Babies Are Cute, But There’s Nothing Cute About Changing Dirty Diapers Anywhere Parents Want

Babies make a lot of us smile.

They are more adorable than any plush toys, and just seeing their happy faces and listening to their cute gurgles will certainly make your day. They are also so innocent that you instinctively want to protect a baby in your arms and shower it with love.

What is it about babies which adults want to avoid doing as much as possible? Changing diapers.

Photo: Pexels/Lisa Fotios

We know how unsightly and unsanitary a dirty diaper is; that’s why many public places have diaper-changing facilities in their restrooms. But this cafe has the misfortune of not having one, though not because they wanted to inconvenience customers with babies.

The Original Poster (OP) shared this incident on Reddit’s r/AmItheA–hole forum, and it resulted in a heated argument with a mother. With the username u/WilliamMedhurst, OP related these details: “So the building where the cafe that I work at is located in, was built in the 1750’s and is therefore a listed building. Because if that, we cannot knock down walls so we are tight on space. A consequence of that is that we only have enough space for one women’s toilet and one men’s toilet. No baby changing facilities in either. There is, however, a public toilet block no more than 50m away from our premises. It has multiple baby changing facilities, in both the female and male toilet blocks.”

Photo: Pexels/Eman Genatilan

One day, according to OP, a family walked into the cafe to dine. However, during the course of their meal, one of the babies apparently soiled its diaper. The mother got up and asked OP if they had a diaper-changing facility. Feeling obliged to say no, OP informed the mother that there were public toilets near the cafe with complete facilities in both women’s and men’s toilet.

To OP’s surprise, the woman shrugged off the suggestion and set off to change her baby’s diaper on a chair in front of her.

OP wrote about what happened next: “I told her that we cannot allow that, as it’s disturbing the other customers and that it really isn’t sanitary, especially as we have fresh pastries and cakes on display. She went ballistic, saying that it’s the law that we need to let her change her child wherever she wants if we are unwilling to provide her with suitable changing facilities.”

Photo: Pexels/William Fortunato

In reply, OP told her that she could call the police if she wanted to. Again, the mother was informed about the public toilets, where she could change her baby’s diaper. In a rage, the family left the cafe while leaving OP with dagger looks, as if OP was some sexist bigot.

“So… AITA?” OP asked the AITA community.

Well, many understood OP’s situation and didn’t think they were an a–hole. In fact, they found the mother’s attempt to change diapers in a cafe where there were other diners rather sickening.

One Reddit user commented, “NTA. Sorry lady, but that’s gross… it’s like the equivalent of wiping your own a-s in the middle of the restaurant. I know that it’s hard as a parent sometimes when buildings and places don’t have convenient areas to tend to your child, but you pointed out to her the facility she could have easily used.”

Another Redditor remarked, “NTA, maybe they shouldn’t go to restaurants that don’t have changing areas if she’s gonna be such a confidently incorrect entitled AH about it.”

Photo: Pexels/Liza Summer

Meawhile, this commenter could not hold back from calling out the incensed mother, “I swear, the entitlement of some parents these days is just jaw-dropping. How can you think it’s OK to change your baby in the middle of a restaurant?? There is FOOD around, and no one wants to see that shit anyways. Besides, what was she going to do with the dirty nappy? Leave it on the table for tHe WoRkErS to clean up? Deplorable.”

Likewise, this individual felt like throwing up while recalling a similar experience: “I was sitting in the little eating section at a Target store in Brooklyn – they have a Pizza Hut & a Starbucks – and at the table next to me a couple literally plopped their baby ON THE TABLE and changed her poopy diaper. With a bathroom & changing table no more than 10 feet away. I yelled, the staff yelled, other people yelled. And they left the open, dirty diaper. 🤢”

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