Narrative:

I'm a captain for air carrier. There are 3 lavatories on the medium large transport, one up front, two in the rear. Prior to the introduction of 1ST class service in june use of the 3 lavs was evenly divided among all the passenger (never more than 2 or 3 in line). Now with 1ST class service only the 8 passenger up front are permitted to the use forward lav. The remaining 120 passenger have to share the 2 aft lavs. There are 3 problems with this arrangement: 1) for extended periods and especially after the servicing cart clears the aisle there are sometimes a dozen or more passenger waiting in the lav line in the aft cabin. For fear of loosing their place in line, the lighted seat belt sign and F/a warnings of impending turbulence go largely ignored. Most of these passenger ride out the bumps standing up. 2) with 12 or 15 passenger bunched up in the aft cabin, how many would be able to find an O2 mask with a pressurization failure? 3) possibility of dangerous deterioration of aircraft performance with a shift of a few thousand pounds to the tail area at coffin corner altitudes while in turbulence. The solution? Allow all the passenger equal access to all of the lavs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER AGAINST COMPANY POLICY AS IT PERTAINS TO ACFT FORWARD LAVATORY USE.

Narrative: I'M A CAPT FOR ACR. THERE ARE 3 LAVATORIES ON THE MLG, ONE UP FRONT, TWO IN THE REAR. PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF 1ST CLASS SERVICE IN JUNE USE OF THE 3 LAVS WAS EVENLY DIVIDED AMONG ALL THE PAX (NEVER MORE THAN 2 OR 3 IN LINE). NOW WITH 1ST CLASS SERVICE ONLY THE 8 PAX UP FRONT ARE PERMITTED TO THE USE FORWARD LAV. THE REMAINING 120 PAX HAVE TO SHARE THE 2 AFT LAVS. THERE ARE 3 PROBLEMS WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT: 1) FOR EXTENDED PERIODS AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SERVICING CART CLEARS THE AISLE THERE ARE SOMETIMES A DOZEN OR MORE PAX WAITING IN THE LAV LINE IN THE AFT CABIN. FOR FEAR OF LOOSING THEIR PLACE IN LINE, THE LIGHTED SEAT BELT SIGN AND F/A WARNINGS OF IMPENDING TURBULENCE GO LARGELY IGNORED. MOST OF THESE PAX RIDE OUT THE BUMPS STANDING UP. 2) WITH 12 OR 15 PAX BUNCHED UP IN THE AFT CABIN, HOW MANY WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND AN O2 MASK WITH A PRESSURIZATION FAILURE? 3) POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS DETERIORATION OF ACFT PERFORMANCE WITH A SHIFT OF A FEW THOUSAND POUNDS TO THE TAIL AREA AT COFFIN CORNER ALTS WHILE IN TURB. THE SOLUTION? ALLOW ALL THE PAX EQUAL ACCESS TO ALL OF THE LAVS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.