To buy a radar key

[PixieCutRegret]

Just to set the scene a bit, my town is fairly small and has 3 loos with baby changes that are for general public use (ie not in a coffee shop where you have to buy something, even some of these have radar keys too). All of these are accessible toilets with radar keys. Usually it's a bit of a pain in the arse to hunt down a member of staff/ visit the shop mobility to get a key but really just a minor inconvenience and not great when ds has done a poo.

Today though I had to visit shop mobility to get the key, the key was not in the usual place so it had to be hunted down. As I was changing ds someone knocked on the door so I finished up as quickly as I could. When I came out a woman in a wheelchair was waiting and although I apologised she really did not look happy, I felt awful but ds needed a change. If I didn't have to track down the key I wouldn't have been long gone before she knocked on the door. Would I be unreasonable to buy a radar key online just for the use of these toilets?

I Agree it’s a bit goady
You could put it into chat.
I don’t know why everyone puts everything into Aibu now.

Yes I'm starting to wonder why I didn't put this in chat myself. I guess I just thought it was fitting as I am actually asking if I am being unreasonable.

If the baby change is in there too then you are not doing anything wrong.

x2boys because I wasn't sure if it was ethical to buy one if I'm not entitled to one.

It is unethical as you are not disabled. HTH.

Actually I think there is a genuine problem with lack of toilet facilities which are accessible for people with prams. Both with design of 'normal' public loos (narrow doorways or multiple doors to access them) and with not putting a toilet in baby changing facilities. I find this incredibly annoying because I need to go way more often than DD. I wish to goodness they would put radar keys on baby change facilities and build a loo in them too.

(Missed point of thread, but hey-ho)

If the baby change facilities are in the accessible toilets, and you need a key to get into those accessible toilets, then I think you should get a key.

However. Your child will most likely not be in nappies forever - you will go through the toilet training stage, the lack of warning about pooping stage, then the needing to accompany them to the toilet stage, before they are independent. And the temptation will be to continue using the accessible toilets, with the key, to make things easier. Please don't. Please give up the key once you no longer need that baby change platform.

It is a bit arsey to use them.

I am surprised someone knocked tbh, whenever we have used them, and someone else has a key, they just barge on in. This bit of crappy thoughtless design, along with changing facilities (that are unsuitable for many disabled parents or older children and adults who need changing) being incorporated in the disabled toilets.

Yes yabu,the stores have a key for people to borrow who don't have a disability.

True, Freudian, but there are a lot of fakes for sale on Amazon too.

Mybabystolemysanity I agree with you I love the loos in M&S at our local retail park for this reason, all the loos are there own room which is big enough to get the buggy in.

FreudianSlurp I wonder if the Amazon ones are VAT free. I don't think I would be comfortable not paying VAT

The problem is really that the baby change is in the disabled toilets, it's all to common it seems.

I don't blame you for buying a radar key because the toilet is a disabled toilet AND baby change and you're changing your baby.

EggysMom has got it spot on...

isn't there a baby change in the library or theatre or doctors surgery? if not yanbu to buy the key.

You use them anyway, because that’s where they have chosen to put the baby changing facilities and that’s not your fault, so having your own key makes zero difference to anyone else, but saves you hunting one down every bloody time. Buy one. Anyone that doesn’t approve can feel free to take it up with council providing public toilets/baby changing facilities.

I bought one years ago when I broke my ankle - the surgeon told me where to get them from.

It's still in the glove box of the car and has only been used once since, when we were in the back of beyond and the ladies was locked up due to a flood. I didn't think there was anything wrong in using the disabled loo in that case - we could see for miles that there was no one else around.

Buy a key, OP.

I think you should get one (if the free baby changes are solely in accessible toilets that require radar keys you haven't created the problem) but you should also write to your MP, the council and your local paper to complain about the lack of baby changing facilities - as this sounds a bit ridiculous and will obviously put disabled people/parents of babies potentially into conflict.

Ummmmgogo no theatre sadly. The Drs and library are a little way out of town (plus the library is closed a couple of weekdays)

Phineyj I might just do that. I think accessibility in this town is pretty crap tbh, our station hasn't even got a lift, you have to buy your tickets, go out the station, walk up the road, over a bridge, down another road into the entrance on the other side.

I bought one for my dd who has ASD, and gets high anxiety in small cubicles, she hates public loos anyway. But is treasured if I am tgere with her. I got mine from Amazon for around £4

@pixie I don't see what else you can do then you need the key. I agree with a pp about writing to your mp about this ridiculous situation!