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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Aibu to think workmen should plan their toilet breaks better?

192 replies

rockcake · 23/02/2017 21:56

I don't think I've ever had a workman come to the house who hasn't asked to use the loo. Happens every time.

For the last 10 days I've had neighbours' workmen in and out as it's been helpful to them to have scaffolding built in our garden - they're on the 3rd floor - which is fair enough. They've all been as unobtrusive as possible and not asked to use the loo until two particularly scuzzy men turned up to remove the scaffolding today. No sooner were they through the door than one asked to use the loo, so I grudgingly said ok.... dd told me 5 mins later that someone's not flushed their wee - no guesses who - so I flushed it for him.

They're about to leave when I see workman 1 directing workmen 2 to the loo, so I said "make sure you flush it please, your mate didn't...."

Workmen left looking sheepish - but Aibu to think workmen generally should try and use public loos whenever possible? I live in a busy street with 2 cafes only yards away and I always want to direct workmen there, but never summon the nerve to say it.

Am I a wimp - or just not very nice for HATING workmen using my bathroom? Even though I go in with the wipes and the bleach afterwards it still makes me cringe.

What do you do?

OP posts:

teresa2003 · 27/02/2017 12:02

But as scaffolders their place of work was the OP's house and in most cases scaffolders have no involvement with the work or the inside of the building they are providing access to via their scaffolding. So when the OP kindly gave permission for scaffolding to be erected on her property for access to next door she in effect made her property the scaffolders place of work. Waitrose shall you and I start a builders wags campaign. I have composed a little poem:

You can borrow my husband , a builder is he,
But there will be times he needs a wee,
So please be kind cos he's far from home
And like you he's out of his comfort zone

 He's fully house trained and a very good aim
 Your toilet will look just the same
 For builders this good there's always a queue
 But  no-one it seems wants him in their loo

 'He keeps disappearing' you complain with a sigh
  Our agreed deadline is passing us by
  Whilst he's sat in the café having a brew
  Just so he can use their loo.

SomethingBorrowed · 27/02/2017 12:35

Builders/workmen/roofers usually start work at 8am. Most people on the planet have a poo in the morning. Workmen usually don't have the time

My nanny starts at 8 every morning, she never had to use the bathroom for the first hour.
At least 75% of the time I had a builder in, he will use the bathroom in the first 30min.

Turning up to work at 8am needing a poo straightaway shows that you chose to spend 10 more min in bed instead of getting up and having time to do that at home.

This or builders are biologically different than everybody else...
Oh and they also lack the ability to clean up after themselves/flush/wash hands (not all of them... just the majority...)

WaitrosePigeon · 27/02/2017 13:09

I'm not going to argue the ins and outs with anyone. Just my personal experience on the matter. I'm sorry you've met workmen with bad toilet habits though, that isn't nice. Not all turn up at 8am needing a poo either. Like always, everything isn't so black and white.

teresa that poem is genius! I may have to print it out

expatinscotland · 27/02/2017 15:43

'So when the OP kindly gave permission for scaffolding to be erected on her property for access to next door she in effect made her property the scaffolders place of work'

Their place of work is whoever is paying them. The OP was not paying them. And hopefully you have learned your lesson now, OP. You did your neighbour a favour, but apparently those in her/his employ believe you owe them toilet facilities. I'd have been checking my insurance before I allowed scaffolding on my property. And FFS, with the 'you can borrow my husband' - he's being paid to do a job, not doing a favour gratis.

WaitrosePigeon · 27/02/2017 16:17

I don't think Something meant borrow my husband for free...I think she meant my husband is a builder if you want the work he's happy to do it, that's how I read it anyway.

teresa2003 · 27/02/2017 20:58

It was meant to be a lighthearted and you know ....jokey poem fgs and paid or not as a human being he may still need a wee - and yes the scaffolders place of work is the place where they are erecting the scaffolding and then dismantling it as in 'place of work' In this case this happens to be three floors down from the site of the work being done and on next doors property. They very probably never set foot in the persons flat that was having the work done and could very possibly only have been given the address of where they were required to remove the scaffolding on their list for the day .

teresa2003 · 27/02/2017 21:02

Waitrose thank you. You'll have to excuse me am gonna bang my head against a nearby wall now

expatinscotland · 28/02/2017 11:55

They were not in the OP's employ she was under zero obligation to let them in to use the loo. And OP, now you know how they see it, that their 'place of work' is wherever they are setting up, make sure next time you don't allow scaffolding or anything on your property (essential repairs and work excepted because apparently in such cases, you may have to) because now you know whoever is doing the work - regardless of the fact that you didn't hire them and therefore they are total strangers - believes that you're the go to for facilities and not their client. You were doing a good deed to allow it and allow them to come in and use the toilet. I wouldn't have.

teresa2003 · 28/02/2017 19:34

I have never said they were in the OPs employ or that she was obliged in any way to let them use the the loo she could've said no but didn't. But they were working on her property so it's quite frankly ridiculous to expect them to exit op's property and go in next doors and up three storeys and knock on the door to ask to use the loo there. They are obviously going to ask the property holder at the house they are working on first. Besides which by your theory as scaffolders are usually subbies to the main contractor
then they are paid by them not the neighbour.. Maybe they should drive to the main contractors office and use their toilet by your rules [confusedl]

expatinscotland · 28/02/2017 19:37

I don't have any rules besides not allowing randoms in to use my toilet, or anything else for that matter, as I'm not running a public toilet.

jammyjay · 28/02/2017 19:59

The boiler man spent all day in the kitchen fixing things and I pretty much left him to it. At the end of the day he said he'd need to come back and finish in the morning so he would see me then. After he left I went to use the loo and saw a massive shit in there! As there were only two of us in the flat and I'd already done my daily poo (and flushed it) it had to be him! I rolled my eyes and flushed the loo! He can round the next day and finished the boiler, before he left he asked if he could use the loo. I said of course and was about to walk off when he asked me where the toilet was! I was so shocked that I pointed in the toilet direction with my mouth open! Bloody cheek! We both knew he shat in my toilet and didn't flush!

teresa2003 · 28/02/2017 19:59

Now you are just being pedantic and l am sure you realise l was using 'going by your rules ' as a figure of speech meaning your comments about workmen should only be using the loos of the people employing them etc.

teresa2003 · 28/02/2017 20:04

Jammy I've never heard of a phantom dumper before, a pootergeist maybe?

expatinscotland · 28/02/2017 20:07

I don't see why they would assume otherwise, teresa and come to believe a total stranger that's not in any way connected with their employment should allow them to use the loo, workman or PM or film start, whatever.

Fluffy24 · 28/02/2017 20:08

I see both sides of the argument but I was seriously peeved when I came home one evening (when we'd builders in), went to the loo and sat in someone else's cold piss. It's not the using the loo I object to, it's pissing on the seat/floor etc and not cleaning it up.

teresa2003 · 28/02/2017 20:18

They were working legitimately on the Ops property and dismantling /removing something from her property and one (initially) asked to use the loo. Anyone having a valid authorised reason for being on my property to carry out work on it, l would fully expect them to ask to use my loo. Of course no one is obliged to allow them to but that's up to the individual.

teresa2003 · 28/02/2017 20:21

ask to use my loo if they needed one, l meant

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