misuse of baby changing room

[Ai li]

What should I do when seeing a couple walk out from the baby changing room without any baby after a long wait.

The first time I encountered was in IFC about 3years ago. I reported it immediately to the customer service. All they did was just took down my name and contact number and asked me about the time that I saw it happned. And thats it!!??

I have encountered 3 times in 3 years. The very last time, I questioned the couple while they were walking out. '' What are you gals doing inside the BB room without any BB or child''. The couple just ignored me and walked straight without turning their heads back at all. I suppose they were guilty about it.

Anyway, what would you do if you were me? Any advice?

 

[thanka2]

I'm rarely in a place that has this type of room so I just do my breastfeeding out in the open with a breastfeeding shawl. If someone was taking a long time in the baby room, I would do the same thing I　would do if someone was taking a long time in the toilette and there was a line--I would make a nuisance of myself and knock on the door until someone answered. 　If they didn't have a baby, I would give them the 'what for' in a very direct way and tell them that I'm going to report them to the management. That's how I do things--not the style for everyone--but I just got tired of this sort of rudeness being overlooked.

 

[Newbie_hk]

"I just got tired of this rudeness being overlooked".

Amen to that Thanka2. I would do the same. I'm not a confrontational person but when people are inconsiderate, they deserve to be told off.

 

[mummymoo]

This is a post that resonates with me. I was so frustrated.

I've had a problem with the IFC baby changing rooms recently in the last 6 months 3 times in all. Either couples would come out together with no baby, and once it was a Chinese guy who came out first and the lady who followed him afterwards was SE Asian. Then one time after we left the baby changing room, there was a couple with no baby along who popped into the room immediately after us. It only ever happens on the 2nd floor of the IFC, I've never had a problem on the ground floor. I reported it once to the management staff who was in the vicinity but they did not take down my details and I think didn't understand what I was saying (or pretended not to). It's disgusting that a baby changing room is used for these sorts of inappropriate business.

Another aside, I have had issues where people have banged on the door when I have been pumping in the rooms (and yes, its true, my milk let down is very slow -45 minutes to completely empty), and I have always replied with a time when I would be done. I think the system that occurs in some of the clubs where there is an area where you can draw a shower curtain like thing to feed works ALOT better as people won't get up to these sorts of activities at the expense of others.

Not much I can advise but here to commiserate.......

 

[zzsp23]

Pretend to take a photo of them walking out
On second thoughts, that could be a bit too antagonistic...

 

[thanka2]

Pretend to take a photo of them walking out
On second thoughts, that could be a bit too antagonistic...

Antagonistic? If it were me, the point would not be to antagonize anyone, the point is to educate people. In the same way that people who are not disabled who use disabled parking places (not that they exist in HK but...) or disabled stalls in the bathroom should be taught that it's not okay, people who inappropriately use what is designed for mothers and babies in HK should be educated and nothing like being embarassed to help people remember... Should be a "wall of shame" of people who misuse facilties in my opinion.

 

[zzsp23]

I have no problem with a wall of shame, just thinking that the two walking out could get aggressive/nasty about it though, which could be quite perilous for the one holding the camera!!
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[ssheng]

I hope I'm not reading too much into this, but is the implication that couples were using nursing/changing rooms for 'intimate' activity?! Or are there toilet facilities in the baby rooms that they are using to cut in line or have more privacy in?

On a separate note, once I was in a nursing room with my first newborn and saw what I thought was a prophylactic device in the sink. I was horrified, but a few months later learned that there are bottle liners that look, when crumpled up, similar. Lol.

 

[mummymoo]

ssheng - that is EXACTLY what we are talking about! At the IFC there are no toilet facilities. It is a room, there is a chair to sit in as you feed, some wet wipes in a box (usually empty) and a sink and trash can, and the room can be locked.

Two of the couples I saw, one going in and one on the way out were clearly not together - it seemed like it was a PAID transaction (purely speculative....but one couple left separately, and the couple coming in, the lady came in first and the guy who was ALOT older than her was standing some ways away, hurried on in once we had left, different nationalities, so unlikely to be her dad helping her to pump or however dads may help in this situation) but the other 2 couples were together (holding hands on the way out, chatting).

Yes, it does put you off using the rooms, but where else can you go to feed/pump? I know some people are okay with feeding in restaurants with a shawl and I've even done it a few times, but frankly I'm more comfortable in a private room, where I can make sure I'm relaxed, I can check that babes hasn't fallen off the breast, I don't have people looking and pointing at me.

 

[thanka2]

I have no problem with a wall of shame, just thinking that the two walking out could get aggressive/nasty about it though, which could be quite perilous for the one holding the camera!!
Posted via Mobile Device

Oh, that wouldn't be too much of a problem for me as I know how to fight back and there is mall security afterall if something truly terrible goes down. In my experience, when people in HK are confronted with things like this they kind of slink away.