Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
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:
threebob · 09/09/2006 07:36

Well no, but would you want me to rinse it out in front of you?

naswm · 09/09/2006 07:38

no threebob of course not!!!! In fact, I suspect the disabled loo is a very good place to do it - it was a joke btw... sorry

threebob · 09/09/2006 07:39

No problem - I promise not to rinse in front of you!

naswm · 09/09/2006 07:45

I'd like to see a moon cup at some point though - but preferably a clean unused one threebob - lol!!!!

FrannyandZooey · 09/09/2006 07:51

I used the disabled toilet the other day without children - I drink pints of water and the queue in the ladies was huge. Tbh it seemed daft not to - I knew I was only going to be 2 minutes. I would however have felt guilty had I found a disabled person waiting as I left.

About the mooncup - I am not sure if you were joking threebob, but you can always take a bottle of water into the cubicle with you, or just wipe with toilet paper until you can get to a sink.

Kif · 09/09/2006 08:13

I have a different take on this.

Disabled people are in the minority - and this is why businesses/architects etc. have traditionally been lazy about putting in good facilities to make their premises accessible and suitable for disabled people (disabled loos, but also ramps and lifts and wide doors).

I think if there is evidence that disabled toilets are being used, then it will encourage people to build more. If you look at it in terms of 'spending power' - it means that good disabled toilets are supported by the combined spending power of disabled people, and people with small children.

So long as you're not actively jumping in front of someone in a wheelchair - and you aren't the type of person who leaves toilets in a disgusting state - I really don't see who's losing out. When Dd was potty training, I'd use the disab;ed loos a lot - she found the arm rest gave her security. She's a different kind of 'mobility impaired' person!

What I do think is despicable, however, is able-bodied people using disabled parking spaces.

aaronsmummy · 09/09/2006 08:21

Where I live I have come across Mother & Child toilets - 1 big and 1 child size with plenty of room for a pushchair. Maybe there should be a lot more available then disabled toilets could just be specifically used by the disabled.

eidsvold · 09/09/2006 09:19

we are lucky here in Aus - a lot of places esp shopping centres - have parent rooms which have baby change facilities, cubicles for comfy breastfeeding in private ( if need be), facilities to heat milk and food for littlies AND a large toilet cubicle with adult size and child size toilet, sink and hand dryer. So much easier for people with buggies.

wheresmyfroggy · 09/09/2006 09:39

If dw or I are out alone with all 3 dds then we have two choices .......let dd1 wee herself or use a disabled cubicle , suppose there is a third option too which is to leave dd2 [16 months] and dd3 [three weeks] outside the toilets alone. Not really an option that either of us would choose.

Original poster
emkana · 09/09/2006 20:40

Wow, 110 messages...

OP posts:
misdee · 09/09/2006 20:42

what did u start eh em?

sorrell · 09/09/2006 20:42

Not wrong at all if you have small kids with you. Why would it be wrong? And what are you supposed to do with your children?

Original poster
emkana · 09/09/2006 20:42

It's not quite on the same level as the grape thread though, is it?

OP posts:
suedonim · 09/09/2006 22:25

Our M&S only has two ladies loos so the staff actively encourage people to use the disabled one to reduce the queue.

In any case, according to one small boy waiting with his mum, the disabled loo isn't actually that because the sign on it shows someone sitting on a giant potty therefore it's really for doing poos in!

mrs2shoes · 09/09/2006 22:49

oh bless not

onlyjoking9329 · 09/09/2006 22:55

i think i would be annoyed if i went to use the disabled toilet and it was being used by someone doing their make-up, we have a radar key but there aren't that many radar loos near us, i have three kids with autism, i can't leave any of them alone so i have to take them all in the loo, i often get dirty looks and comment when taking DS 9 in the ladies toilets/changing room but i have no choice.

Jimjams2 · 09/09/2006 22:57

OJ- what age did you start to get funny looks. I've just tranferred to disabled toilets most of the time with ds1 now he's 7. Still take him to ladies if for some reason the disabled is out of action, but always dread being challenged! Pool is OK because we only go to the disabled session (which is lucky as he looks under cubicles- or tries to- have to wrestle him to stop him )

mrs2shoes · 09/09/2006 23:00

oj how did you get a radar key as it is on my list of things todo.
unlike people with ablebodied nt children I can't change dd in a "normal " toilet and she is 11 so way too big for mother and baby
as for staring/funny looks the toilets are there for YOU to use

onlyjoking9329 · 09/09/2006 23:03

we have always had funny looks i guess they started when DS started licking floors!
well he is big for his age, i guess the toilet stares have happened for a couple of years, i did get a member of staff at swimming telling me he was too big to be in the ladies changing room, i try to use the family rooms but they are always so busy, dunno what i will do once he is a teenager

onlyjoking9329 · 09/09/2006 23:06

radar keys are available from local town council offices you just need to take blue badge, they are great toilets and unlike other toilets they are clean and not vandalized.

Nemo1977 · 09/09/2006 23:07

I used disabled toilet in tescos other day due to having dd with me in her pram. Agree if have 2 young children and nobody with me then its a case of needs must as couldnt leave them outside as only 2 and 8mths

Jimjams2 · 09/09/2006 23:14

I got a radar key from....???? I can't remember- online I think here I think . I've found it useful.

Glad its just not ds1 OJ- he lies flat on the floor and tries to look underneath- I think he's looking at the door (he has no interest in people) but it's embarrassing all the same!

onlyjoking9329 · 09/09/2006 23:20

DS has a thing about bums, if he sees one he will point & giggle whilst saying look at that big bottom it goes down well as you can imagine!

Polgara2 · 09/09/2006 23:20

If you have young children with you and there is no one waiting outside an empty disabled toilet, why on earth wouldn't you use it? Quite apart from the urgency issue, fitting more than one person in the normal cubicles is a bit like the how many people can you get in a phone box type of sketch!!!

mrs2shoes · 09/09/2006 23:28

thanks onlyjoking and jimjams I will get on to it have found them a godsend. when I went swimming a while back it made life so much easier using the disabled changing room as In the past have tried family changing rooms but just no where to put her.

Swipe left for the next trending thread