Why is there a large gap left under the door of the public toilet cubicle

Public toilets in office buildings, supermarkets, train stations and markets cause negative emotions for most of us. They can be perfectly clean and comfortable, but at the same time cause discomfort. One of the reasons why such a toilet is uncomfortable is the large gap between the floor and the door. Many believe that it is left on purpose so that it can be seen whether the booth is occupied or not. But this is not the case and there are much more reasons for such a decision.

The main reason for the appearance of a large gap under the door of a public toilet is concern for the safety of the visitor. Thousands of people visit toilets in major shopping malls and train stations every day. There are people with various diseases among them and just those who do not feel well. If a person loses consciousness and falls, then in a booth with a full-fledged door, help may come to him too late. And so everyone who passes by can notice the problem and come to the rescue.

Also, the space under the door helps to determine that the toilet is not being used for its intended purpose. Situations can be different, ranging from harmless sex by mutual desire, ending with serious crimes. Thanks to this door design, security personnel or just vigilant citizens can notice an offense.

It is easy to notice that the space under the door is so large that a person of ordinary build can crawl through it. This is not an accident, because another purpose of the gap is the evacuation of visitors. Locks that are opened and closed hundreds of times a day often break. Therefore, in case of force majeure, you can always try to leave the booth in an unconventional way.

Another reason for the appearance of a large gap is the need for frequent and thorough cleaning. According to the rules, toilets in public places need to be cleaned every hour. The space under the door allows the staff to use the mop freely, without wasting time fiddling with the doors. This significantly speeds up the process, because there can be more than a dozen booths.

Good ventilation is a prerequisite for a public toilet. The premises filled with suffocating odors have remained in the distant past and today they will simply be banned from operating. The space under the door of the toilet cubicle allows air to circulate freely and makes the operation of ventilation systems more efficient.

And now let's go back to the beginning of our story. You don't even suspect that creating psychological discomfort for a visitor is one of the secondary reasons for the appearance of space under the door. Public toilets are designed for a large capacity. It is assumed that the visitor will quickly do his business and leave. But everyone knows that there are fans of "hanging out" in smartphones and reading in the toilet. Oddly enough, they are not always confused even by public places. There are very few people who want to sit "overtime" in a booth where their legs are visible from under the door almost to their knees.