Would you leave your baby unattended in their buggy

[noblegiraffe]

...while you use the loo?

On another thread I mentioned not being able to get a buggy into a small cubicle and the suggestion was to leave baby outside.

Would I be overly precious in thinking 'No, I wouldn't do that'?

But that is a choice you are making. We are trying to point out that some disabled people do not have that choice. Come visit me because for what ever reason most disabled toilets in my area are still locked with radar keys, the town next to me even charges for baby changing facilities. I'm very good at changing either on my knee or in the pram. When you do not have the choice to use disabled toilets you soon figure out options.

Can I pose one disabled toilet scenario where I genuinely never know what to do and feel bad about every choice - seems like the most appropriate thread for a MN jury on this

It's a local supermarket. The door to the toilets is right in the middle of an aisle/shelves. Through that door it's a narrow corridor, with the doors to the men's, women's and disabled loos, in that order. The doors through to the women's loos are two fire doors, at right angles. I've tried, and I know plenty of other people that try, but it's pretty much impossible to get a pushchair through them (I know someone who once got stuck )

Now you could get the baby or toddler out and hold them while you pee, which despite me complaining earlier about not knowing how to undo my jeans, is definitely better than using a disabled loo. But if you did that, the only place to leave your pushchair is either in the narrow corridor, so blocking the whole corridor for everyone (you can't leave it at the end as that would block the disabled loo door), or right outside the very first door to the loos, so in the middle of the supermarket - and there's no wall space by the doors, so you would be leaving a pushchair that blocked the fruit and veg aisle, and looking like it was abandoned. I suppose you could fold the pushchair up and try and manhandle it through the doors that way, though with change bags and shopping bags and a toddler I've not been tempted to try this, which is probably unreasonable...

Sod's law I've been caught out several times on my own in this supermarket. A few times there has been someone shopping in that aisle who looks friendly and not too harassed by shopping and I've asked them to watch DD - but according to a lot of posters, that counts as 'abandonment' (and I remember a previous thread where people were complaining about the pressure of watching other people's kids). If no one looks friendly, I have then used the disabled loo, as it seemed it might cause the least inconvenience to everyone involved.

What would other people do? Other than park the baby with the manager and say it's their responsibility because their toilets are so shoddily designed...

Ask the manager everytime thurlow and watch how quickly they sort the doors out.

I'd ask the manager too Thurlow. Those toilet doors will be sorted in no time!

I agree with much of what coteDAzur is saying.

I go down to the end cubicle, park buggy in front of open door and leave door open. And do a hover-piss really quick. I have been known to use a disabled toilet however in a time of urgent 3 year old need with a trolley full of shopping and a newborn, just cos of the space issue in tiny tesco toilets, and the fact that the others were both in use and didn't want a puddle!

Your stepfather, Ilovemyself, has a right to use those toilets because he is disabled. Whether you deem him disabled enough to warrant their use is neither here nor there.

It's very considerate of him not to use them when he feels able enough to use a standard toilet, however, people in similar situations to his may have trouble bending, getting back up, or with having enough room for their knees once bended.

So yes, people who are disabled with back issues and an inability or limited ability to walk very far should have access to disabled loos, because the consequences that disability brings can render it difficult to use a normal loo, either frequently or infrequently, depending on the individual person.

Can't believe I've had to spell that out to a grown man.
It's a shame you don't share your stepfather's considerate nature.

Sparky tree. I can see how proud you are of you father and I would be the same. He sounds like the sort of person I would actually have got along with really well.

And the point you make is very true - the facilities didn't exist. But they do now and are acceptable to all.

The answer is to separate disabled toilets and baby change, and ensure that the baby change has a toilet.

All I have tried to do is make my life easier. I try to do the best I can for my family, and try to the best for my friends neighbours and the community. But i am obviously an evil selfish bastard because I dare to have a different opinion to others. That's the trouble with these threads. They bring out the worst in everyone.

I would only use the disabled loos as a
last resort. I have never said otherwise.

Have a good night.

I am actually embarrassed for people who will go to great lengths to argue for their right to use disabled facilities when able bodied.

Loads of it about..we just went to local beach after dinner and couldn't get a disabled space as half of them were full of cars owned by people with no blue badges..just because non disabled spaces were scarce.

Nice

We have often been parked there and people pull up and park and get their baby out like they are parent and child spaces.

Sensible post fripoken

kingrollo unpleasant and frankly, unwarranted personal remarks towards ilovemyself. Not nice.

He'd have had you for breakfast, Ilovemyself. He didn't do selfish, my Dad.

My bladder is really not what it used to be , even if I do go before I leave the house. I might try the manager. Though I doubt there is much they could do other than a refit! Silliest layout ever.

These threads don't bring out the worst in everyone.

They have people on one side who think they are entitled to use disabled toilets because they have children, who won't back down regardless of what they are told.

They have disabled people, parents of disabled people, carers, and those who think they shouldn't use disabled toilets on the other relentlessly explaining exactly why they shouldn't use the disabled toilets.

Then just when you think it can't get any worse a selfish poster admits to using a disabled parking space when they nip into the shop!

The key problem is that baby changes are co located with disabled facilities.

There should be a bigger cubicle in mens/womens loos with baby change and an adult loo, big enough for a pram etc. Or a separate room with all these facilities.

This is the campaign that's needed. Until then the colocation creates shades of grey that cause confusion and problems to everyone, particularly the disabled.

As for the poster who asked how people look when they can see me on the loo through an open door; most people don't care, I'm sure some think I'm a bit precious and could close the door but I don't really care. With the buggy in the way there's very little they can see plus I pee quickly.

Odious. My step father may be registered disabled but his disability does not require the use of the disabled toilets in any way ( his words not mine).

Different disabilities have different needs - I am sure you can accept that. Would a deaf person need the use if the disabled toilet? I can't think of a reason why ( although I would be happy for someone to point out anything I have missed there) but they are entitled to use the toilet as teu are disabled.

And before you accuse me of not having a considerate nature you should think. Just because I believe the points I have raised it doesn't mean that I meet you view of a considerate person in every other facet of life

Now Ellebelly hover piss that's a whole other level of being unreasonable.

Marks and Spencers have lovely big loos here - all individual off a corridor. The cubicles are bigger than some bathrooms I've seen, you could fit mum, dad, numerous kids, dog, goldfish etc in there.

Shame their clothes are of a shite quality these days, but the toilets are good.

you're determined to argue that black is white under the notion that there are shades of grey. Your stepfather doesn't need access to disabled loos, whatever. My OH does, so park your buggy somewhere else if you need a slash.

Why has this entire thread turned into a disabled toilet thread when the mnetters that have admitted to using them have only done so infrequently and only when there is no other choice?

Yet personal attacks are made at a mnetter all because she mentioned using one of these disabled toilets.
Really puts certain mnetters in a bad light and quite frankly makes them the evil bastards to assume because one person makes that decision once, they are attacked just for that one time.

I have used the disabled like once in my entire life, does that make me a bad person. No i don't think so, leaving my kid alone unattended, that's a bad person.
I give up the pram space on the bus and walk if i see a disabled person getting on, as do i give up my seat for the elderley, because i know that disabled people take priority and so they should.

I take my child in with me to use the loo as it is the only solution, before they could walk i waited until i got home to use the toilet.

Nice comment spikeytree. True colours shown there. I pay a compliment and you still have to throw shit. I am sure he would have been so proud

KingRollo, I think you are my hero!