World Without Men

And I thought the men/women ratio was one-sided at my previous job.

The team back at base, and the other technicians on the road, are mostly guys. Despite attempts to make us think that everyone is equally capable of every job, there are still differences in the way men and women think and variations in what they like. Rational generalisation is not a crime. So I expected the ICT team to be made up mostly of men, and the primary schools to be staffed mostly with women.

The truth did not contradict my prediction, but I wasn't prepared for one school that does not appear to have a single male member of staff anywhere to be seen. I don't think that they even have a part-time male caretaker or handyman. There are no y chromosomes.

Most of the schools I visit in my new job have at least one or two complimentary male members of staff, but this infants' school has no source of testosterone present what-so-ever. So you might think so what, what's the big deal?

It's the toilet. There is only one and... it's like... I... how can I describe it? It's like I am forced to use the womens' toilet when I go there, but only because there is no mens' toilet. Just one staff toilet that is normally used solely by women. There are scented oils and hand lotions in there, there is a wicker basket of potpourri sitting on the cistern, and what appears to be an emergency hairbrush propped up against the gilded mirror. There is also a bin specifically for sanitary towels.

They never said I would be this far behind enemy lines. Still, I doubt I will ever find the seat left up, the toilet un-flushed, or urine stains on the floor. I just hope that the amazons don't think I'm marking my territory every time I go in there.