Open Showers for Men - A fond memory or still in use?

 

Recently there was a discussion on the YMNA2,(Young Men's Nudist Association) Yahoo group. It started when an old advertisement for Bradley Showers was shared (see photo above). Actually, the changes in acceptance (or tolerance) for nudity between men in places where it was formerly both accepted, required and even encouraged has caused there to be a lot of similar discussion in men's circles for many years now. One such example, a lengthy one, on a straight men's discussion board can be found at: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=294839&page=0

Here is the discussion over the past few days:



atitlan wrote: My thanks to the blogger who found this. I can't believe that the artwork for the advert wasn't done by someone with a wicked sense of humour - "pull and turn", the equipment says.

Pete added: Judging by the expression on their faces I would guess they've all pulled and didn't have far to 'turn'!
Can only have been done by someone with a great sense of humour or completely naive.
Aussie Kevin replied: I LOVE the eye-line on the guy on the left!

Actually, this is really heart-warming...and sadly something that most young guys would avoid, in Australia and the States anyway. Showering together, enjoying it openly, just being free and open and natural with buddies! it actually has a really nice energy to it. From days gone by though, sadly.


James of Louisville added:
Here's another ad for the product and a similar product in use.

The Bradley company is still in operation. http://www.bradleycorp.com/

RESPONSE by atitlan:
                                                                                     Thanks, James, for

these - excellent research! I remember moving from one gym with its long line of gang showers to another gym that had pole showers. I didn't like the pole variety overmuch. They were rather too intimate for comfort if all the shower jets were taken. Because we were so near one another, there was little personal space and always a risk of backing into people either side. Yes, that might not always have been unwelcome, except then there was then a further risk of developing a hard-on just inches away from a group of ostensibly straight men.


Pedro chipped in:
Those are the type I had in high school. A friend of mine would soap up my back for me.
This is where I started to develop my reputation as a tough guy.
I took cold showers.

Jason brings up his point:

I have fond memories of the pole type showers like Bradley Corp makes. We had them in junior high and high school both! talk about having nowhere to hide and really getting to check out your classmates!

I haven't seen one in use since then in all of my travels around the States, so I am not sure who is buying these products from Bradley! Even the new gyms I go to which have gang showers have the shower heads built in to the walls around the room. They don't have the 6-person "pole" variety. I do wish I could go to a shower room that has them though!

William wanted to know:
Several years ago I frequently went to the gay bath houses......like The Club, or Midtowne; they had the Bradley shower heads, and everyone loved them. Have no idea if they still use those or not. Anyone know?

ZeroFear replied:
The YMCA I belong to in New Hampshire still has a locker room with gang/open style showers that has both the shower heads built into one wall, and then in the middle of the room it has two of the pole showers. Each pole has either 4 or 5 showers heads on it.

Sunbuns (Kelly - that's me ) adds his experience:

The pole shower is still used in places like public beaches, where close contact isn't expected to cause a problem. 

 
You can find the 'Bradley' type showers along public beaches in Hawaii and Spain (I'm sure many other places, too).

What's nice about them is that you can take a shower in public and stand close to some guys while each of you is occupied with the getting clean without appearing to leer or be inappropriately 'interested.' It's fun when a guy pulls

his swimsuit out from his body (or even down somewhat) to help wash out the sand. You can sometimes get a glimpse of his pubic hair, ass or even more.

It seems obvious to me that some guys - straight ones - seem to enjoy this chance to do a bit of mild flashing - at least in the sexually repressed US.
Sometimes, a few teenager or older young men find it the perfect time to horse around - such as pulling down a unwary friend's suit, and so on. So when I hang out at the beach, I find it very entertaining to stay not very far from the Bradley public shower.

On the nude beach at Gandia (Spain) in Sept this year, it was nice watching guys use these open-air showers either alone or together and, especially when I had timed my shower with some other dude's.