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Original poster

Woman yelled at me in public toilets

315 replies

empee47 · 25/05/2025 07:58

Went to Tesco yesterday and visited the loo. Washed my hands and turned on the hand dryer and another lady started yelling at me that I was upsetting her daughter because of the noise. Daughter looked to be about 3 and was visibly distressed. Had they asked me not to use the dryer until they’d left the sink area and explained why, I wouldn’t have done. Apparently I can’t possibly be a mum myself as everyone knows kids are scared of the noise. Happens that I have 2 kids myself and the noise has never bothered them. It was the aggressive way she was bellowing at me in public that annoyed me and the sense of entitlement that everything had to run her way.

OP posts:
MzHz · 25/05/2025 10:39

Funkeh · 25/05/2025 07:59

I mean I wouldn’t use hand dryer because they’re woefully unhygienic but yeah the noise is also horrific
maybe just take your own tissues next time

ffs, the day we have to start taking tissues on the extremely unlikely off chance of some batshit woman shrieking at us for using what has been provided to dry our hands in a public toilet is the day we should all just lay down and wait to die.

give your head a wobble, there is no way you actually think this!

Koalafan · 25/05/2025 10:35

LoveFridaynight · 25/05/2025 10:34

I wonder if she's the same woman who had a go at me for taking DS in to the ladies. My DS is autistic and hates the noise of the hand dryer but I either ask people to wait or just cover his ears. Simple.
I certainly wouldnt have a go at someone for drying their hands!

What age is your DS?

LoveFridaynight · 25/05/2025 10:34

I wonder if she's the same woman who had a go at me for taking DS in to the ladies. My DS is autistic and hates the noise of the hand dryer but I either ask people to wait or just cover his ears. Simple.
I certainly wouldnt have a go at someone for drying their hands!

Tooty78 · 25/05/2025 10:30

Funkeh · 25/05/2025 07:59

I mean I wouldn’t use hand dryer because they’re woefully unhygienic but yeah the noise is also horrific
maybe just take your own tissues next time

I ALWAYS use paper towels instead of the hand driers. Before I retired I worked at our local hospital, and if paper towels are good enough for the NHS they're good enough for me.

Supergirl1958 · 25/05/2025 10:28

Yanbu.
for this reason I often take my son to the accessible toilet so he doesn’t have to endure it. He’s five and send for context! However, if we do have to use the ladies, he will tell people that he doesn’t want to use the handryer!

Koalafan · 25/05/2025 10:17

TinyTempest · 25/05/2025 10:16

No idea. I'm just glad I'm lucky enough to not suffer from that level of anxiety as life would be exhausting.

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I'm glad I have empathy towards others, but each to their own.

TinyTempest · 25/05/2025 10:16

Koalafan · 25/05/2025 10:08

Is it maybe to do with the hot air potentially blowing them up towards your hands and face? The perceived thought of that perhaps?

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No idea. I'm just glad I'm lucky enough to not suffer from that level of anxiety as life would be exhausting.

surreygirl1987 · 25/05/2025 10:14

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 25/05/2025 08:01

Yeah, she was being ridiculous. My own kids were frightened of hand dryers when they were small but it was my responsibly to warn them that the hand dryer would be noisy and advise that they covered their ears.

I agree. My boys are both autistic and terrified of the hand dryers, but I would never in a million years shout at anyone for using one. How bizarre! I wouldn't even ask anyone not to use one. We'd just be in and out as soon as possible.

TheyFuckYouUpYourMamAndDad · 25/05/2025 10:10

Funkeh · 25/05/2025 07:59

I mean I wouldn’t use hand dryer because they’re woefully unhygienic but yeah the noise is also horrific
maybe just take your own tissues next time

Really?? ‘Take a tissue’???

FFS 🤦‍♀️ Don’t be ridiculous.

BellissimoGecko · 25/05/2025 10:09

She’s mad. So her kid is afraid of the hand drier? Fair enough. Yet clearly not afraid of Mummy bellowing and shouting? Ironic.

