A vote for "not comfortable" dating back from my first mixed sauna in a Helsinki suburb a few years ago.

No I hate it too

Because the little one can't dress herself yet I have to get surreptitiously changed out in the open at swimming too. I get a bit

not sure about communal changing rooms but I do recall the first time I visited Italy many moons ago all the loos in pubs and clubs were (damn the word I want has gone out of my head) but tis the one that means they were for male and female..


pissed us off cos mens loos always pong a lot more than ladies so no escaping the men pong when having a pee..

unisex, Olly

Pleased I'm not the only one uncomfortable with it... I thought I was just odd

I wouldn't be comfortable using a unisex changing room

No, I wouldn't be comfortable using a communal changing room either.  So it's not just you Saz

The changing room wasn't unisex

Unisex!!! that was the word that escaped me... cheers Saz

Doesn't really bother me one way or the other.

I don't like them.... 

its not just about me not wanting to get it all out in front of others... its also about the women that seem to positively love trotting about in the all together.... especially the ones that do that towel thing... on leg up on the bench... see sawing the towel to dry off the undercarriage!

I dont like communial changing rooms if I go swimming at the local school I put my bathing suit on under my clothes before I go,coming out of the pond into the changing room is horrible some woman just stand there naked showing their all I cover myself with a big towel dry myself with another towel..

whats wrong with them?

Communal changing rooms should be avoided at all costs. Which dumpling of an architect/designer thought these places were a good idea?

Not even offering privacy is ridiculous!
How dare they assume that everyone is comfortable with it.
Communal changing room can never please everyone.
For every exhibitionist that loves to flaunt, there is an introverted, or at least shy and modest person, who wishes for privacy.

I don't like them either and wouldn't use them, as Ditty says it's not just being  naked around strangers it's the ones who don't even try to cover up and omg i hate accidental eye contact!  *shudder* Nope wouldnt find me in one... i'd use the toilet if i had to.

a pub in our town had unisex loo's....they also had like a giant fountain type round thing plonked in the centre for you to wash your hands........came out of the loo one night and 3 blokes were lined up peeing in the fountain thing......as they wwere a bit worse for wear they'd mistaken it for the urinal!!

That was me yesterday, looking for a cubicle

eeeeeeewwwwwww Spongey

communal are ok for the body beautifuls

I'd rather have my own cubicle thanks 

Oh God no that is just wrong on so many levels. Why do they assume you wanna flash your fanjita about or even worse, see what some men have to offer? (which can sometimes put you off your tea)

And how do the Germans feel comfortable with family nudity, and even more so insist on sharing with all and sundry on a packed beach?

You will find that the Germans on this side are also quite astounded at their ex-eastern neighbours. I was also a little surprised on my first visit to one of the Baltic sea-side resorts. The wessies are quite happy going topless but I think the only parts of the ossie ladies I didn't see were the ovaries.

But you can get changed in a communal changing room discretely without being an exhibitionist or flaunting yourself!   I would prefer to have a cubicle to myself given the choice, but I really can't understand why anyone would be particularly bothered by having to use a communal changing room if it was a single sex one.  I would be less happy using a unisex changing room.

Doh!  I just realised that for some reason, for Communal I read it as meaning Unisex. .  daft bint that I am. .

hangs head in shame.. 

Just to clarify, the changing room was communal, as in all open... not unisex

seems you're not the only one Olly

Is there even a token 2 or 3 cubicles Saz? Most places these days are 90% communal **shudders** but do have a few places us shy folks can hide in.

Personally I think it all stems back to those hideous communal showers in school.There were always a handful of fully developed girls at 12 who'd had periods from about 9 or 10 flaunting it about while the rest of us tried desperately to hide the fact we were stuck in some prepubescent timewarp!

I looked around but couldn't see any The showers were all in cubicles though

I remember the dreaded showers!  Except at my school the ones who were embarrassed and trying to hide themselves were the more developed girls.

You're paying money for the privilege of feeling uncomfortable. Complain.

omg nawwwwwwwwwww  lol bad memories  for me  the tea towel ........... the shame

I'll have a proper look around next time, there might be some hidden at the back of the room that I missed

Lexi......................I was gonna quote and put a witty reply......but I just can't do it

The Germans and the French.  If you care to find out you'll probably realise that the majority of European Countries aren't as anal about nudity as GB is.

 i'm traumatised all over again 

Awwwwwww  You've had enough shame I guess......I won't belabour the point

When I joined a gym it was communal but there were one or two private cubicles. I often felt daft going in them tho! Lol. After a while we did get used to it but didn't like the ones flashing everything - you don't know where to look

I agree......

They have communal changing rooms down at the Blue Waffle Gym.

Doesn't bother me.