AIBU to think this is a confusing swimming pool changing room policy?

[user1473355069]

As a background i'm a male in my early 20s. The changing room set up at my local pool is a large communal area with individual cubicles on the side of the pool, but there is also a door that says 'male changing room' and then another sign below it that says 'children's activity changing'. There are no cubicles in this changing room just lockers and benches. This area is not especially big just one large room.

On the inside there is a laminated sign that that says ' this is a male changing room and also a children's activity changing area. We would respectively ask that female patrons with male children and vice versa use the cubicles provided for the comfort of all patrons', suggesting it is intended for adult males and dads changing sons and vice versa for the female room.

There happened to be a children's swimming lesson on when I went today and so the cubicle area was packed so I tried the male changing room area. It was empty in there except a dad helping his daughter who I thought was a bit too old to be there really, maybe 7-9. I just faced the corner and got my trunks on as quickly and inconspicuously as I could and went swimming.

When I came back there was a dad helping two daughters in there to get changed, so it just seemed inappropriate to change there and there were now cubicles available in the communal area so I took my clothes out of locker and went in one of those instead, then went back into the male changing area to get the rest of my stuff out of the locker, put my shoes on etc.

The dad said excuse me, but for future reference this is a children's changing area, the male changing means dads helping children only. As in, the male changing is for the dads (who aren't changing) with any gender children and the female one for mums with any gender children.

This is wrong as the sign on the inside clearly says it's for males and dads with sons, otherwise use the cubicles in the communal area.But why then put a sign saying 'children's activity changing' on the door under male changing room, then a small inconspicuous sign on the inside explaining, creating confusion?

AIBU to think this is a confusing changing room policy ?

YANBU. Ridiculous policy.
Why not enough cubicles for everyone?

Why not just ask the staff?

Very confusing. The dad can't be right though - if it's just for children changing it wouldn't make a difference whether it was a mum or dad changing them, surely?

I'd ask staff for clarification.

From what you've said I would think it's a changing from for males only (adults and kids) and is also used for school groups to change in ( in this instance I would then assume makes would need to use the cubicles) but most school swimming lessons happen when the pool is closed to the public anyway.

Sounds like if there are opposite sex parents/children then they should be in cubicles not the main changing area so he was wrong to be in there with a female child

I went to one swimming pool that had 'male changing' 'female changing with sons' and 'female changing'
So dad and son in male changing,
Mum and son in female with son
And mum with daughter in female.....apparently dads never take daughters swimming as they clearly don't have their own changing room

In my experience for children's lessons young children get changed in the changing room corresponding to the sec of the accompanying parent but by the age of around 8 they are expected to get changed in the appropriate sex changing so the male group change would be for father's with any children under 8 and boys age 8 and up. I would expect an adult male to use the individual cubicles if there are children's lessons on.

Well there usually would be enough cubicles for everyone if they wanted one, but there was a kids swimming lesson going on and so all the cubicles were full with parents with their kids. I only decided to go to the male changing room part as it seemed silly to wait for 10 mins for a cubicle if there was an empty male changing area. After the dad said this is a children's changing area I was embarrassed and checked the door again on the way out and read the sign on the inside, which is just an A4 laminated sheet on a wall , which definitely says that it's a male changing area and children's activity changing and not to bring in kids of the opposite gender to the parents.

The dad has probably misunderstood. Ask the staff to confirm and, if you're right, you can tell anyone who questions it to bugger off that they're wrong.

Sounds ridiculous.

They should just have all cubicles. Ours is a 'village' style changing room so it's just all cubicles and lockers. It means no-one is changing infromt of anyone and parents can help their DC of any age and sex.

To be honest I don't think it's confusing at all, I think it's a male changing room and the dad was in the wrong. We have a similar setup at our pool (with less obvious signage) and as an adult, I don't mind mum's taking small boys into the big ladies' changing area but would be less keen after about age 7. I think you did the right thing in the circumstances but I don't think this dad should be taking girls of that age in there, he could have sent them into the ladies' area to change on their own if there were no cubicles.

*mums !!