Bathroom Conundrum

Two pictures; one has a figure standing at attention, and the other has a figure that looks as though it is wearing a cape.  Conventionally people know these as the signs for the male and female restrooms.  Bathrooms, their main purpose is obviously for you to free up space in your bladder and intestines but there are always people who choose to use the bathroom for other things.  Some people use it as a place to chat, powder their noses, some even use them to partake in some extracurricular activities.  Unfortunately 9 times out of 10 bathrooms are not unisex, they are multi-stalled beasts and for someone like me bathrooms can become daunting, uncomfortable and/or unsafe locations.

Being that I identify as male given a choice I will always use the male restroom.  Personally I have never had a problem, men are also a lot more oblivious or just don't care to observe those around them (at least in all the restrooms I have used) so you just go in and then out and you are all set.  Sometimes there are circumstances that prevent or make me shy away from using the bathroom in general.

There is a restaurant that I often frequent (and did before I came out as trans) so they know me as someone who uses the ladies restroom.  A fair amount of them are my friends and are also aware that I am beginning my transition so I don't think that it would be a problem using the other, but at the same time there are enough people that do not know me which complicates the situation.   So since I have come out I just avoid the restroom situation entirely.  But there are times when I just have to go, then what?  I can try and hold it which is an excellent way to get kidney disease.  On the other hand I could just leave, doesn't work so well when I just ordered food though.  My regular restaurant spot is in a shopping complex, so I can walk across the parking lot and use a shop's restrooms and then come all the way back.

There are plenty of places that I would rather have this entire thought process, walk 10 minutes out of my way and still might feel awkward using the bathroom.  I just want to use a bathroom like any other guy, if only it were that easy.  So now that I have whined on and on, just know that if you are out with a trans friend, or family member understand that there may be times where bathrooms might be a big issue.  Just give them a little bit of a break.