to expect to use a disabled toilet when I'm out with the pram?

[CT123]

I can't use the ladies when I have my baby with me in the pram. The only thing I can do is wheel him into the disabled toilet with me. But the disabled toilets have special locks on them, which presumably disabled people have special keys for. I appreciate that they want to stop able-bodied people hogging disabled toilets but what else can I do?

exercises

Blu - and the 600 posts from people being outraged and not even allowing for the possibility that the person who'd just used the toilet had a good reason for doing so would be just as unreasonable as the outraged ones here that won't even allow for the possibility that someone could have an understandable or good reason for using a disabled toilet.

I'm bowing out now as the pc I'm using needs to be returned to its rightful owner.

omg you stole a pc!!!

Divine- so glad!!

Yeah, I know it's technically theft, but you know... it's for Mumsnetting...

PS Borrowed really.

oh 'pc brigade' - wondered how long it would take for that phrase to make it onto the thread.

maybe, Playdough - but I have never, in all my long years on MN, seen a post on a P&T Parking thread that acknowledged that anyone (save POSSIBLY a woman 8.5 months pg with twins) might have any reasonable reason for taking up a hallowed P&T space

A lot of people have mentioned the disabled loos being combined with baby changing facilities - but what about disabled mums who need to change their babies? Surely the disabled loos should have facilities, and there should also be facilities elsewhere for able-bodied parents.

BTW, I suffer with IBS and I've never considered myself to have a disability - and to be honest I would be less likely to use the disabled toilet (even if it were the nearest) because I would tie it up for ages!

'disabled' is a very non PC term - astonished it is still allowed. I think it is perfectly acceptable to use that lloo if you need to for any reason you consider good enough at that particular time, as long as yuo are not barging someone else out of the way. Off to buy that key...

Turnip, she was on about a pc, as in personal computer. Jeez.

divine- i have been out so missed your post earlier, if you look at my profile you will see that I have had 4 premature babies, all who have been in SCBU, after a high risk pregnancy with all of them, so i understand that, and remember when my DD2 came home and we went out for the first time, everyone wanted to see the tiny 4lb baby who was 1 month old, and feeling very protective, and shoo-ing them away, especially the woman and her 3 year old who may 'have germs'

Still wouldn't use the disabled loos though sorry

I didn't say it is OK, I said it was understandable, which is different.

I think disabled people should have exclusive access to the right facilities. I think current provision is almost certainly inadequate.

I think it is also bad that parents with small children in tow have inadequate access to toilet facilities. This is a different issue. I think the lack of parental toilet facilities does not mean there shouldn't also be better disabled facilities.

No, I don't think you should have to wait because someone who didn't need it was using the disabled toilet. One woman with a pram who is able to take a quick wee with her foot parking the door open slightly and her pram with a single immobile infant in it is clearly taking the piss if she's using the disabled toilet.

But we're talking about more complex situations here: an empty disabled toilet with no-one in sight, a woman incontinent herself from recent childbirth, perhaps one or more demanding and badly behaved toddlers in addition who can neither fit in the cubicle nor wish to stay put, a heavy leaking period that needs mopping up and sorting out, a urinary infection. One set of needs doesn't cancel out another set of needs. But I don't deny either that the challenges some disabled people and their carers face are much more challenging of those with parents.

"is clearly taking the piss if she's using the disabled toilet."

You mean taking a piss, surely?

dustbuster - I haven't said the needs of a mum with a baby are "greater" than those of a disabled person, so no need to be 'lost for words' just yet.

What I have said is that:
(1) only when disabled toilet is empty
(2) and I have a baby in the buggy
... will I go into the disabled toilet for two minutes.

In those two minutes, the chances of a (1) disabled person and (2) with extreme continence problems showing up are astronomical. In fact, I have never ever seen anyone waiting in front of the door in the couple of months I have used disabled toilets when DD was little, let alone a disabled person, not to mention one with extreme bladder control problems.

So, I sincerely think this is a bit of a storm in a teacup. Or maybe number of disabled toilets per disabled people are higher where I am, so there is little need to fight over them. Or maybe people are a bit more laid back and tolerant where we live.

If they've been eaten then they won't be needing the disabled toilets will they?

I hear "disabled" is an offensive term. Anyone know what the PC term is?

If you've eaten a disable baby then surely you can use the disabled facilities as you have a disabled person with you...

You lot are sick puppies.

No, it's called humour/sarcasm. Get a grip.

And anyway, Fio started it.

Whenever I hear the phrase disabled toilet it makes me think it might not flush or something.
Toilet for disabled people makes more sense.

I thought it was "handicapped" which was the non-PC term and "disabled" was fine/replaced it. Certainly you never hear the first any more and it used to be used all the time.