firebrigade...locked in bathroom

[ghostspirit]

To ask if your child locked them self in bathroom would you call fire service out? i would not as i think its a waste of their services. just kick the door down. Can fire services refuse to attend if they think its wasted service/they are not really needed?

I wouldn't kick the door in if there was a child on the other side of it. It's not a safe option in reality.

I've been in this situation when I was heavily pregnant - I was the one stuck. The door just didn't seem kicka

Chances are since the thread is SEVEN YEARS OLD that the child's probably out now 🙄

Ffs @Jayneca1 how on earth did you even find this to add to it

My daughter got stuck in the bathroom (actually she got stuck several times in several room including on holiday but that’s just her) it wasn’t locked but broke in that pushing the handle down did not retract the latch bit. It was a real bugger to get her out as it was almost impossible to get to the latch thing from my side of the door. I wouldn't have got the fire brigade out though. Maybe a locksmith or a handyman type person.

Sorry posted too soon. The door didn't seem remotely bothered by my husband's kicks, we had no axe and it was a small bathroom. Eventually I asked him to pass a piece of string under the door, I lowered it out the window, he tied a hammer on it, I pulled it up and took the incredibly stiff hinges off the door. Very difficult with PGP and nausea in the heat, over a huge bump.

In your situationn I'd have the fire brigade if they weren't busy. It's all in a days work for them.

🙈 rtft people

Ghostspirit?! That’s a blast from the past.

Not unless you were worried about their safety. Otherwise it’s a bit like calling an ambulance as you’ve run out of paracetamol, and your call will end up on one of those misuse of 999 tv shows.

I couldn't kick ours down myself, so I'd try to get the local number for the fire station. If a kid was in any danger eg the bath was full/running I'd definitely call 999. Fires at this time of year use up fewer resources than at busy times eg bonfire night, and you'd be triaged anyway, same as you would if you called the police. I don't know a single fire person who would say to put your kid at risk because of worry/embarrassment about calling them out.

@PurpleCrazyHorse

Considering removing the bolt lock on our bathroom door (just moved in, old house had locks you can operate from the outside with a key). Will have to have a 'code' of door open = vacant, door shut = engaged.

We had exactly this system whilst my children were young - it worked perfectly - just needed to tel visitors. In fact we only added locks to the bathroom door when it was refitted a few years ago. DC are now 28! It's still rare that the lock is actually used but we have the sort that can be unlocked from outside using a coin - just in case any visiting children should lock themselves in.

DD aged 6 got locked in a loo at an Italian restaurant chain once, lock had broken, door was extremely solid with no gaps and the restaurant called the fire brigade, it took them quite a lot of welly and oomph to break the door down, DD terrified standing on the loo but obeyed the instructions. I think it’s dangerous to have such solid loos in a family restaurant! I think if you could easily kick the door in it’s a bit of a waste of time, but perhaps the caller didn’t realise how easy it was to break down.

When DS was a baby (18 months) DM gave him the car keys to play with while packing shopping in the boot, closed the door then closed the boot and DS pressed the lock button! Had to call the fire service who were very helpful.

Not the best of grandparenting moments

@balletgirlmum

We can open the door from the outside using a penny to turn the lock.

Same here. If I had a child in the house I would make sure that the locks could be operated from outside

The door handle mechanism broke on DD's bedroom door, with her inside and us outside, when she was about 5. We took the plate off on our side. No luck. There was a big enough gap for us to get a screwdriver under the door - not the right screwdriver, but near enough.

DD was totally calm. She'd already told us how long she would be able to last without food and water. She'd never used a screwdriver before, but was very confident about doing it. At one point she said "this one's a bit stiff, I'll try another one", but in the end she managed them all, and we could get her out. I'm so glad whoever built the house didn't overtighten the screws, although it might have been better to use better quality handles!

The upstairs toilet in the house I grew up in was cubicle shape/size - breaking the door down with a child in there would have been quite dangerous, and I'm sure the fire brigade/police would have a much better idea of how to do it safely, and be happy to help.

Bathrooms should always be able to be opened form the outside, surely?
I'd probably kick the door in, but then I have cheap doors that would be easily to knock down

If you are locked in and If it’s a case of the door handle falling off the other side of the door, it may be possible to use a toothbrush (or a pen). I used a pen once.

It’s still a ZOMBIE thread everyone.

Have locks on doors that small children can use isn't a good idea anyway, unless you have a lock that can be opened from the outside easily. The last house I lived in had a latch that could easily be lifted from the outside by sliding a card or credit card between the door and the doorframe.

2015 😂 @Jayneca1 how did you even come across the thread?

I would remove the handle from the outside ,and just pull the piece of metal out internal locks grip onto that,no metal no grip easy

DS did this at a family member's home when he was about 4yo - the lock mechanism broke. Thankfully it was a downstairs bathroom so he was rescued via the window and someone had to go in with a tool kit to dismantle the lock/handle. Failing that we would have kicked the door in as it was only a flimsy modern one.

For ages after that every time he went to the bathroom you'd hear him muttering the mantra "must not lock door......must not lock door...."

Jeez if that kid’s still locked in the loo… 🧟‍♀️

@madamginger

The lock on our bath room is an original 1930s affair and the latch goes onto the door frame itself. I don't think i could even kick it in if I tried. DS2 locked himself in once and it took me 10 minutes to persuade him to open the door.

This for me too except mines is Victorian. I went round the outside to the window and shouted instructions through to a giggly 3yo DS who thought it was very funny.

I’d love to know how people come to dig up these zombie threads. Do they just decide one day to google “child stuck in bathroom” , then see a thread and post on it?
Bizarre!

Change lock for a proper Privacy lock lock inside unlock outside with a coin or flat head screwdriver

The door handle mechanism in ds’s bedroom slipped and the door wouldn’t open. He is autistic, was beginning to panic and it was blistering hot so I just kicked the door in.