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!

No you aren’t. You are often behind a curtain which has a gap at the top and bottom! Why do you think people are complaining?! Have you not had a man you’ve never met accidentally(?!) open the curtain on you as you bend down in your knickers? Lucky you.

I’d no idea I’d posted something so difficult to understand.

No, not that.

How about ‘let’s not increase the risk from that which emanates from members of staff, to everyone allowed into the store ie everyone’.

No if you are advocating for mixed spaces in lieu of single sex ones you are advocating for increased risk to women and girls.

Own it.

Where have I advocated for anything?

Do you think trans women are dangerous?

I think I have had a post deleted for calling a man who assaulted a 10 year old girl a man.

This man identified as a trans woman.

There are activists on this thread who are worried about the fact that I have mis sexed a pedophile.

Absolutely shocking.

They are as dangerous as any other man

Yes. Like the ones people live with.

The ones people live with are known to them, so how is that relevant?

I'm not inviting any strange man to come and live with me.

You know the people you live with. You don't know the men in a changing room

You don’t know the other men in the store either. Or in the shopping centre the store is in. How do people live with this level of fear about trying a dress on when there are women in other countries who aren’t even allowed to speak to each other? It’s like mass hysteria. Over a changing room in a massive shop!

How do you feel about waiting for a train with strange men waiting on the same one who may go into the same carriage as you?

Are there really people going through life not knowing why single sex provision exists? Or are they being deliberately obtuse as they think it makes them appear so uber progressive and liberal? I can’t decide.

I don't tend to get undressed outside of the changing room.

You seem to be attempting to deflect from the very silly point you made, yes?

I have and am none the wiser. Please explain.

So you don't understand the difference between places where you get undressed and places where you don't.

Interesting 🫠

Just the one point?

No. I think you’re all living a strange life but I can’t take that away from you unfortunately. I just feel pity that you’re in a cult.

Even when you bath? Strange.

You think people are in a cult because they're standing up for women's legal rights to single sex spaces?

You really, genuinely think that?

Do you go topless on the beach?

As it happens, no I don't

Yes.