Tips?

[Jbr]

If you're caught short when you're out, head for a disabled public loo. They have enough room to bring a buggy and your shopping in with you. (fb)

What's the difference to saying "just use a disabled parking space?". That is terrible.

A few months ago i had to leave my dd pram outside a loo in a big shopping centre and bring her in with me,a shopping bag and coat which were on the pram got stolen,yes i know i shouldnt have left it there but have you ever been pregnant,desperate for the loo with a child in tow and the only loos available are barely wide enough to get in.So now i have no guilt about useing a disabled loo,purely because its bigger.My dd is nearly 4 and disabled but very small for her age so normally i wouldnt need to use a disabled loo, i suppose ive been on both sides of the argument haveing a disabled child and being a parent,there is only one shopping centre i know of that has loos designed for takeing prams in with you and that is not a designated disabled loo,so i tend to shop there purely for that reason,i do think that a parking space is completly different,i dont think most disabled loo users including myself would mind waiting a few moments while a parent uses it,but its abit (well alot different) if your takeing a parking space for an hour or longer.

LOL Lil! I know exactly what you mean about able-bodied people filling up lifts! I have had to miss a lift in a shopping centre and wait for the next one as it was full of teenagers and a young couple using it, and right next door are the escalators!!! But if we spent our lives getting worked up by little things like this, we would become all bitter and twisted and life would not be worth enjoying.

Just a small point about disabled stickers.. don't be fooled by appearances. Many people are disabled in a hidden way and you'd never guess by looking but if they had to walk a long way to get to eg shops it would be detrimental or even dangerous. It is a criminal offence to misuse a disabled sticker and no carer of a disabled relative would -I believe -risk that and deprive their loved one in that way...I sure wouldn't.
Loos on the other hand aren't meant to be exclusive. They're fantastic for fitting a double buggy and walking child plus shopping and attending to everyones needs privately ( Does anyone else's child loudly praise their choice of knickers ...?!) Hmm...

Lol tufty...yes I agree though a disability isn't always blatantly obvious. My mil has a sticker, she is 73 and has a heart problem (amongst other things!) and can't walk long distances. Sometimes she doesn't even utilise it if there are other spaces not too far away, as she feels there might be others more in need of the reserved space (she's a sweetie). Nothing makes my blood boil more than seeing someone park in a disabled bay without a sticker...you know the guy in the Saab or BMW with his fancy suit and mobile, whose time is obviously far more valuable than anyone elses!

Maybe they see it as "it's only a few minutes", which is the same argument used over the loos...but still I really don't think it's the same thing! Waiting outside a public toilet knowing it won't be for longer than a few minutes is far different to sitting in your car blocking traffic and waiting for someone to return to theirs! The so-called disabled loos are designed for convenience and easy access, and whether the person is sight impaired or in a wheelchair or on crutches or has an enormous pram with a bub/toddler, with or without a second child in tow, it shouldn't matter.

Yes I use them regularly unless there is a baby change area with a loo (rare). And I have only once had someone waiting to use it when I emerged, and he smiled and was very nice about it. So there you go, that's my opinion!

Lol tufty...yes I agree though a disability isn't always blatantly obvious. My mil has a sticker, she is 73 and has a heart problem (amongst other things!) and can't walk long distances. Sometimes she doesn't even utilise it if there are other spaces not too far away, as she feels there might be others more in need of the reserved space (she's a sweetie). Nothing makes my blood boil more than seeing someone park in a disabled bay without a sticker...you know the guy in the Saab or BMW with his fancy suit and mobile, whose time is obviously far more valuable than anyone elses!

Maybe they see it as "it's only a few minutes", which is the same argument used over the loos...but still I really don't think it's the same thing! Waiting outside a public toilet knowing it won't be for longer than a few minutes is far different to sitting in your car blocking traffic and waiting for someone to return to theirs! The so-called disabled loos are designed for convenience and easy access, and whether the person is sight impaired or in a wheelchair or on crutches or has an enormous pram with a bub/toddler, with or without a second child in tow, it shouldn't matter.

Yes I use them regularly unless there is a baby change area with a loo (rare). And I have only once had someone waiting to use it when I emerged, and he smiled and was very nice about it. So there you go, that's my opinion!

Oops!

At 38 weeks pregnant I've taken to using the disabled loos, stairs seem much more knackering nowadays! I have noticed that a lot of disabled loos double up as the babychanging facility so I'd expect mothers of young children to be able to use them too.

Is it not a bit like the space on the bus which is designed for wheelchair users but is very handy for those with buggies? Obviously you'd give up the space if a disabled person needed it but if no one is using it you might as well.