To be fed up with selfish changing room behaviour

[Lambzig]

I expect I am, but it is giving me the rage.
The changing room at our swimming pool is communal with lots of smaller than a toilet sized cubicles .

There are just two larger changing rooms which are labelled as for users with disabilities and for families. These are the only ones with a baby changing drop down area or bench. There are no bench areas outside of the cubicles, so its the cubicles or nothing. There are signs saying disabled users should be given priority, fair enough.

I take DD3 for her swimming lesson and take DS, 16 months swimming at the same time every week. Every time I go now, the 2 larger changing rooms are open, but reserved by towels and clothes being left all over the surfaces and baby changing area and pushchair in the middle. I am pretty sure it is the same two culprits who seem to be in the pool for at least an hour each week, with their children in lessons, leaving the rooms unusable by anyone else.

Yes, I know its murderous trying to change two children and yourself in one of the smaller cubicles and obviously I do not know if the people reserving the rooms have a disability, but I think its unutterably selfish of any user to occupy the rooms for an hour and stop others using it.

Other people are really fed up with it too.

I complained to staff, and they agreed that it was not OK to do that, but didnt feel there was anything they could do about it other than put a sign up which is ignored.

I know the centre should have better facilities too, but its a local one and unlikely to get massive funding any time soon.

I am so tempted to just grab their stuff and shove it in one of the lockers not accidentally dropping it in the wet part of the changing room floor and just use it. AIBU?

[SuperStrength]

Maybe complain again & suggest that they remove the items.
When the owners then come looking for their things, they have the opportunity to address the the issue face to face

[LaurieFairyCake]

Just use the room when you need it.

If they come back they can wait.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Just use it. Why wouldn't you? If they come back, disingenuous smile and, "I thought there must be a mistake, these are for everyone, right?".

[fluffyraggies]

YANBU.

Just shove all their stuff up one end/in a corner and use the room OP. maybe fling some talc about a bit? Not your fault if their dark clothes get a sprinkling ...

There's another thread about this at the mo.

[eveylikesv]

Take pushchair out, put towels on it, use the cubicle. Ask staff to put a note saying: 'Cubicles can not be reserved'. Simple. I wouldn't even think twice about doing it.

[pigsDOfly]

I'd just gather all their stuff together, dump it in the pushchair and move the pushchair somewhere else. And if I was feeling very brave I'd also accidentally drop some of it on the wet floor:)

This sort of thing really annoys me.

[pigsDOfly]

Cross post with eveylikesy

[pigsDOfly]

Oh for gods sake eveylikesv

[pigsDOfly]

That for gods sake was because of my typo not at your post eveylikesv :)

[Objection]

I'd move their stuff if it's clear they are not coming back anytime soon.

[Artandco]

I would just take a travel changing mat and change your ds on communal changing room floor tbh. Surely you don't actually need it more than they do if they have children also?
Less chance of your toddler falling off table also if on the floor

[Inkspellme]

When this happens in my local pool the stuff is gathered by staff and minded in reception. When the owner comes back they usually head to reception to "complain"that their belongings have been stolen. staff have then handed the stuff back with a firm reminder that cubicles can not be reserved. system works a treat.

I would add that there are warning notices up about no cubicles reserving. there are lots of lockers including wheelchair accessible ones so no excuse to reserve much needed wheelchair and buggy accessible cubicles.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Art they don't need the room while they are in the pool though, do they? Potentially lots of families could use the room while they are not.

[Famzilla]

Just chuck their stuff out. Don't see why you haven't already tbh!

[Nomama]

The fact that they have left you a very hand receptacle for slinging their stuff into is great!

Bung it all in the pram. Use the cubicle, bung the pram back in when you have finished. Their stuff won't be less safe cos it's the other side of curtain!

Sod 'em. Practice the look that goes with those words......a haughty, Boudicca thing!

[snakeandpygmy]

Gather up their stuff, take it to Reception and say 'Somebody left this in the Changing Room' leave it with the staff.

[StrawberryGashes]

I need to take my son into disabled changing areas, I wouldn't dream of leaving our stuff everywhere and 'reserving' the space though. Put all their clothes onto the buggy and wheel the buggy outside the changing area.

[Yamyoid]

Art, have you tried helping one child get changed/dried while stopping a toddler running off in a wet and slippy changing room?
Our swimming pool had the same policy as a pp mentioned. Any belongings left in cubicles get taken away by staff. There are signs all over.
What annoys me is when a family of 1 adult and 2 children, clearly old enough and able enough to get themselves changed, use the family cubicle meaning I'm stuck in a tiny space with a screaming toddler trying to help older ds.
I should add, this is for swimming lessons where there isn't the time to wait for the family cubicle to be vacated.

[PrimalLass]

I would just load it all onto the buggy and push it out of the cubicle.

[ikeaismylocal]

I'd just bundle it up and put it on the floor in a puddle outside the changing room. If they come back whilst your changing and ask you if you moved their stuff just say no the changing room was empty, someone else must have moved it, give them some friendly advice that if they use the lockers provided no one will be able to move their stuff.

[Alibabaandthe40nappies]

Just put it all in the pushchair and leave it in the corner.

I move things when people do this. One women spends ten minutes washing her daughter's hair, and always leaves stuff in one of the few double sized cubicles - essential for me when I've got toddler DS2 with us.

The time I moved her stuff, she came spluttering along saying 'oh those are ours, blah blah', I just replied 'yes but I want to use this cubicle now' smiled sweetly and handed her her bags.
She went off muttering.

Her daughter is actually 12/13 and to my mind should be capable of getting herself changed without Mummy needing to be in the cubicle with her. Completely ridiculous and selfish.

[PrincessScrumpy]

I take 2 toddlers swimming and would never do that. Definitely pile it up on the buggy and move the stuff out - our swimming pool staff put stuff in lockers and you have to request the key/find our where your stuff is if you leave it in a changing room.

[NoNoNoNoNoYabu]

That is just awful behaviour - I agree with everyone about bundling their stuff up and taking it to reception.

I bet the staff are eager for a customer to "take it into their own hands"

[WitchWay]

Yes, chuck out the stuff - take it to reception if you're feeling benevolent

[steff13]

I would just load it all onto the buggy and push it out of the cubicle.

This is exactly what I would do. I wouldn't throw their stuff on the floor, no matter how much I might want to but I wouldn't hesitate to stack it all on the stroller and sit it outside the cubicle. When they get out of the pool, they can use the cubicle. They don't need it while they're swimming.