How would you react if…?
My husband and I were on our way home when we stopped at a roadside shop. Our son, still in diapers, needed to be changed, and while I put on my shoes, my husband took care of the baby in the front seat. Before he was finished, a woman came out to the parking lot & started to question if we were going to "patronize" I use her words, the shop. Long story short, There was a cover charge and we were not allowed to change the diaper here.
Excuse me, but I was so put off by this woman’s hostiliy, that I told my husband to put the boy back in his seat & we would go! She even screamed to get off her land! I had my cell phone and I thought about calling 911 she was so hostile.
We stopped because we were interested but the attitude we received almost ruined our entire day!
Is there some way I can warn other people about stopping at that shop?
7 Responses
flashdrive75
09 Feb 2010
Kristin H
09 Feb 2010
Sadly the rude lady has the right to tell you to leave. Of course there’s nothing stoping you from "word of mouth" either! Tell everyone you know how rude she was to you. Word spreads fast.
Sammie’s M
09 Feb 2010
Well, you could post the name and location here, or blog it on Yahoo 360 or anywhere else you can think of… but that probably won’t hit your target audience. Perhaps a letter to the editor of the local paper describing your experience or to the local Chamber of Commerce of the nearest town might get the proprietor’s attention. It sounds like her behavior was simply uncalled for.
boughtstuffoneba
09 Feb 2010
email your friends about it, and tell them to forward it to all their friends.
califgypsy
09 Feb 2010
Depends on where it is, sounds like you where in a pretty ritzy shitzy area for a store owner to shoo you away. Many public restrooms do have changing tables for infants nowadays. I suppose I’d be rather discusted if someone bared their babies butt’s in front of my shop too, but i don’t think I’d handle it that way. Keep your dignity and learn from errors. Change your baby in the appropriate facility next time, her hostility may have been uncalled for but your consideration would obviously have been better served here.
typicalnotme
09 Feb 2010
If parking was limited and you were not planning to shop there I would not have stopped. She should have waited to see if you were going to shop at her store. However how long does it take to change a diaper even if you were not going to shop. This kind of attitude would have made me decide not to go in the store even if I was planning to.
jon67cj5
09 Feb 2010
I agree with flashdrive75, however there are people who either do not have babies and do not share your needs to change the baby on their premises.
You cannot expect to force your needs on others. You have a baby because it was most likely your choice, but not one of others around you. Thinking of calling 911 would probably not get your baby changed and the shop has no compelling need to accommodate you. Chapter VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was revised in 1995 to cover women who are pregnant. The law does not provide for services after birth.
Your 911 call might have provided you with medical attention, but would not have provided you with a diaper changing room. If you were on private property; it would not give you any rights to change diapers. I do understand your situation, however there is no law in effect to allow you to change a baby’s diaper anywhere except on your own property or a state or federal designated space by a vendor.
There’s probably nothing you can do about it except warn people that you know not to stop there.