ThinWomansBrain · 25/05/2025 10:08

child is probably more upset by raving yelling mother.
Although that could well be her permanent state.

Koalafan · 25/05/2025 10:08

TinyTempest · 25/05/2025 10:06

This is what I was thinking 👀

The 'woeful' germs won't just be coming out of the hand dryer!

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Is it maybe to do with the hot air potentially blowing them up towards your hands and face? The perceived thought of that perhaps?

SmoothRoads · 25/05/2025 10:07

I wonder if it was the hand dryer making her kid upset. Having one of your parents yell at people is far more upsetting.

Koalafan · 25/05/2025 10:06

SpunkySquid · 25/05/2025 10:01

She was a twat. I’ve never known a kid be scared of a hand dryer.

Loads of kids are scared of them, however it's about how parents respond.

TinyTempest · 25/05/2025 10:06

Floatlikeafeather2 · 25/05/2025 10:04

And yet you're in there, breathing the germy air, letting those germy molecules settle on your skin and hair and clothes. Wouldn't you be better off not even stepping through the door?

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This is what I was thinking 👀

The 'woeful' germs won't just be coming out of the hand dryer!

Poppyyoutwat · 25/05/2025 10:06

Floatlikeafeather2 · 25/05/2025 10:04

And yet you're in there, breathing the germy air, letting those germy molecules settle on your skin and hair and clothes. Wouldn't you be better off not even stepping through the door?

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Fuck me, you are arguing over hand driers 🤣

Come on, the fact is, a huge proportion of people don’t wash their hands at all after wiping thier arses, so a hand drier is the least of your worries in public.

IzzyHandsIsMySpiritAnimal · 25/05/2025 10:05

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 25/05/2025 08:01

Yeah, she was being ridiculous. My own kids were frightened of hand dryers when they were small but it was my responsibly to warn them that the hand dryer would be noisy and advise that they covered their ears.

Same.
It's not up to other people to have psychic abilities.
I'd say, "Someone is going to use the dryer, so civet your ears. "

Floatlikeafeather2 · 25/05/2025 10:04

Funkeh · 25/05/2025 08:07

Because a lot of the older style ones (such as supermarkets) recycle air from the toilets, you are aware of what air in toilets with no ventilation is like right? 💩

Show quote history

And yet you're in there, breathing the germy air, letting those germy molecules settle on your skin and hair and clothes. Wouldn't you be better off not even stepping through the door?

Poppyyoutwat · 25/05/2025 10:02

One of mine was terrified of the noise of hand driers when she was small.

She just had to deal with it in pubic toilets and learn that her fear didn’t dictate what other people could and couldn’t do.

Some parents are absolute lunatics who think the world revolves around their children.

SpunkySquid · 25/05/2025 10:01

She was a twat. I’ve never known a kid be scared of a hand dryer.

TicTac80 · 25/05/2025 09:59

YANBU. My DC weren't scared of the noise, but I remember my friend's DC was terrified....so after knowing that, what I tend to do since knowing that is just call out, "does anyone have a problem with the noise if I use the hand dryer?".

Oganesson118 · 25/05/2025 09:59

What a ridiculous woman. My daughter was scared of that noise at that age but I never dreamt of asking others not to use them, we just managed it as best we could.

Wanderdust · 25/05/2025 09:57

God, my son doesn't like the hand dryer at times (he's getting better tho) and I'd never, ever dream of even asking anyone not to use it! Let alone chastise them for using it if they didn't know. He needs to get used to it so I feel avoiding them completely doesn't help (unless they have some serious sensory issues of course but in our case, my son is contrary about them!).

Topseyt123 · 25/05/2025 09:57

I'd have just shrugged and paid her no attention at all. Twat.

I too had a child who was afraid of these types of noises but I didn't shield her from them or yell at other people for using the facilities provided (which I also used). I just told said child that it was a perfectly normal noise and nothing to worry about. It took a fair length of time, but she did grow out of it

Goditsmemargaret · 25/05/2025 09:56

@Funkeh maybe just get a life