Changing nappies on airport seats

[KittyCoo]

I don’t have any DCs yet and not planning on ttc for a few years.

I was at a mallorca airport last and the plane was about to board abd a lady changed her around 4/5mth old baby’s dirty nappy on the passenger seats. I told her that was disgusting and people have to sit there to use the bathroom opposite as there was a changing table in there. admittedly there was a big queue but not the point imo.

When I have DCs, I’d never dream of doing that, I’d always use the facilities provided in the vicinity as respect and courteousness to others. I personally believe it’s lazy parenting not to use adequate facilities available!!!

AIBU, that some parents with babies these days think they’re so entitled just like the one I’ve described above ? And AIBU for berating her actions the way I did ?

Why? It’s nothing to do with being a parent and everything to do with respect and decency.

Boot of a car is completely different to a public place where people sit down and put their things. It's disgusting.

This 👆. Honestly, why even have changing facilities when you can just do it anywhere.
It reminds of people peeing in alleyways when there are public toilets right there and people throwing litter when there's a bin also, right there.

There are toilets! It's disgusting 🤢

I'dsave my judgement for a busy airport having a lack of changing facilities tbh.

Especially if those changing facilities were in the disabled toilet with a queue of people waiting to use them.

Sounds like the issue here is not enough baby change facilities if there was a massive queue as you say.

Not something I would have chosen to do myself but sometimes you can get caught out. You can prepare for stuff all you like and change the baby earlier, but you can’t control when they poo.

When you have kids op you’ll be amazed at how shocking baby change facilities are.

I’ve been to a national trust place with no change facilities.

I’ve been to a pub where there are only facilities in the female toilet.

There are also many change facilities with no toilet for you.

There was facilities in the ladies and gents even so her DH could’ve gone in there at least!!!

If there was a long line for the toilet/change room and the plane was boarding I can kind of sympathise with the mother. Yes it’s gross and far from ideal but she used a changing mat, and the alternative might have been for the nappy to leak all over her and/or the airplane seats if she had to board without changing. If she just couldn’t be arsed to walk to the toilets that’s one thing but in this situation I probably wouldn’t judge too harshly as we’ve all been there with poonamis on a plane and I can assure you it’s the worst. Was she actually changing the baby right next to your seat @KittyCoo? If not then you were definitely BU to offer your opinion.

Yeah, this. Our local pub promotes itself as ‘family friendly’ but the only place to change a baby is on the floor of their disabled loo. And yes, don’t even get me started on the ones where there’s a lovely big space with a changing table but nowhere for you to have a quick wee!

Airport facilities can be pretty crap too and always very crowded. And then the plane. Tiny toilet cubicles with a little pull down shelf and changing a baby in there is a real pain in the arse.

So your flight is about to board, there is a long queue for the toilet with the changing table, your baby has filled it's nappy... (that's what the OP says)

So you'd get in the long queue, change your baby and potentially miss your flight?

Personally I'd just trying and change the nappy there and then as discretely as possible. Or if it was that close to boarding I'd wait until I was on the plane then do it after take off in the toilets, although not very nice for the person in the seats next to me!

I mean if there was a huge queue for the loo what do you expect? You can't reason with a tiny baby and tell them to stop waiting because there's a queue. Pretty sure most people would take a baby being changed on the seat over a baby wailing near them on a flight.
I also would prefer the loo to be kept free for people who actually need to go to the loo.
Hopefully she put a changing mat on the seat. I have a travel one attached to me babies changing bag. So I can use it in emergencies like that. Protects seats and wipes clean.

My cousin once tried to change his toddler's dirty nappy in the living room where we were all sitting, with a 'you don't mind do you?' Many years and several children of my own later I don't even slightly regret suggesting he used the bathroom instead.

That's a completely different scenario.

A house environment is nothing like a busy stressful airport.

@CrocodileJen she was sitting in the row behind me and I looked up and saw her doing it

@Athreedoorwardrobe @Awobabobob yes babies go at the most unpredictable times and not once in my post am I blaming the child!! What me and OH said between us, if that had been us in a few years, I would’ve asked him to have changed the nappy (never a queue for men’s loos) and I would’ve explained to the staff at the gate what’s happened! Surely that’s just common sense right ?

Good of you "not to blame the child"

Very rare for there to be changing tables in mens loos sadly.

Maybe dont look at a baby that isnt yrs having a really quick bum change.

Exactly!!

She is a skank. No excuse. Airports have plenty of baby change (and more importantly HAND WASHING) facilities.

Due to board, you said theres a long queue for bathroom, she used a mat, if she had gone into the toilets there is probably 1 changing mat between how many people so she would have been ages, by which time the child would have been screaming - it's hard enough to travel with children let alone a 4/5 month old, I've changed mine over my knee when i've had too

I managed to raise three boys without ever changing a nappy - especially a pooey one - in a public place not meant for baby changing, @themerchentofvenus. If there is a changing place close by, why is it OK to inflict the smell of a pooey nappy on people sitting around you?

Some scuzzy individuals change pooey nappies on the tables of restaurants or cafes - do you condone that?

@WFHforevermore @BeLilacSloth

i understand that not changing nappies is neglect and by changing it she was seeing to her child’s needs ASAP, however, there was more appropriate places to do so.

@BeLilacSloth I find your comment towards me very upsetting and offensive since you don’t know me as a person, that was quite hurtful actually

I’ve had three children and flown all over the world with them. There are no excuses- it’s just laziness, entitlement and lack of standards.

@KittyCoo I agree with you. Very gross to change any nappy in public. When was the mother going to wash her own nappy germ hands? Did she go on the plane straight after touching hand rails , overhead storage seat belt etc

You say there was a que for the bathroom though, so if she was stood next to you with her child stinking rather than just quickly changing the baby you would have been ok with that?! It’s absolutely discusting to have a go at a mother who’s just trying her best.