to be peeved at parents changing their kids nappies in a busy restaurant?!

[confuseddotcodotuk]

This happens quite frequently at the restaurant where I work and has happened three times that I've seen in my seven hour shift today! We have perfectly good and spacious baby changing facilities available where I work which are rarely in use, yet some parents seem to think that it's okay to whip off their childs poo-ey nappy at a bar/garden table, in front of around 50+ other paying guests and start changing before either leaving the nappy in a nappy bag on their table for one of us staff members to pick up when they leave or put the dirty nappy into our outside bins which are dotted between the tables!

The third time it happened I went over to the lady just as she was about to take off the nappy and just mentioned that we had changing facilities inside and she said "Yes, I know." And then carried on as if I'd said nothing!

I absolutely adore kids and cannot wait to work with them again, but I have no wish to see their poo covered bottoms whilst walking around taking food to people.

AIBU to think this is at least a bit weird if not socially unacceptable?!

area = restaurant. Can't even blame autocorrect for that one.

I very much doubt I'd go back to a restaurant where punters could get away with changing their dc nappies (pooey or just wet) at the tables, so the management of your restaurant had better clamp down on it. Otherwise all their half decent customers will be voting with their feet.

I'm glad everyone is agreeing with me on this! I asked a manager to speak to somebody today about it but they'd left by the time she was free to deal with it. I'm not there for much longer admittedly, but tbh it's a place I love to relax at so I'd hate for others to not go because of something like this! It mainly happens on our grass area tables which is half of the problem, we don't have much of a presence down in that area and it's set away from the restaurant, so problems that occur down there don't get sorted as quickly.

This has just resolved me to bring it up properly with my main manager when I'm next in. Maybe see if they can bring it up in the next team meeting and advise staff members on how to deal with it in order for it to become a non-issue and something that they can trust employees to deal with appropriately as it's obvious that the other method isn't working.

If it happened in front of me I'd be having a word with the manager to mention why I was leaving, and then a phonecall to environmental health - it's disgusting and it's fucking lazy. If I was feeling particularly indignant I'd be writing to the local paper as well - in otherwords raking up a minor shit storm because it's not fucking fair on the staff who have to deal with the left over deposits and it's definitely not fair for every other bugger in there who's paying to have a meal prepared in conditions environmental health deem suitable... then having to eat it amid shitty arses on the tables.

That is disgusting. I'd be tempted to go over and have a shit right in front of them just to demonstrate how inappropriately they are behaving.

I have never seen this, amazing.

my friend did this when we were out at a garden centre cafe (might just have been pee but can't remember and it was quiet) - I was very surprised as she is a very conscientious mum.

YANBU

Some people, in the middle of the baby period, and used to their own babies poo, seem to totally forget what's acceptable to the rest of us. I'd seriously struggle to change someone else's babies nappy., let alone want to be confronted by one in a place where food is being served.

I think the Manager should have a word - to be it's an "asking them to leave" issue.

sorry "to me ..."

I've seen it in a pub on a pool table

Shouldn't do it in a restaurant though I've done it on my lap on a bench away from everyone before.

The disgust puzzles me though. I mean you don't want it around you when you are eating of course, but surely one or two of you have encountered a nappy before. I thought it was only teenage boys who went all silly about it"

I saw someone doing this inside a pub this weekend. The couple were sitting at a small table and the Mum moved over to one of the (fabric covered) banquette seats to change her baby's nappy. Admittedly it was very early lunchtime, so there weren't any customers sitting in that section, but we were close enough.

I was tempted to tell the parents that there was a baby changing facility, but (a) she was already half way through before I realised and (b) I didn't want my head bitten off

But there were plenty of staff around - it wouldn't have taken them 30 seconds to ask where the changing facility was.

it is disgusting and very lazy and inconsiderate, why on earth do people think it is acceptable to change a nappy on a table where people eat food ,
would they change their dc s nappy on the kitchen bench at home
or the dining table?

YANBU. Fortunately I have not seen anyone so this in a restaurant, why would someone do this? Sounds like pure laziness and lack of consideration for staff and other diners.

I think you need to put up clear signage in the garden area saying something like "BABY CHANGE FACILITIES THIS WAY" .

Also if adults are doing it outside then perhaps toilet signs too.

If this doesn't work then how about "DON'T SHIT Or EXPOSE SHIT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES"
or
"Lazy bastards who piss in the garden wll be shot at."

Tis disgusting.

I have never seen this in a restaurant but get totally irrate at men who piss outside of a pub.

Christ, that's really disgusting. In a restaurant - where food is being served/eaten? Yuk.

On the very odd occasion where we've got stuck somewhere with no baby change and DD has done a poo, I've been and changed her in the back of my car (very big flat boot, usually have a fold-out mat with me).

Not fair to subject others to stinky bottoms.

YANBU!

Onagar - my disgust at this is because it's in a place where food is being served. Not sure why that would puzzle you. I speak as a mum whose DC produced some revoltingly Vesuvius-like nappies but I don't really want to witness the pooey bums of other babies if I can help it.

Yes topspin I agree. You don't want that round you when you are eating.

But some people were making it sound like the very idea of seeing a dirty nappy was shocking. Even I got over that. I'm a man and was never full time nappy changer, but I did get used to it.

shmoz you said "I wouldn't do it unless a poonami had occurred and movement would result in mass seepage (my 5mo DS occasionally produces what seems like double his own weight in poo at one sitting). "

I think that's worse! Imagine seeing and smelling that whilst trying to keep your lunch down.

OP YANBU. Even when I change my DS's bum at home, the smell still lingers for a while afterwards even though I clear it all away and dispose of nappy bags strauight away. As a mother msyelf, I would verbally object to a parent doing that where people are eating.

Signs probably won't work, but will mention that idea too. A few weeks back, before the weather started getting very nice our 32 grass picnic tables were all painted, each one ended up with a wet paint sign clearly displayed on them yet we still had people sitting on them and then coming inside to tell us that they wanted us to pay for their trousers with a smudge of damp paint on them. We had the signs up for a reason

Confused, once you mention a possible report to Environmental Health, your manager will have to clamp down for the sake of the business. It only takes one customer to alert them.

By the way, I do change my son on a mat on the dining table at home as I can't kneel. Obviously it's not during mealtimes and it has an oil cloth which I anti bac every time. Restaurants and fellow diners are a different matter though, I wouldn't dream of subjecting anyone to that.

YANBU. But this helps me make sense of an experience I had a while back. I went into a bar in Paris with DD and popped her onto the table whilst removing her from her sling. The waiter dashed over to explain to me that I could change my baby 'in secret' if I wished and showed me where the toilet was. I was puzzled that he could even think I'd change a baby's nappy on a table in a place serving food but perhaps he'd seen this too.

Anyway I think I may know the place you work and given how popular it is I would think you could probably risk pissing off a few customers by saying 'For hygiene reasons could you please change your child in the baby-change facilities'. If everyone is too scared to tell them their behaviour is antisocial they'll just carry on doing it.

Well if signs don't work then how about a large deafening horn, which goes off at the first sign of someone changing a nappy/urinating outside.

A member of staff could also record the words "WARNING DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THAT NAPPY/TAKE A PISS IN VIEW OF OTHER DINERS, USE THE FACILITIES INDOORS YOU MINGING DIRTY TRAMP!!!!!"

Seriously I would not return to a restaurant were this was common place.

Just have a table charge - if you see it charge an amount (£5/£10) for ecological disposal