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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To use the disabled loo to avoid sitting on turds?

259 replies

HellHathNoFury · 18/04/2009 14:24

I was in Sainsburys earlier and in the queue for the loo. I was desperate and waited for a while. Eventually it was my turn, and this little old lady hobbled out and so I went in and saw she had left a whole actual nugget of a turd on the toilet seat.
At the back.

I am PG and it was not something I needed to see so I backed out and legged it off to the disabled loo.

When I came out I was told off by a man in a wheelchair for using the disabled loo. Couldn't be bothered to explain turd incident. Just walked off.

AIBU?

OP posts:
onagar · 18/04/2009 15:13

Saint2shoes read what I said about parking bays. NOT the same thing

You don't get the right never to queue unless you are royalty.

Original poster
HellHathNoFury · 18/04/2009 15:14

Saint2shoes, go for it re the P&T bays, every one else bloody does lol

OP posts:
herbietea · 18/04/2009 15:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

onagar · 18/04/2009 15:16

and anyway surely a disabled person can use the P&T bays if the disabled one is full? They are there for those who can't walk far which might include a disabled person (not always. Disability doesn't MEAN unable to walk far)

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:16

onagar nor is queing at the bamk.I am just always so suprised on these threads how jeaous people are of the disabled.
the op imo was fine to use it as she was pregnant, but why can't non pregnant able bodied people just accept they are not disabled?

onagar · 18/04/2009 15:18

Saint2shoes I'm not sure wqhich way around you meant that. In my ATM example should everyone leave the lower ATM empty in case a wheelchair user comes along?

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:18

onagar I am not disabled, so only use eithr when I am with dd(meaning she uses them but I take her) but why should I park in an odninary space if there are P$t bays free, surely parents can wait.

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:19

onagar don't be silly

onagar · 18/04/2009 15:20

Silly? I was asking what you meant because I wasn't sure. So you agree with me then that if the standard loos are full it's ok for non-disabled people to use the empty disabled one? Surely the same thing?

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:22

do you agrre is normal spaces are full it is ok for me to use a parents one? same thing

onagar · 18/04/2009 15:24

I will answer yours but you should answer mine too.

A parking space is different because you might park in the disabled space because there is no other, but be gone for hours. In the meantime lots of other spaces become free, but no free disabled one.

Average time in the loo or at an atm machine is probably 3-5 minutes.

Original poster
HellHathNoFury · 18/04/2009 15:27

2shoes - if the normal spaces are full, then yes I too would use a P&T one (even though I do have a toddler).
There is no law governing that people without toddlers cannot use those spaces. It is purely their for their convenience, even though I do personally get annoyed with people in sports cars pulling up to use them while I struggle.
BUT.
It's not illegal.

As are disabled loos I presume...no law, I can't get arrested for peeing in there.

I am not jealous of being disabled, my mum is disabled and can be physically very debilitated at times, but I don't think she'd get shirty if someone nipped in to use a toilet especially for her.

OP posts:
audreyraines · 18/04/2009 15:30

if i had to alert the cleaner and wait for them to clean it before i could have a wee, i would have peed my pants by then. my fault for being pregnant and not doing enough kegal exercises i suppose .

i had really bad morning sickness for a long time, and would often duck into a disabled toilet to avoid vomiting all over the floor (surely preferable??)

i also use the disabled loos if i have ds with me and the normal loos are on the small side.

i really don't think disabled loos are restricted to those with a disability, although i'd give a disabled person priority over it, because sure i could go and use a different loo.

onagar · 18/04/2009 15:34

Audreyraines, exactly.

The confusion has arisen because we got into the habit of calling them disabled toilets. They are all public toilets and some are designed to be a bit easier for those with difficulties (disabled or with kids etc)
They don't belong to a special group of people

BigBellasBeerBelly · 18/04/2009 15:56

I'm confused - are we allowed to use the lower cashpoints or not? Would be great if someone could confirm.

2shoes if you are with your DD and you need to have a pee as well, do you go when in with her in the disabled cubicle or do you come out and queue for a non disabled one?

Still not sure what to do in places where there is only one toilet and it has a disabled sign on it. I ususally use it but feel very uncomfortable doing so in case I get shouted at.

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:58

BigBellasBeerBelly dd doesn't use the toilet, she uses a toilet aid, but as she is in a wheelchair I use the disabeld loos as she needs the space as I have to lift her(she is 14) so of course I use the loo whilst she is wee'ing, I can hardly leave her alone. and any disabled person would have to wait for her anyway.

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 15:59

BigBellasBeerBelly I can't see the link with lower cashpoints, surely short people use them as well.

saint2shoes · 18/04/2009 16:00

tbh I couldn't care less who uses them, i just get annoyed when they feel the need to start a thread(been loads) talking about it. imo it is just to stir.

onagar · 18/04/2009 16:02

It says on those ATMs that they are lower for the convenience of wheelchair users or something similar. So the same as disabled toilets. If there is no queue you should use the other ones, but if there is then everyone queues up the same.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 18/04/2009 16:03

The cashpoints were mentioned earlier so i just wanted to clarify. I think some of them have wheelchair stickers on them and they are really quite low so are obviously designed to be accesible for wheelchair height. I just wanted to check if they should be used by people not in wheelchairs.

And to confirm that a toilet with a disabled sign on it should never be used by someone who is not disabled.

I just don't want to do anything wrong and upset people.

onagar · 18/04/2009 16:04

Actually 2shoes it was the man in a wheelchair who started it by claiming no one else had a right to use it.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 18/04/2009 16:04

In some places they keep the disabled toilets locked and you have to go and get a special key if you want to use it, maybe that is the best solution.

then no-one would get confused or angry.

SoupDragon · 18/04/2009 16:06

"why can't non pregnant able bodied people just accept they are not disabled"

But pregnant able bodied people aren't disabled either

although a week before DS2 was born I remember sitting on a wall waiting for my dad to come and fetch me because I couldn't walk any further and pondering the fact that I was less able to walk than my 93 yo blue badge holding grandmother

MamazonFirstladyofFilth · 18/04/2009 16:07

its because people ^KNOW6 that actually they are taking a bit of a liberty and they want people to come along and say "there there, its ok that you have been selfish and ignorant, i do it too"

and no thats not directed to the Op but i am getting so bored of every couple of weeks having to have this sae argument because people cannot understand taht someone with a pyhsical disability that prevents them from using a "normal" toilet would like to be able to use a toilet that they could access without waiting for some pampered bimbo to finish simply because she didn't want to mix with the common people.

honestly, it makes me incredibly angry.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 18/04/2009 16:07

Surely it's only if you're registered disabled that you are allowed to use the disabled facilities?