about changing a nappy on a cafe table?

[Catsize]

So, I usually grab something quick and cheap for lunch but decided to treat myself to a nice baked spud in an art gallery cafe.

Half way through said spud, and perusing MN, I looked up to see that the people on the table nearby were changing a baby's nappy on the table where they'd just eaten.

My face must have been a bit of a picture because one of the women looked at me as if to say 'what?'. Feeling I had to justify myself, I said 'it's just that it's a bit grim changing a baby's nappy on a cafe table'.

The woman doing the changing asked if I was a mum. Instead of saying 'what difference would that make?', I said I had two children. She said she didn't realise I was watching(?). I said it was more of a hygiene thing, but yes, it had put me off my lunch somewhat.

She replied that it was 'only a bit of wee'.

So, was I being unreasonable hygiene thing and it is 'only a bit of wee', or is this utterly grim?

For clarity, this was in an area out of sight of the staff and I was the only other customer in that area.

The loos were ten paces away, full changing facilities and pristine.

I'm so tempted to print out this thread and paper it to the walls of the cafe as an art installation, in the hope that the women return. I think they were mother and daughter, out with the daughter's children.

A couple of years ago I witnessed a woman changing a shitty nappy on a baby in a Costa coffee shop. Not actually on the table,but on the bench seat next to her. I couldn't understand it as they have perfectly clean and adequate baby change facilities in there. A member of staff did say something to her btw,which of course resulted in the usual entitled behaviour that she was wasn't hurting anyone etc etc blah blah blah.

I've never seen that kind of entitled behaviour, thankfully for me! Sounds absolutely disgusting, and so smelly.

Just returning late to thread and see I was called "trampy" for changing a nappy on a coffee shop chair.

Would love to know what others would have done in same situation:

-in an unfamiliar area of London, early evening, shops etc closing. No chain coffee shops etc in area where you'd find baby change as standard. Waiting in coffee shop to meet someone.

-bitterly cold winter day and carrying baby in sling, so changing outdoors not really an option.

-sat in booth-type area with bench seating, not overlooked by other customers

-baby does a poo. Realise there are no toilets at all in the coffee shop.

WWYD?

I very quickly whipped out my changing mat, changed him on the bench in 2 mins and no-one noticed.

Hi, Bubbinsmakesthree,
No, I wouldn't call you 'trampy', that's harsh as it was a very awkward situation to be in.
But I think in your situation I would have asked the staff as a cafe without toilets is very poor. They might have let you use the staff toilets, especially as poo is particularly smelly and it would have been off-putting for other customers (if it was a poo they would have noticed the smell!)
If that wasn't an option I'd have changed the nappy in my car (obviously if you had it with you, I know people often travel by tube). Or I'd have changed the nappy in the buggy.
Although using the bench is not on the same level of grossness as using the table. In your case, it's the fact that it was a poo that I would have had an issue with, yuck!
But it was tricky for you, shocking that there were no toilets!

bubbins

If you know you have a child who might need changing, did you check before agreeing to go there that there were baby change facilities? If not then that's what you should have done. Pooey nappies stink, it is never ok to change them in a public cafe. It is not fair on anyone else.

Well yes admittedly the mistake was ending up somewhere with no changing facilities or toilets - I had one of those babies that pooed about once a week so I was a bit complacent!

Believe me, the smell was apparent before I started changing - in a bit of a panic once I realised there was no toilet i thought the best thing to do was whisk it off immediately before it leaked everywhere.

Bubbins u would have taken him outside and changed him on the pavement floor- its not my fault you don't have your baby on a winter poo schedule and I'm lacking in any kind of empathy.

Ask the staff or did what you did in reality. Poo does smell, but it smells inside the nappy so would prefer you clean it away and bin it that leave a stinky pooey uncomfortable baby

I not u

How was your booth seat not overlooked by other customers, bubbins? I'll bet they knew full well you were changing a shitty nappy, even if they didn't actually have a ringside seat.

I thought it was against the law to have no toilets in a coffee shop. Where did you wash your hands, for instance?

If baby is inside of her they baby isn't overlooked.
If you don't want to see it don't look.
Sonetines, shit happens and we deal with it in the best way at the time. She admits she was flustered. Likely next tine she'll Co something different

Bibbity I think it depends on the size.
All hail alcohol gel

Come off it, I refuse to believe anyone would strip their baby off to change a nappy on the pavement in a London street on a bitterly cold January evening in preference to discreetly changing in a coffee shop.

It was a small shop with a single booth at the back and a few seats at the side of the counter. The seating in the booth wasn't in the eyeline ogmf any other customers.

Basically Bubbins not my fault you can't research facilities nearby eg department stores etc.

If I'm caught short I know immediately or can google department stores or nearest open coffee shop like Costa or supermarket with toilets.

Does carrying a baby in a sling and it being very cold mean you can't use your smartphone like I could whilst out?!

And yes hands cleaned with wipes and antibacterial gel.

Bubbinsmakesthree

No loo in a coffee shop? Really???
Where food and drink are served there is a legal obligation to have loos.

The booth might not have been within anyone's line of vision - or so you think - but the smell would pollute the atmosphere. Changing a dirty nappy in an enclosed area where other people are eating or drinking - or will be eating and drinking - is revolting behaviour on anyone's part. No excuses are acceptable.

Sorry User but you're simply wrong about that. I don't know if it's decided by size or whether there's a public toilet nearby but I certainly know several cafés without loos.

'Come off it, I refuse to believe anyone would strip their baby off to change a nappy on the pavement in a London street on a bitterly cold January evening in preference to discreetly changing in a coffee shop.'

Can you imagine the flak you'd get from passers by if you did?

Unhygienic, irresponsible, selfish and bloody rank.

If there were no toilets it would be more understandable, you do what you have to do. However, in this instance, there were and it was sheer laziness that she didn't get up to change her.

This thread has now made it to Daily Mail Online

Bingo!

I thought of this thread in the doctors today. My son pooed in his pullup instead of asking for the loo and I told him we needed to go and get changed. So he lay on the floor with his legs in the air in the middle of the crowded doctors expecting me to do it there! I was slightly tempted just to see if it popped up on MN but no, I am not that disgusting. We went to the baby change area instead