I think that you've answered your own question! By the way, the loo doors in the UK also have gaps around them, as do the cubicles. The loos are also gender specific, so only boys in one, and girls in another. On the continent there are some shared gender loos which have no gaps... possibly a connection?

no idea why, but i think its horrible! in answer to the comments written on the last answer...um...in england theer are no gaps around the doors, well only due to hinges etc, unavoidable, nothing like the huge inch wide gaps in america.

So that someone could spare a square efficiently.

The gaps are there to air the stank out faster. There's nothing worse than a fresh rotten residue of toilet funk.

Unforntanetly, I believe it's because there's no such thing as quality work being done anymore. I did construction for about ten years and nobody is there to do the best they can, they are there to put in their hours, collect their money and go spend their money. They could careless if it is done correctly or not; as long as they get paid. That's all that counts. The boss's don't care as long as they are not behind, and because they're sitting in their air conditioned trailers and collecting even bigger paychecks. Of course, this is just my opinion, from my observations. In His service <:))))<>< Edit: Why is it that those who don't like an answer don't have enough backbone to leave a comment? I'm open to finding out what it is you did not like about my answer. Are you in construction and feel you do a quality job? Great, I'm happy for you, but I have worked construction and (at least in Ms. and Fl.) it's nothing but haphazard.

The store/resturaunt/whatever was to damn lazy to pay for wider doors.

The quick answer is that in commercial establishments, bathrooms are not money makers, but rather can be a time and expense. Depending on your state and municipality, an organization need only provide facilities for its patrons ( if they provide processed, or served foods), that meet guidelines for numbers and types ( toilets per legal occupant). There is no requirement for the men's or ladies rooms to be larger than the other but I digress.... :-) The long answer is one that falls into two general categories: 1) Cost: Because its an unrecovered cost, many establishments will try to create this space as economically as possible and to do that, many will use the cheapest types of materials possible. This is why some places have very flimsy partitions between commodes, and other fancier places often will have individual tiled rooms---Has anyone ever been to a store where the toilet paper was like wax paper? Very thin and 1 ply? Additionally since many of these restrooms will be abused by consumers, the partitions and fixtures often break quite often and need to be relpaced. These inexpensive partitions have gaps because it makes them easier to replace than something that fits joint tight. I worked for an individual who initially operated a restuarant which had floor to ceiling partitions for each commode, but constant usage resulted in broken doors. Because everything fit so tight, he was forever trying to fix them--additionally, the cost was very high. So, he removed the old fittings and put in the cheaper new ones and the for the cost of the original fittings, he was able to buy twice as many of the ones witht he gaps in them 2) Psychological: If anyone has ever read the novel "All Quiet On the Western Front", the early part of the book talks about lavatories in a barracks and in the field and points out psychological impacts of relieving oneself. Some people could stand in the middle of Times Square and poo in front of TV cameras---some people need more time so their body can relax. Regardless, there is a tendancy for some people--most peopel to take their time when they have total privacy. These gaps, while giving privacy, at the same time make you feel you are not totally private and make you want to get upa nd leave alot faster from a psychological perspective. its sort of like the tables and chairs in fast food places that are joined to each other and the floor. They are specifically designed to be not 100% comfortable so you will want to eat fast and get out.

Ever used a toilet in mexico? they have no doors. natural air conditioning and being modest does not exist. maybe the doors and frames in america, were made in mexico.

I can't stand the gaps in toilets or believe that in this the 21st century America has them? Going to toilet is or should be one of the most private acts. Fair enough we don't think about it as baby's but most of us do expect some discretion when we're adults. I'm from the UK but lived in the US for 7 yrs. I hated being able to see the lady washing her hands in the sink outside the door and I hated the thought of her being able to see me in the mirror in front of her (whether she wanted to or not) dare I say...using the toilet paper...One day I was in the US loos and had a little girl peep through, look at me and say "I can see you"! That wasn't something I had invisaged would happen but it solidified my belief that it's just plain wrong to make this possible. Many US building designs are open-plan which works in some cases but the psychological invasion of always being able to be seen even when you're doing your "business" is unacceptable. Mind The Gap

I live in the UK and I work in a busy office. The toilet cubicle in the gents has large gaps on the bottom of both the walls and the door. I agree that in the design of the cubicles, the idea that of 'quickly in and quickly out' was a large factor as I'm sure managers of large offices don't want the workers spending large amounts of time in the toilets. Having the gaps in the walls and doors of these toilets definetly makes you want to spend less time doing toilet things than you would at home...genius.

In Mexico and points south, they have no doors at all; in France they are mere doorless stalls ON THE PUBLIC SIDEWALK, and there are UNISEX restrooms with dozens of doorless stalls. . RJTRIES, in the past, in both UK and USA, public restrooms were indeed moneymakers. Insert coin, turn handle. In UK it cost a penny to pee, in USA a dime. And in may countries (mostly Moslem countries), even today, the toilet is nothing more than a porcelain-lined hole in the floor. And there is no toilet paper. Moslems wipe with the left hand. . During my childhood in America, most public restrooms were outhouses with two or more holes, and you had to bring your own newspaper or Sears-Roebuck catalogue, for toilet paper had not yet been invented.

You answered your own question about the reason of the gap: so the person using the toilet can be seen from the outside. If that were not possible, you'd never know if the stall was vacant when the door was closed.

Oh get over yourself.. Will you melt if someone sees you taking a shit? You better hope you never get dragged to a slave labor camp by the right wing governments that the pukes would love to build in the US or every other nation for that matter.

We yanks are just natural perverts.