AIBU to use a family changing room left occupied by a buggy?

[Calpolinator]

Was I unreasonable? Swimming today with 5yo, 3yo and 18 month old. The pool has 6 family changing rooms and the rest are single cubicles. They were all occupied when we were out and showered apart from 1 which was open but had a buggy in. I waited for about 5 minutes and no one came out of any of the others and I couldn't see who this pram belonged to. It was getting a bit much to juggle the hangry kids and there was a queue forming for the family change, so I popped in and got everyone changed really quickly (was in there less time than I'd waited). When I came out someone was waiting to have a go basically saying all there stuff was in there, but here's the mind blowing (to me) part - they were in the pool! They'd wanted to reserve the changing room for the entire time they were in there?! I explained I'd waited and no one had come back and clarified they only got out the pool because they'd seen me go in, not because they needed anything and I hoped they would realise it was all a bit ridiculous. But AIBU for using the changing room?! Feel like I've committed a social faux pas

I think the other family made the social faux pas by trying to reserve the changing room, not you.

No, you were not being unreasonable.

I'd speak to the reception team - it may be a problem that some people do on a regular basis. It's pretty bloody cheeky isn't it! Perhaps they could put a note on the doors to say you are not allowed to put belongings into a family room as they cannot be reserved.

Not unreasonable but i would have taken the buggy out

They are lucky you didn't tuff their stuff out to the wet floor outside the changing room! You don't leave your stuff in the changing room for 5 mins. I swim regularly, and I feel like I am unfairly reserving the changing room when I literally walk to the locker, then walk to the change room, then walk back to the locker and back to the change room with the rest of my stuff. I am gone for 30 seconds literally!

this infuriates me. It happens so often at our pool. I have taken stuff out and put it on the floor before.

Argh I hate this at our local pool as well. You were not unreasonable at all. I wouldn’t quite as gone as far as turfing their stuff out (although I can understand why some people would…) but I would definitely report them to reception. It’s so entitled.

This happens at our pool, I just shove it on the corner of the bench and if it gets wet/falls so be it.

it’s selfish behaviour and they deserve to go home soaking wet!

How selfish and entitled of them. I would have done the same as you. Cf's.

Speak to reception. Our local pool put up notices saying this was not allowed. Then if the only free cubicle had stuff in it, we just used it anyway. You had three young children, there was no other family changing, you were more than justified in using it.

To me this is CFery...

Only two changing rooms at our local pool and people do this, I'm one that has taken clothing out and left it on the side bench before.

Ahh okay, I feel validated now 😂 was totally thrown by the fact they approached me and didn't hide away in embarrassment!!

In our gym/pool you are not allowed to reserve changing cubicles. Any items left in the cubicles are removed asap by staff. No exceptions.

You can't "reserve" cubicles lol!!!

What an absolute eejit! I hope you didnt apologise to them

Well done for sensibly putting your kids needs before a buggy

Not unreasonable at all. Buggies aren’t allowed in the changing rooms at my gym. Have to be left in a the office behind reception
Most parents aren’t stupid enough to bring them

Taken kids swimming many times/places and never seen anyone bring a buggy in (if it was for a disability, obviously that's different) and it seems quite dirty-it's been pushed through everything on the streets. Many people take shoes off/leave prams at the door in their own house to avoid street mess all over the floor so they shouldn't have brought it in; they're obviously just using it as a sunbed towel!

I had similar this week, our pool is open changing except for 5 cubicles, currently only 2 of them have curtains.
I was with my boyfriend’s 11 year old daughter - so not appropriate for her to strip in front of me. Someone had left a pile of things in 1 of the 2 private cubicles.
we waited to make sure everyone was out of the showers, then I moved the pile to one of the cubicles without curtain. I was surprised when an iPhone and Apple Watch tumbled out! There are about 300 lockers in these changing rooms so I think the hogger was foolish on two counts!

I did the same OP. There were signs everywhere saying not to leave any items in the changing cubicles, I was supervising 4 kids and didn't want to leave them on their own. The mum came back and hammered on the door, she was away drying her daughter's hair. 🤷‍♀️

Of course they’re in the wrong. I move stuff all the time in our local pool and only once has someone ever said anything and I just lied and said oh it was free when I got here, it must have been the staff.

Found this when I took the kids swimming this week too. Selfish twats.

I think the right thing to do would probably be to take their stuff out to reception and explain.

They can’t reserve a changing room. Being in the pool is cheeky.

i had something similar in an Asda store. There was an empty till apart from the lady being served, so I started putting my shopping on. There was a basket full of stuff on the floor at the end of the till which I assumed had been abandoned. However, as I was waiting my turn, a mum and child came back and glared at me. She didn’t say anything but I guessed she thought I’d stolen her till. The cashier gave me a sympathetic you’ve-done-nothing-wrong look.

That’s super cheeky, on their part. Speak to the venue and explain notices need to go up that there is no reserving cubicles.

Reserving cubicles makes me furious. I've been in the position of getting 3 children changed without a cubicle in the past then having them stay together while i get changed in a single as one came free because half were reserved with noone in sight (8+ so safe to be left). The one I eyed up was vacant the entire time.

In our pool - if you tell the staff they will remove the items.

People are so entitled. Cubicles are there to be used, not reserved. I always told both my kids at swimming lessons if there was no cubicle available, remove items, place on bench and use the cubicle. That's exactly what they did, handling irate cubicle reservers with aplomb.

I would have wheeled the buggy out so I could use the room. YANBU though!