Sorry, all Edmonton Oilers fans who aren’t men. Looks like you may want to limit your fluids intake during this season’s playoffs lest you want to wait 30 minutes to use the bathroom.
According to Global News, the Oilers’ hockey arena, Rogers Place, decided to alleviate men’s bathroom wait times by converting two of their women’s bathrooms to men’s for Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinal last Sunday.
Susan Darrington, the arena’s general manager, cited that ticket-holders for the season are predominantly men, and since the playoff season is even more “exciting” than the regular season, the audience will continue to skew predominantly male, because, you know, men wouldn’t dare sell their tickets to lady fans or bring their partners.
The arena first attempted to alleviate men’s bathroom lines by straightening up the queue and hiring attendants to direct fans to empty stalls, but ultimately felt the best option would just be to inconvenience half the population.
Thanks @RogersPlace for screwing the females with the bathroom change. This is chaos.
— Cee (@hunny_goose) April 30, 2017
@RogersPlace @EdmontonOilers heads up on bathroom changes would be nice! One women’s bathroom for the entire end of the arena…come on now!
— Stacey Brennan (@12sbrennan) May 1, 2017
One women’s restroom on each of the main and upper concourses was converted to be used by men. Women interviewed by Global News cited 25-minute wait times and lines of 60 people deep, whereas men’s restrooms didn’t have queues. Darrington said the staff will address the newfound problems with women’s restrooms, but stood by the move.
“You’ll never make everyone happy. I think we actually feel good about what we’ve done,” she told Global News earlier this week. “The men are getting through faster, the women are seeing a little more of a delay.” Indeed—bolstering men at the inconvenience of women always makes for a successful policy.
Despite all the pushback, however, Rogers Place kept the same bathroom system in place for Wednesday night’s game. Almost worse, a PR rep justified the move by explaining that they do the same thing for women-centric audiences at “concerts like John Mayer, the Lumineers, Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton.” You know, events for chicks!
Perhaps it’ll take a superstition to fix the bathroom situation for women. Until then…
So, the Oilers haven’t won since the bathrooms were switched @RogersPlace …
— Sperounes (@Sperounes) May 4, 2017
H/T Deadspin
