to use the disabled toilet in this situation?

[dolldaggabuzzbuzz]

I took mine and my sister's DCs for a nice day out to the cinema. There was just me and 4 kids aged between 3 and 5. After we bought our tickets I took them to the Ladies toilet, they were all engaged and there were a few people waiting.

I decided not to wait and took the DCs out to the disabled toilet as there was no one using or waiting for it. When we had all finished we were washing our hands when someone tried the door, one of the DCs had unlocked it and this woman in a wheelchair came in with her partner, I said I won't be a minute. She glared at me and muttered some things.

I was really embarrassed that I had been caught out using the disabled toilet and I wanted to apologise to the lady for keeping her waiting (for less than a minute!) but she was really, really angry. The DCs ran out in opposite directions and I quickly said sorry to the lady and as I walked off she screamed "Bitch!" at me. I never turned back to look at her. I don't think the DCs noticed anything!

I was so upset I couldn't get it out of my head throughout the film, and it ruined my day. I don't think what I did was that bad. I thought that woman was really horrible. AIBU?

Who are you telling to "navigate" away, gemsy?

I can't believe this thread is so long! If a disabled loo is empty, and no one is waiting to get in, then why can't a mum with young babies/children use it? Or anyone else for that matter?! I hate using public loos, but if I get caught out, then I will use a disabled loo if it is available as I don't want to leave my 5-month old unattended whilst I do my business. I think the OP most definitely WASN'T BU. The disabled lady WAS. It's not like it takes long to use the loo - a parking space is another matter....

You- moaning how boring it is. Thought that was apparent?

And im not 'telling' you anything, im making suggestions to alleviate your boredom.

Tammu- what if people only park in a disabled space for a matter of minutes?

That's a ridiculous argument gemsy - someone genuinely needing a disabled parking space would have no clue how long a person taking the space is likely to be so yes this is completely unreasonable even for a few minutes! But I think a disabled person can assume that the person occupying the toilet is actually only going to be a few minutes!

i thought a disabled loo was one with additional features for those that need more room, extra facilities etc. I had no idea it meant for the disabled only!!

YANBU, I use them regularly if my IBS kicks off because I am damned if i am going to have the shits in full hearing of a queue of strangers...and the smell....urgh!

I also take the pushchair in them too, I am not leaving a toddler and my bags outside a cubicle.

Gemsy, I've avoided you for the duration of this thread, mainly because you sound like a pompous, monotonous dullard.

But you're clearly enjoying the sound of your own voice thread so I'll leave you to it, sweetcheeks.

The OP was one of a party of 5 using the disabled toilet so wasn't 'just a minute' . A poster further down the thread uses them to breastfeed in so possibly getting on for 30 min. An actual disabled person will usually take longer than an able bodied person anyway and making them wait longer to get in just seems a tad lacking in empathy bearing in mind that for many disabled people everything that they have done that day already has taken that bit longer than an able-bodied person.

If all dads with girls, all parents with buggies, all breastfeeders, all people who, like the OP didn't want to wait, all parents of more than one child etc all used the disabled toilet routinely then the queues would be longer and disabled people would be made to wait much more often.

gemsy because disabled spaces are yellow and you can be fined for parking in them; you cannot be fined for using a disabled loo!!!

computermousWould you seriously leave your baby outside whilst you nip to the loo ro ask a random person to watch the baby?

supadupa surely IBS is a disability as far as toilets are concerned. What would you do if you get the shits and the ladies has a queue disabled toilet if occupied by someone who doesn't need it but just didn't want to wait in the queue?

Another one here who most certainly left baby ds in his pram outside of the cubicle - why on earth wouldn't I?

I'm fine about the crying thing - that's not a good arguement however the leaving them alone or asking a stranger to watch them is surely?

It only takes one person to take your baby - why risk it?

Yes wineclub - but the point is there isn't queues of pram wielding, breastfeeding, dad/daughter combinations at disabled toilets. However, on some occasions It is necessary for an able-bodied person to use these facilities and they should be able to do so without risking the wrath of people making snide comments or giving looks!

I had left this thread as it was getting ridiculous, but I just wanted to come back and say that I once left my ds outside the ladies cubicle door while I went in for a quick wee (he was about 1) and he screamed his head off - I can honestly say that I have never heard him so distressed. A couple of old ladies tried to comfort him, but to no avail. When I got out he was on the verge of being sick as he was so upset, and it really upset me to see him like that.

After that I vowed never to do that again.

1980, On some occasions it is necessary, choosing not to wait is not one of those occasions, nor is having a child or a pram.

Nobody has said the bitch woman was being reasonable. The disagreements have all been about which occasions it is necessary to use the disabled toilets and there has been a sliding scale from renal failure and IBS through twin buggies to single buggies and then the real insane ones like dads can't take little girls to the mens. If everyone took the same attitude at that end of the scale then there would be queues of pram wielding, breastfeeding, dad/daughter combinations.