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Original poster

How wrong is it to use the disabled toilet when you are not disabled?

192 replies

emkana · 08/09/2006 19:38

And does it make a difference whether you have small children or not?

I nearly always use the disabled toilets when I'm out with the children, I just don't see what to do otherwise, where to leave the children while I'm in a tiny cubicle.

Wrong or not?

OP posts:
misdee · 08/09/2006 19:53

ASDA even lol.

blossom2 · 08/09/2006 19:55

i use the disabled toilets when i'm with the buggy but generally not when its only DD1 (4yrs). but i dont think its as bad as people who park in disabled parking spaces .

you also find that more than often, the baby changing is in the disabled toilets (in our M&S anyway)

iota · 08/09/2006 19:55

can I just metion that the public toilets in MK town centre have larger 'mother and child/buggy' cubicles in the ladies. Don't know about the gents

edam · 08/09/2006 19:59

I don't think there's anything wrong with using disabled loos if you need the space to take kids in with you. You aren't going to be in there long.

hulababy · 08/09/2006 20:03

I have used disabled toilets when I had DD in the puschair and there was no other facilities for us to use. I am not prepared to leave either the pushchair and/or DD outside on her own!
I have noticed a few places now have parent and child facilities -w ith side by side toilets, two sinks and two airdryers, plus baby change facilities. DD thinks they are great!

NomDePlume · 08/09/2006 20:04

TBH, once DD was big enough to walk/stand unaided, I took her into the cubicle with me and left the buggy outside.

hulababy · 08/09/2006 20:06

Did you trust the pushcahir wouldn't be taken? And what about all the bags, etc on the pushchair? I am not trusting enough!

Waswondering · 08/09/2006 20:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NomDePlume · 08/09/2006 20:08

If I had anything of value in the bags I'd take them in with me as well. My wallet etc always went in with me. Was never worried about the buggy being nicked though. If I had loads of bags etc (rare) then I would use the disabled cubicles

Cappuccino · 08/09/2006 20:14

seems fine to use if you've got kids in buggies with you

what's very is standing outside with an almost wetting-themselves disabled child for an age and then some chirpy bimbo in her 20s waltzing out

1Baby1Bump · 08/09/2006 20:23

i went into m&s the other day to use the disabled toilet (it has baby changing facilities inside it too) as i had ds (1) with me in buggy and am 9 months preg.
there was a young bloke waiting outside who promptly went red when he realised i was waiting.
3 mins later i was crossing my legs.
5 mins later i was pacing.
he was staring at the ground, looking really uncomfortable.
unable to wait any longer, i unstrapped ds, hoisted him onto my hip (nearly wetting myself in process!) and snapped at the bloke:
'i just cant wait any longer, look after this will you'
'yeah sure' he muttered.
i go into ladies, 4 ladies are waiting. middle aged lady second in queue lets me in her place and even holds ds for me! bless her.
i thank her profusely and bundle ds out to get back to bloke with my buggy.
lo and behold, there he is, stood with his girlfriend (about 20), who is just putting her makeup bag away and brushing her hair!

Bozza · 08/09/2006 20:29

I am like ndp and have often left the pushchair outside the cubicle while getting the child out and bringing him/her (and obviously my handbag) in with me. And I frequent some of the same places as you Hula! (eg Meadowhall). When DD first potty trained I must have gone into every toilet in Meadowhall when she realised her power to drag me out of a shop by just saying "wee-wee". Then she ended up actually doing a wee in the Adams staff toilet.

If the disabled toilets are for anyone's use but designed for the disabled as a couple of people have suggested why do they have the radar key system

mrs2shoes · 08/09/2006 22:16

DISABLED ok thats what they are called means they are for DISABLED people sorry but they are not for mums with kids.

Gobbledigook · 08/09/2006 22:18

No, disabled means they are equipped so that disabled people can use them easily, not that they can use them exclusively.

Why on earth would you stand with a small child hopping in desperation while a toilet was empty??? Would you begrudge a pregnant women 60 seconds in there as well?

They are vacant half the time so someone may as well use them.

maggiesmama · 08/09/2006 22:18

clearly they are for disabled people, but if they are empty, i really cant see the harm in using them, especially when you have to figure out what to with kids, buggy, shopping etc while going to the toilet/ potty training...

its not like anyone is going to have to wait for ages to use it after, is it?

why would it matter?

Gobbledigook · 08/09/2006 22:19

And like everyone else, I've never, ever come out of a disabled toilet to find someone waiting desperately.

colditz · 08/09/2006 22:21

No it doesn't. It means they have disabled access. I have never once seen one that says "Not for pelvic-floor-challenged mothers with double buggies and damn quick kids"

maggiesmama · 08/09/2006 22:21

i used the mens once - an individual toilet, not a room with urinals etc - when i was heavily preg and just ccouldnt wait, and when i came out a guy waiting went mental. i couldnt beleive it. what kind of world is it, when we cant just cut each other some slack???

magnolia1 · 08/09/2006 22:21

Theres always one

Californifrau · 08/09/2006 22:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

harpsichordcarrier · 08/09/2006 22:24

no it's not the same as parking spaces, not a bit.
yes I would and do use them with children.
I would use them if there was a queue, too.
I would and have used the mens - hasn't everyone???

Gingerbear · 08/09/2006 22:27

I reckon as well as the wheelchair logo, disabled loos should have a sign for IBS sufferers too.
I used a family toilet in Debenhams the other day - it was huge - an adult sized loo & sink, child sized loo and sink and a baby change.
DD and I said 'ready steady go!' and had a wee race.

Californifrau · 08/09/2006 22:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoMuchToBits · 08/09/2006 22:35

When ds was in a pushchair, I always used the disabled loo, as it was impossible to get us in a normal cubicle.Also when he was just potty trained it was useful for getting him in before an acciden t happened. Now he is older, it's not a problem, and we use the ladies. But I never had a problem with irate disabled people waiting outside.

jamiesam · 08/09/2006 22:36

Wow, I'm really surprised at this thread. Surely, designing a toilet that is accessible to somebody who is disabled is the same as saying the toilet is designed solely for them? After all, it's not as if someone in a wheelchair could choose to use a regular toilet.

Notice that many toilets for the disabled now have access restricted only to those who have a radar key - presume this is because of 'inappropriate' use by, err, the able bodied???

Am also surprised that there is no one (around this evening? - out of presume hundreds or thousands of posters/lurkers) who is disabled themselves.

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