EQUALITY WATCH : Blessed Relief

The lines for the ladies room always seem to snake around the corner while men never have to wait to get into restrooms at big public events. That inequity is about to change. The Los Angeles City Council has amended the plumbing codes to require double the number of women’s restrooms in new auditoriums, theaters and convention halls.

Is double enough? The just completed renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum quadrupled the number of lavatories available for women. What a difference those additional facilities made at half-time Sunday during the Raiders’ opening-day game.

What woman hasn’t missed an exciting play or the start of a concert after intermission because of too few toilets? After Robyn Bernson had to wait she complained to her husband, Hal Bernson, who is on the Los Angeles City Council, and he proposed the improvement.

The new regulations will apply to newly constructed, open-to-the-public facilities that hold more than 1,200 occupants and to facilities undergoing major renovations that improve more than half of their space. But what about existing facilities where lines tend to be long, like Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles International Airport? Women need relief at those venues, too.

Equity of access usually applies to weighty matters, but fairness should be a concern any time that open-to-the-public structures are built. In the case of the missing toilets, women--at least those attending events at many new or improved venues--will soon have to wait no more.