Bathroom Line Etiquette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at an orchard over the weekend where there was one bathroom (2nd was out of order) and a few port-a-potties about 20 feet away from the main building. I was in line with my 2-year old (currently potty training) and 6 year old. A woman (maybe 50s) was behind us and kept talking about how she had to go and it was an emergency. The woman behind us let her in front of her, but I did not (my potty training two year old kept saying she had to go potty, as did my 6 year old). They (the kids) weren't making a big scene, but I knew they had to go. As we were waiting, the woman with the emergency kept talking to me about how badly she had to go. I said, I understand, so do my kids, but she wouldn't let it rest. She pointed out that my two-year-old could go in a diaper, I said she was potty training, but it seemed to lay on deaf ears. I did point out that there were port-a-potties a stones throw away with no line and she made a face. The solo bathroom opened, the three of us went in (me plus 2 kids) and we went as fast as we could. Was I wrong to not let the woman in front of me? Yes, technically my daughter could have gone in her diaper, but we're really trying to encourage potty-training. If it was a true emergency, the woman could have feasibly gone to the port-a-potty.

You did well.

Small kids before adults, especially if you are ahead in the line anyway.

[Anonymous]

She could have gone to the porta potty. I don’t think you were wrong OP.

[Anonymous]

OP here. 2 year old was not in an actual diaper, but in a cloth pull up (that does leak, just slowly). I believe the woman assumed she was wearing a diaper. She did not ask to go in front of me, she just mentioned that she had to go after a long ride. (yes, I get it, so did we!). The woman was standing and chatting with the other woman when we got out, was not in distress. I believe that humans can tell when someone is in distress, and if she was I would have let her go. She just clearly had to pee, but so did we and if it weren't for the 2 year old I would have taken the 6yo to the port-a-potty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An adult who's desperate enough to make this kind of scene would deserve to go to the head of the line IMO. Nobody wants to be that person, so it must have been serious.

OP, you were the offender here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You were WAY in the wrong OP. Come on. You are not really potty training in any serious fashion if your child is WEARING A DIAPER. This does not constitute a potty training emergency.

+1

A true potty training emergency is when the child has no diaper and is clutching themselves in need.

You should have let the woman go. You are not really potty training if your child is in a diaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 2 year old was not in an actual diaper, but in a cloth pull up (that does leak, just slowly). I believe the woman assumed she was wearing a diaper. She did not ask to go in front of me, she just mentioned that she had to go after a long ride. (yes, I get it, so did we!). The woman was standing and chatting with the other woman when we got out, was not in distress. I believe that humans can tell when someone is in distress, and if she was I would have let her go. She just clearly had to pee, but so did we and if it weren't for the 2 year old I would have taken the 6yo to the port-a-potty.

OP, you were fine. She was fine. Don’t worry about it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 2 year old was not in an actual diaper, but in a cloth pull up (that does leak, just slowly). I believe the woman assumed she was wearing a diaper. She did not ask to go in front of me, she just mentioned that she had to go after a long ride. (yes, I get it, so did we!). The woman was standing and chatting with the other woman when we got out, was not in distress. I believe that humans can tell when someone is in distress, and if she was I would have let her go. She just clearly had to pee, but so did we and if it weren't for the 2 year old I would have taken the 6yo to the port-a-potty.

Then why did you even make an initial posting on DCUM about it?? I’m confused.

[Anonymous]

Bad karma OP. Like most PPs said, the woman obviously had an issue if she was willing to create the scene regarding going to the bathroom. No grown woman dances around wanting to go to the bathroom unless they have medical issues they cannot control (or if they have a full bladder while waiting to do a pelvic ultrasound)

I had a medical issue one time and I thought would shit my pants in the 20 min it took to drive myself home. I saw a doctor immediately, had MRI of the spine to rule out sciatica. The neurosurgeon told me that if I ever actually lost control of my bodily functions, it was an emergency and I needed to go to the hospital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Between a 50 year old woman wetting her pants and a toddler wetting pants, the woman gets to go first. No contest. This isn't hard. You have had children, so I guarantee this will be you someday.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. 2 year old was not in an actual diaper, but in a cloth pull up (that does leak, just slowly). I believe the woman assumed she was wearing a diaper. She did not ask to go in front of me, she just mentioned that she had to go after a long ride. (yes, I get it, so did we!). The woman was standing and chatting with the other woman when we got out, was not in distress. I believe that humans can tell when someone is in distress, and if she was I would have let her go. She just clearly had to pee, but so did we and if it weren't for the 2 year old I would have taken the 6yo to the port-a-potty.

Then why did you even make an initial posting on DCUM about it?? I’m confused.

Because it felt ridiculous that she kept talking about how badly she had to pee. If she had to go that bad, she could have gone to a port-a-potty. It was like she wanted to cut in line, but wouldn't ask to cut in line. I found it very odd to do when there were clearly children in front of you that also had to go. It felt like she was trying to guilt me into letting her in front of us, even though she had other options without actually explicitly asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She could have gone to the porta potty. I don’t think you were wrong OP.

Says the youngster who hasn't yet learned what a weak pelvic floor can do to a woman. You cannot laugh, jump, stand up quickly, or run across a field to a Port a Potty without peeing. And don't even think about a trampoline.

Adults first in this scenario every time. BTW: I bet OP had a change of clothes for her potty trainer. I'm 100% sure the adult woman did not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She could have gone to the porta potty. I don’t think you were wrong OP.

Says the youngster who hasn't yet learned what a weak pelvic floor can do to a woman. You cannot laugh, jump, stand up quickly, or run across a field to a Port a Potty without peeing. And don't even think about a trampoline.

Adults first in this scenario every time. BTW: I bet OP had a change of clothes for her potty trainer. I'm 100% sure the adult woman did not.

+1 OP was utterly in the wrong. She knows it and that’s why she posted. Trying to gain sympathy Bc she feels bad, as she should.

[Anonymous]

I would not have let the woman in front of me. She is an adult who can plan ahead better than my preschoolers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She could have gone to the porta potty. I don’t think you were wrong OP.

Says the youngster who hasn't yet learned what a weak pelvic floor can do to a woman. You cannot laugh, jump, stand up quickly, or run across a field to a Port a Potty without peeing. And don't even think about a trampoline.

Adults first in this scenario every time. BTW: I bet OP had a change of clothes for her potty trainer. I'm 100% sure the adult woman did not.

+1 OP was utterly in the wrong. She knows it and that’s why she posted. Trying to gain sympathy Bc she feels bad, as she should.

OP here and I do not feel bad. I actually found it ridiculous that a grown woman would act that way and tried to make me feel guilty for not letting her go without actually asking. If you need something, then ask directly and if you don't, then don't comment about it. Regardless of how bad I had to go I would never suggest that a woman with two children wait longer for me. If the woman had some sort of issue you would think that 1) she was wearing some sort of depends 2) she did have a change of clothes because this is a frequent occurrence or 3) she could just ask to go first.

[Anonymous]

Yeah OP I wouldn't expect you to know it yet, but as one gets older, we can experience all kinds of problems we didn't before. I occasionally experience irritable bowel, like I am gonna sh*t myself if I don't get to a bathroom NOW. Plus incompetent bladder problems. Maybe she was afraid to try to make it to the port o lets. Or maybe like me she has to wipe and wipe and wipe and wipe after #2 due to the changes in my bottom from child birth. Sometimes there's no paper in port o lets. Never mind washing your hands. Which you have to do after you wipe and wipe and wipe and wipe.

I think in the future we all should agree to let the old folks go if they make a fuss.