to politely decline to use the disabled loo?

[MsIngaFewmarbles]

I was waiting in a long queue for the loo in a coffee chain and saw a lady with crutches head into the disabled toilet. She came out while I was still queueing. Another lady further back in the queue caught my eye and offered for me to go in first. I declined saying that I wasn't disabled so wasn't entitled to use it. She then countered away to her friends telling them that she was going to use it as 'it was the law' that if it wasn't being used you could use it. I couldn't face an argument so just ignored her. It's still bothering me that I should have said something to her and corrected her.

Thecatisatwat - me, too, when I'm using a regular loo. I especially wave pregnant women to go ahead of me, as when you have the bladder capacity of a teaspoon because all your guts are squished up by a baby, then accidents are a big risk!

There is a huge difference between someone using the accessible loo because they may wet themselves due to a disability hidden or otherwise and someone using it because it happens to be free and is more convenient than waiting.
Using it because you have a condition that means you physically cannot wait = fine.
Using it because you've not been for a while and, consequently, are desperate, but otherwise able-bodies = not fine.

I've heard it all now. How saintly of you.

But not all people using a disabled toilet have a condition that means they cannot wait. They may just require the extra space/brighter lights/grip rails etc. They may in fact have stronger bladders than some more able-bodied people.

And I would argue that it is embarrassing for anyone to wet themselves. That's why I let them go in front of me.

Is that a X post Poopooweewee ?

I don't think it is reasonable to let anyone have an preventable accident. They might have a condition or they may just have left it too long. Small children quite often leave it too late to make their desires know. Either way, a puddle is humiliating and a safety hazard and I'd rather not think about poo accidents...

Why don’t all you people who are so against “people who don’t meet my criteria for disabled” using accessible toilets try to get a change in the law so you would legally need a blue-badge type thing to be able to use accessible toilets?

Right now all of you are screaming at the wrong people.

you’re screaming at mothers who mostly have little or no choice
you’re screaming at people with hidden disabilities
you’re screaming at people with temporary disabilities
you’re screaming at people about to soil themselves or puke up over their shoes

when really, you should be screaming at your local MPs to change the laws to make them more in accord with your “faulty” thinking

I say faulty thinking because your thinking is simply not in accord with the current laws

public buildings are not required by law to have toilets that can only be used by people with a high enough level of disability.

they are required by law to have accessible toilets for disabled people, but they are free to put the baby changing table in there. And these toilets can be used by someone who deems themselves incapacitated physically at that moment, like the person with back pain or the person who is just about to throw up etc etc

I have checked in my local hospital and council offices and you need not be disabled to use their accessible loos. Both places stated that they are normal loos just with added accessibility features, and they can be used by mothers, people who need grips, more space, a higher loo, people with crutches, or perfectly able bodied people in a moment of need.

disabled doedsnot mean lack of bladder/bowel control and inability to wait
able bodied does not mean bladder and bowel control is present

it sounds to me like all of you “toilet-police” people are targeting the wrong people to rant at.

if you really want exclusivity for accessible loos then you need to target those who make the laws, not random people on an internet forum

The problem with your little speech is people aren't talking about what is the law but about what is morally right. Different things.

No "screaming" going on either.

Wow you went to a lot of trouble to prove people wrong there though

Or maybe people could think twice about whether they should use the accessible toilet LemonChicken?

And then when they think twice and come to a different conclusion than you, they will be called a cunt by people here on the thread anyway.

/seen it all before.

I haven't called anyone a cunt. FyI

Did I say you had?

Nope. Just getting that out there.

So it is morally right - the compassionate, human thing to do - that someone should piss/shit/vomit on themselves because they are abled bodied rather than use a vacant, useable toilet that has a disabled label on the door...
(love Avon's 'because you haven't been for a while' ...as if it is a choice, there is a toilet (not disabled) on every street corner isn't there... us abled bodied people - hey - who chose to almost piss ourselves just so we have an excuse to use a disabled loo )
Right I think my morals must be skewed...

Yes so many able bodied people go around needing to vomit in public regularly

Some ludicrous arguments here

From people in a queue all nipping in to accessible toilet because it's easier to "but what if I suddenly get the urge to vomit in public '. Smacks of desperation tbh.

I'm sorry but it's a grey area and we are never going to get unanimous agreement.

I'm not saying we shouldn't discuss the issue and it's implications but is it really necessary to be nasty to each other simply because we don't agree??++

Clearly two different topics and just pathetic point scoring now

No it isn't proudAS

All the ranting and dragging up unlikely scenarios to point score is ridiculous IMO

I think there is a difference between the places where there is just one 'accessible' toilet which is intended for everyone to use, and where there are several toilets, some in a block marked with the ladies sign, some in a separate block with the gents sign, and one on its own with the blue wheelchair sign.

In the first situation, obviously everyone can use the toilet. Usually it's the sort of small place where there's no queue anyway, such as in a cafe.

In the second situation (which is often the case in large public places, shopping centres, stations, parks, etc. etc.), then it's knobbish to use the toilet with the wheelchair sign if you don't require the special facilities it provides. Obviously one can come up with all sorts of convoluted explanations as to why you feel you are an exception to the rule. But in general, it's rather knobbish.

As a by-the-by, what I used to do with my double buggy was go into the cubicle at the far end of the 'ladies' row and jam my double buggy in the open doorway behind me. I could see the DC, they could see me, people generally didn't peer over the hood to look at me (!) and all was done and dusted in no time.

What if I suddenly discover I have an alien in my stomach which is about to burst free. Can I use it then? Well can i

Fanjo. No, I think then you owe it to science to let it burst out in public, so it can be filmed and put on YouTube.

I do actually feel.like THAT wolf..rather a big lunch