A few years ago I was engineering a lifeguard tower in a South San Jose park. They wanted to install a water closet so the lifeguard would not have to be away from his post too long. We were told it still had to be wheelchair accessible, even though you would have to carry a wheelchair up, so no john. -- Walter E. Wallis, Palo Alto, Calif.
Posted by Walter Olson at June 8, 2005 10:14 PMOne would think the cost of engineering a water closet in a small tower would have made it cost prohibitive in the first place...
Posted by: Um. at June 9, 2005 09:30 AMActually, I'm an attorney who works for businesses faced with crushing ADA rules, but under the old ADAAG, that would be an employee work area, and the ADA accessibility rules wouldn't apply to an employee rest room not open to the general public.
In short, I don't believe the ADA was the ultimate reason the lifegurad towers didn't get restrooms, although I wouldn't rule out stupidity on the part of whomever made the call that the ADAAG required wheelchair accessible employee restrooms.
Posted by: Yet Again. at June 9, 2005 09:35 AMThat was the call. I have always felt that zero tolerance jobs should never pay more than minimum wage.
Posted by: Walter E. Wallis at June 9, 2005 11:27 AMThat was the call. I have always felt that zero tolerance jobs should never pay more than minimum wage.
Posted by: Walter E. Wallis at June 9, 2005 11:29 AMThat was the call. I have always felt that zero tolerance jobs should never pay more than minimum wage.
Posted by: Walter E. Wallis at June 9, 2005 11:29 AMRE: Walter Wallis' comment "That was the call. I always felt that zero-tolerance jobs should never pay more than minimum wage.". Some reactions:
1--that sounds like what Mr. Wallis' regular job pays him(!);
2--please define a "zero-tolerance job";
3--this case shows the problems the ADA has caused since passage more than a decade ago, where common sense is trumped by political correctness.