Inside the family restroom: Feedback requested

Last weekend:

In the mall's large family restroom, there are three people adults: Man 1, Woman 1 (his wife) and Man 2.

Man 1 is standing with the stroller. Woman 1 is behind a curtain.

Man 2 walks in, sees the table where one would probably change a child is a bit wet, so he goes to see if there are more changing tables behind the curtain, which is unmarked.

Woman 1 is nursing behind said curtain. Man 2 quickly averts his eyes, apologizes, says he's never been in one of these before and heads back to change the child by the damp table.

Woman 1 is furious. She asks Man 1, "Aren't you going to say anything?" Man 1 says "I thought he was going to go to the bathroom."

Woman 1 finishes up around the same time Man 2 is putting child's clothes back on. She is whipping the curtain around in such a way that makes it clear that she is angry. Man 1 does not say anything. Man 2 does not look. It is clear he prefers that this be the end of it. Man 2 walks out.

The Questions:
• Were the reactions of Man 1, Man 2 and Woman 1 appropriate?
• Does Woman 1 have a legitimate beef with either Man 1 or Man 2?

 

OK, good. Judging by 'weaver's response, I've made this post "point of view neutral."

That's what I want, honest, unbiased responses, though why you'd be biased about someone you don't know and who's made one post would be a fair question, too.

Carry on ...

 

Um, you meant to register to post at daddydaycare.com. Guess you hit the wrong bookmark.

 

Meanwhile, Kid 1, slurping on the teat of bitchiness, shat himself.

 

Woman 1 is a shrew who needs counseling.

 

Meanwhile, Guy 2 who pulls the curtain open and sees baby sucking on one teet should've asked the woman if he can take a slurp from the other teet.

 

This sounds like one of those Car Talk quizzers.

First, Man 2 did nothing wrong. Perhaps he shouldn't have pulled back the curtain, but if he's never been in one of those restrooms before, he probably thought it was like the men's room, where you push back the toilet stall door to see if someone is indeed in there.

Second, and I say this as a man who knows nothing about being in a nursing situation, it sounds to me like Woman 1 is overreacting somewhat toward Man 2 and Man 1. She's being passive-aggressive and won't say anything to Man 2, because she expects her husband (Man 1) to be her knight in shining armor and give Man 2 a good what-for. I also suspect that Woman 1 and Man 1 have had this argument before. Also, it's clear she's a first-time mother (because her reaction tells me she has not become familiar and comfortable with nursing, at least not enough to know that these accidents sometimes happen). Thus, why she flipped out. Once Man 2 apologized, she should have said, "That's OK, I know you didn't mean it," and left it at that, as far as Man 2 is concerned.

But Man 1 is not off the hook. Once Man 2 approached the curtain, he should have said at that point, "Oh, excuse me, my wife is in there." I presume he, like many of us men, was not paying attention (another argument Man 1 and Woman 1 probably have had before). Also, I would think Woman 1 had asked Man 1 to be in the room for the expressed purpose of warning people she was nursing behind the curtain. Otherwise, why should he be in the room, too? (Perhaps she didn't want to touch a bathroom door to open it while holding a child, or hasn't figured out how to do that yet. But otherwise, he serves no purpose in there.) So when Man 2 opened the curtain, Man 1 had failed in his duty. So Man 1 deserved to a lashing for screwing up. However, Woman 1 should have waited until they were out of the bathroom, and away from Man 2, perhaps even told Man 1 that "we'll talk about this later," but not jumped on him right there in front of everyone else. Man 2 did nothing wrong - there's no sense in embarrassing everyone around you (including yourself) by going off like that. But Man 1 deserved some heat.

If some of my assumptions are incorrect, please let me know. I'm just reading in based on the information I'm given.

 

I think this is reason enough to stay the fuck out of unisex restrooms.

 

Stars with B, ends with S and there's a big oot in the middle?

 

This is why I pee in the parking lot behind Sears.

 

Her back teat was her front teat, and it was a good teat.