Mixed sex changing rooms?

[Whatschanged]

Has something changed in society around changing/fitting rooms in shops or have I just had two unusual incidents? Or am I being ridiculous?!

A couple of weeks ago I was in the adult men’s section of Next with my 13 year old son, he needed to try on some jeans, a very tall but slim lad, so definitely doesn’t fit in the children’s section anymore. Men’s is upstairs with the homeware, women’s and kids downstairs, both floors have changing rooms. He went in to try them on and I waited completely outside by the lifts. While I was waiting an adult woman walked in the changing rooms to try something on, I was quite surprised, and gave her an odd look (very British of me, sorry) but she blanked me. I thought, well it’s not the end of the world but I’d be a bit more shocked at a grown man going in the changing room downstairs next to the women's clothes when my 13 year old daughter was in their alone (I don't have daughters though).

This weekend I was in M&S, women’s and children’s clothing downstairs, and there is a fitting room, women’s underwear and men’s clothing and cafe upstairs, there is a fitting room by the men’s clothes and a fitting room my the women’s underwear. I went in the fitting rooms by the women’s underwear to try some bras on, and there was a lady loitering around the cubicles, when I got in I heard what I presume was a little boys voice, perhaps about 6 years old and a grown mans voice (could have been an older teenager or a fully grown man, I never saw them, but a broken, older mans voice). The ‘man’ was helping the ‘boy’ with the clothes and the woman was outside the cubicle asking how it was going etc. I was really surprised, why wasn’t the grown man with the boy in the men’s changing room? Or why wasn’t the woman (presume mum) in there with him?! I was there with my boobs out, what if I wanted a fitting? M&S has lockable doors but Next it’s just curtains.

So I just thought perhaps something has changed and now people just wonder in whatever fitting room they fancy, or is this a bit weird?

YANBU – men should go in men’s, women in women’s, children that require assistance should go in whatever changing room matches the adult.

YABU – stop being so precious, you’re normally in individual locked cubicles anyway so what on earth does it matter!

That's reminded me actually, when I was breastfeeding I didn't go in M&S because I hated those little cubicles by the toilets they suggested you use for breastfeeding! I'd go to nice little independent cafes instead. So sorry you had a terrible experience.

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I remember around 20 years ago, possibly more, a communal changing room in Debenhams and other stores - not mixed sex, but communal for everyone else.

I take a closed and private cubicle anytime. What's the problem?

It's the same in many swimming pools - changing cubicles with locked door and privacy for everyone, who cares if next door is male or female?

There are usually more women in the "mens" changing areas than the other way round - to check on their husband, or kids or whatever. I don't think I have seen many men in the women changing room.

Communal but private cubicles are fine.

So, it is any woman with a different point of view to yours.

Punish women in changing rooms? My husband is normally outside waiting to see what my purchase looks like on me.

Yes and to highlight that she uses a derogatory term for women 🤦‍♀️

Well the problem is making it easier for men to access and install cameras.

When did this start as it was ok since 2010.

I sometimes take mine in with me, and vice versa.

They are actually as 51% of the UK population are women.

I always hated the changing rooms without cubicles. If I have to choose between a communal changing space or lockable cubicles I would always go for the lockable cubicles.

Logically the most likely person to be hiding cameras is an employee,ike maintenance or cleaning.

Same.

This is the no win situation for the shop.

I used to work on a leisure centre which has single sex changing rooms. From 8 years old, children were supposed to go in the changing room corresponding to their sex.

We had constant complains from mothers of 10 and 11yo boys who were insistent that they had to take them into the ladies. Many mothers disregarded this rule and took their sons into the ladies so we also had constant complaints from women who liked to have naked showers and didn't want to have 10 or 11 boys watching them.

I assume this is why most swimming pools have mixed sex changing.

They have them upstairs and downstairs in our branch, mixed but lockable doors and are staffed. There’s an additional small fitting room (just 3 cubicles) by the ladies underwear which states only for use trying on underwear please ask for assistance, they unlock them for you, whilst it doesn’t say no men, unless they are buying bras they can’t use them.

that's actually quite an amusing response.

So are you just an open men's rights activist?

Funny how UK police forces are asking LAs to revert back to single sex areas due to the additional sex crimes and criminal activity.

Want to guess which sex has the most offenders and which have the most victims?

Do you apply that unhealthy level of paranoia to any aspect of your life, or specifically to changing rooms? 😂

You know MEN can be responsible for cleaning said changing rooms, and generally walking around regularly to check them?

I know there's less and less staff checking the numbers of items you bring in to try, but men are just involved as women

No just telling you that you’re wrong and you calling trans women “men” wasn’t as clever as you thought it was. Trans women are 0.1% of the population. But you keep on harassing them 👍.

It is women who support sex crimes against women.

I’ve never been in a single sex changing room and I’m 62.

Mind you, I’ve never thought naked showering in front of complete strangers is apparently something people crave.

Name one.

Guessing you are campaigning for WOMEN ONLY stores to prevent any issue then? 😂

Why does ‘thinking it’s clever’ come into it. Trans women are men. It’s just a fact.

So you and him both being a grown adult means that he is choosing the option of not going into what should be a woman only single sex space?