The summer I turned 14 my dad took my brother and I on vacation to the beach. We were staying in an oceanfront resort. This was the first time I had ever needed to use tampons (for going in the water). Well we were laying on the beach and I decided I needed to go to the bathroom so I got up and walked back to the resort. Before I went in, I rinsed off the sand from my body with the public shower hose.
I noted that there were two boys behind me, laughing. A few moments after walking away I realized that there was a heavy stream of pink water running down both of my legs. I was immediately terrified. I felt paralyzed. After I realized I just need to keep moving, I looked around for any women resort staff so I could ask for a towel, but none were around. All men. Absolutely mortified, I opened the door to the resort lobby, and walked as fast as I could to the public restrooms. Also, the lobby floor was white tile, as I got to the hallway I looked back and saw a trail of pink water. Again, just so incredibly embarrassed and ashamed and I was disgusted with myself. At that point I just run to the bathroom and lock myself in a stall. It was unfortunately very busy in there. I couldn’t figure out how to take the tampon out. Again, this was one of the first times I had ever used one. So I just stood there, waiting until everyone left so that I could make a run for it without having to look anyone in the eye while I was leaking. I stood in the stall for over an hour. The most embarrassing hour of my life.
And the worst part, the leaking just wouldn’t stop (I had on a pair of Jean shorts on top of my bikini bottoms and the water dripping off from the shorts was mixing with my leaking tampon), and after a while, there had amassed a giant puddle of pink water at my feet. (The white tile really wasn’t helping) I could hear everyone that came in talking about me while washing their hands. I was incredibly embarrassed. Some (kind) women tried to knock on the stall to see if I needed help but I was too embarrassed and just stayed quiet. Eventually I mustered up the courage to run up to our room and wash up.
My point is, if this had been a unisex bathroom I don’t know what I would’ve done. At 14, my whole world was what boys thought of me and I couldn’t imagine having boys or men in the stall next to me or hearing male voices when everyone could see a puddle of pink water at some girls feet. I was already embarrassed enough with the boys behind me laughing as I was rinsing sand off. Please, women’s bathrooms need to be kept female only. No males, no matter the feeling they have about themselves. Females only.
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