARC badge even [emoji12]

 

[RoamerRV428]

Ding we have a super Walmart at our area. There is an echo in the restrooms They are huge with 2 handicap stalls, one on each side of the big line of stalls with plenty of hand washing sinks lined up.

Old walmarts might be small bathrooms but these super sized ones have some nice restrooms offered actually.

My Walmart when I run in if needed while shopping has never had more than 1 other in there and have to say tho it has to be on an individual store basis one can only base this on.

In general to all a disabled person is to use this stall and GJ is just that. There truly is no courtesy line being crossed cause anyone handicapped will take a good bit of time in a stall sometimes because they require all that time to finish their needs. Are we now putting limits on the time allowed in a handicap stall for all those with disabilities and if the bathroom is vacant, can't a person do what is necessary in that stall as they need?

I mean....fine line here of course but GJ in my eyes has the right to use this stall and since she left it cleaner than when she entered it, she done good in my book

 

[GypsyJan]

Bless you, RoamerRV428:

Your kindness makes me proud to be a member of the tribe...and especially YARC!

My stealth bath was done in pre-dawn hours so no other handicapped person was inconvenienced. Also, during evacuations Walmart is most obliging and during daytime hours there will be lots of folks brushing teeth, fixing hair, and washing up with no harrassment.

My snowbirding plan is to travel 200 miles or less per travel day, so I figure I can wash up in sections at each pit stop and not be taking too long each time. I also plan to be at a campsite about 5 days per week, so the majority of my bathing won't be stealth mode.

I will use kitty pee pads as bath mats in future as these are disposable. Thanks to all the positive folks with good tips.

 

[vanbrat]

So sometimes you do what ya gotta do. And if you figure out how to do it, good for you. Not something to be done everyday and since you left the space cleaner then it was, good for you. Not something I would want to come across as I use the bathroom. But unless it made a mess for me or anyone else, I would probably just live and let live. Trying hard in my old age to not be to judgmental.

 

[RoamerRV428]

GJ you explained yourself well in that post. You do what you gotta do when you can with what ya got sometimes
I so get that!!

I do like the disposable mat idea~

You're fine GJ, just keep doing what you want, where ya want and live as you want. You have a lot of common sense and good ways about you.

 

[Qxxx]

"I do like the disposable mat idea~".

Speaking of disposable, and not having a full shower with bathtub, 32" TV screen, microwave, and reclining easy chair like Roamer  :dodgy:   what I do in my van inbetween showers is to put down some newspaper on the carpet, strip down, and swab down from the wash bowl. Works good for everything but shampooing. Actually I reuse the newspaper several times.

 

[Doubleone]

I totally agree, there's nothing wrong with staying clean, especially in light of a storm evacuation situation, but it's just the 'optics' look really bad... and we certainly don't want to piss-off any Walmarts. 

In my former career, we used to get complaints of transients going into the Starbucks all the time and bathing.  Of course it was only a few who left the restroom in disarray, but when they did, it was a stinking mess of water and paper towels on the floor, and the room reeked of alcohol, urine, body and foot funk.  Each time it happened an employee had to clean and sanitized the whole restroom and leave the door open to air it out.  It pissed-off the manager of Starbucks so badly they would drop a dime the moment they saw someone of a certain look or appearance walk into the store.  A second issue were folks lurking and using the exterior wall plugs to recharge cell phones at the rear of the store, especially at night.  Employees were startled and frightened to find someone right there when walking out the back door to the trash area.  I almost had to stop drinking coffee at that Starbucks because I started to get fatigued hearing about it on every visit while trying to enjoy my break... I finally suggested they remove the exterior wall plugs and once they did that, magically that part of the complaint stopped.  Of course, it just displaced folks and they went inside to charge their phones, but somehow that was better perceived by the baristas...  I think it was just the lurking aspect and surprise in the dark factor; it was better to be more overt and walk into the store.  That was about the same time of the big brouhaha with Starbucks discriminating against certain folks, and they soon received direction from corporate on how to better handle such matters.

One resource used on multi-day bike rides in Iowa, some riders go to the local coin car wash and bathe there, although it takes a team effort and just be aware those high pressure noozles can seriously injure you if used too close.  Spray wax is optional for an extra shine... lol!

 

[RoamerRV428]

Qxxx...haha...yea we got a nice toyhauler but we boondock a ton. Use of all that stuff is limited, it ain't free use as one would think like a true rv'er has so we do a ton to 'not use the facilities' in our rv to hold tanks longer etc......so I DO have some experience in stealth of life out there on the road All us rv owners ain't living in the lap of luxury out there, heehee, we do what those with less in their rigs do also!!

You know what happens when you assume...

 

[WanderingRose]

I’m in the “no” group, re bathing/shampooing in a Walmart (or any other retailer) handicap stall, and my perspective is not about one’s freedom to choose nor whether leaving the facilities cleaner than one found them justifies appropriating private facilities for personal uses for which they weren’t intended.

In an emergency situation, like an evacuation or any other dire straits, anything might go, but that’s not what is being discussed here.

If it’s just about routine bathing, a bathroom handicap stall is not the place to do so, and there are lots of very clever options discussed here that contain this very personal behavior in the confines of one’s own space, whatever that may be.

In my opinion, it’s a step too far, and if adopted by others would likely result in restrictions none of us would welcome.

Bringing in a few extra wipes to address nether region needs notwithstanding.

Just my two cents.