Family Restrooms Are For Families Only
For those people who have been places with children and have had someone in the family needing to use the bathoom, former Major Leaguer Preston Wilson said what finally needed to be said:
I don’t know who needs to hear this but if you aren’t traveling with children don’t use the family bathrooms in airports. It makes you a bad person.
— Preston Wilson (@PrestonWilson44) August 19, 2019
This reminded me of an “incident” I recently had at Citi Field. To be fair, to call it an incident is probably overstating the case, but as a parent, I did assert my rights to use the designated family restroom with a family.
To put things in perspective, I have over an hour drive to get to the ballpark. After that, there is the process of putting sunscreen on the kids and then waiting on lines to enter the ballpark. After going up the escalator, the first thing my five year old tells me is he has to go to the bathroom. Honestly, at that point, who doesn’t?
In addition to my son having to use the bathroom, I have to change a baby’s diaper. That’s now two people who have to use the bathroom and a toddler who needs his diaper changed. This is the EXACT scenario why family restrooms exist. Of course, based on my personal experience, I have yet to come across a vacant family restroom at Citi Field.
That was until a few weeks ago. In this particular moment, the heaven’s seemed to open, and someone departed the family restroom just as I was walking towards it. With the family in tow, I made my way in as a group of adults stopped to alert me there was a line.
Again, a group of adults. No children in sight. They wanted to stop a family from using the . . . wait for it . . . family restroom.
With myself standing in the door frame, I politely asked if they had children who needed to use the restroom or had a baby who needed a diaper change. When they predictably said they didn’t, I told them they could wait and closed the door.
What is beyond stupid was there needed to be this exchange. It’s one thing to use the family restroom when no one is present. However, for the life of me, I cannot fathom the level of self entitlement involved in telling a family they need to wait so an adult can use a bathroom not designated for them.
These bathroms exist so parents can use the bathroom while keeping their children in a confined space where they don’t have to worry about them. These bathrooms exist to provide families with the space and privacy needed. They exist because if a child has an accident, you can change your child without them having to stand stark naked in the middle of a men’s or women’s room. It allows you to take care of multiple children at the same time without commotion.
These bathrooms are not for adults who like to do number two in a less used bathroom. They’re not there for adults convenience. These bathrooms aren’t for the public at large. They’re for people who actually need them. This is why Preston Wilson is 100% right saying those who use them are bad people.
I agree 100%. I experienced a similar scenario, parents with children were forming a line for the family restroom. We waited literally 10 minutes then the door swings opens and out of the family restroom walks a Citi Field concessions employee. Needless to stay, all the parents on the line gave the person a cold stare.
That’s not okay
When will Mickey stop giving away outs with position players bunting? Today was the most egregious with two on and no out and he had Davis, who has been one of the teams best hitters on deck and he went to Guillorme to bunt and he only got lucky with the wild pitch otherwise they wouldn’t even tie it up. Mickey pretty much took the bat out Davis hands and maybe Ramos hands too. Could Mickey you know not pitch Familia everyday? Please? What was going through his head when he brought Familia, who has a bb rate of around 7 to face Hoskins, who is a walk machine? Was Brach who dominates right handed batters and better than Familia simply not available or something? Mickey never stops fucking up and you know Gelbs and Couthino won’t ask Mickey tough questions. Mickey is the worst and continues to lose the team winnable games and the worst thing is if the team finishes over .500 he’ll be back.
You are not thinking about an adult with a disability who needs assistance and is traveling with their spouse. My wife had hip replacement surgery recently and must use a walker. She is restricted in her movement so that she does not damage or dislocate the prosthetic hip joint, and needs my assistance to utilize the facilities. We are NOT “bad people” and we WILL continue to use family restrooms until she has recovered from her surgery.
That is using it as a family restroom, and no one is accusing you of being a bad person for using it for that purpose.
Um, I’m an adult in a wheelchair. Family restrooms are THE ONLY place I can “go” in public because I need assistance on and off the pot. You don’t like it? Tough!
Then the bathroom is also for you.
My issue was with people who didn’t need them just using it.