to use a disabled toilet if I've got the buggy?

[MrsHelsBels74]

Pretty much as the thread title says, if you're out in public & need to loo but can't fit the buggy into a normal cubicle is it acceptable to take the buggy into the disabled toilet? I'd never use a disabled parking space but did this today in desperation. So, is it ok or still a no-no?

[needtogetalife]

its fine

[mrskeithrichards]

I wouldn't.

[BalthierBunansa]

I would say it's fine. I have paruresis and although not (traditionally) disabled, I often use the disabled toilet if I can. Having a buggy I would say is a perfectly good reason to use one.

[Jins]

It's not something I'd do.

[peeriebear]

The disabled loo in our main shopping centre always has a queue of mums and buggies outside it because the regular loos are tiny, smelly, totally cramped and you can't even get a buggy through the door let alone in a cubicle.

[marchwillsoonbehere]

Of course it's fine. I remember the absolute horror of taking my then 8 month old DGD into a hotel loo with me..the claustrophobic effect on her made her scream the house down. If there had been a nice big open disabled facility I would have used it for sure (though would have given a person with actual disabilities priority natch, but that's the thing, they are nearly always free anyway!)

[picnicbasketcase]

I wouldn't like to think that there could be someone in a wheelchair waiting outside desperate for the loo.

[DinosaursOnAnAdventCalender]

I do.

If I ask where the baby changing room is in a lot of shops it's combined with the disabled toilets and we are told to use them.

[WorraLiberty]

If there's no-one waiting to use it...go for it.

[marchwillsoonbehere]

and if I were absolutely desperate I would use it even if I didn't have a buggy with me although fortunately that has not yet happened!

[pigletmania]

Yes of course especially if there is no family toilet. I have a baby who s not able to stand/walk so hell would freeze over if I left them outside on their own

[maddening]

Most disabled toilets double up as baby changes anyway - I use those ones happily.

[Caitycat]

I do, there is often no other option as you have no chance of getting it into a cubicle in the ladies. In my local Debenhams disabled toilet is locked but they are always happy to unlock for a buggy user. I think there need to be more baby changing rooms with a loo in them!

[poppy1973]

Yes, I think it is fine, I have done in the past.

But again, I look around to make sure I don't see any disabled around - as I don't want them to wait and make sure that I quickly get the children/baby sorted out a.s.a.p.

[pickledparsnip]

Think it's fine. Disabled loos nearly always have baby changing bits in them anyway don't they?

[NuzzleandScratch]

I do, I'm normally in & out in a few minutes. If I have my toddler with me as well as the baby, it's easier to have everyone enclosed in one space. As another poster said, I would if course give priority to a disabled person.

[ariane5]

YANBU. I do this quite a lot. I also have 4 dcs with a disability, dd1 and ds1 both get dla/have blue badges and once we had to wait for disabled loo as there was a lady with a pram in there and I didnt mind at all, I do not really see what other option there is tbh you can't just leave your baby outside the ladies.

[nannyl]

yes i do

most have the baby changer in there

i think they are now accessible toilets rather than disabled, and to me that includes people with babies in buggies

(would also allow any wheelchair user to go in first)

ALSO some shopping centres have larger cubicles in the normal toilets, so when im there, i use the larger buggy friendly cubicals rather than the disabled ones

[BlissfullyIgnorant]

Only if it's a dual use room - both parent/child and disabled access.

In fairness, if you need to use a public loo it's usually ok to go to the end of a run and leave the buggy outside the cubicle (without the bags of shopping!)

Frankly it's bloody we'll out of order that at least one loo cubicle in every place that provides facilities isn't big enough to accommodate parents. Brent Cross has larger 'Parents' Cubicles' and that should be the case everywhere. It's like the bloody choice of shitty child menus or adult menus with nothing in between. Kids just aren't accommodated in this country.

Rant over...

[WelshMaenad]

No.

My dd is disabled, we need the disabled cubicle to give us room for me to lift her into the loo and for the handle so she can hang on.

More than once she has wet herself waiting for a perfectly able bodied mum with buggy to vacate the disabled toilet.

It's selfish. Don't.

[threesocksmorgan]

if it has a changing table in it, no probs,
but just disabled one, no.

[AfternoonsandCoffeespoons]

I look around to make sure I don't see any disabled around

What about if they've forgotten to put the sign on their head that day? poppy

[pigletmania]

That's what I do nanny, but if the cubicle is tiny and ther are no family toilets than what other option do you have!

[lisad123]

I wouldn't but only because I know how horrible it is when I have dd2 with me who is disabled and struggles to wait and it's physically impossible to get her SN buggy near any loo.

[BlissfullyIgnorant]

Oops! was confusing getting kiddie to the loo, not the parent!