Is it okay to change a baby’s diaper at a table?

[chloelovesdisney]

Since you didn't read my post that was well past page one I'll post again how changing tables can harm someone. I worked at a very busy Starbucks in NYC. Before our remodel we had an infant changing table after or remodel we did not. The reasons were simple. When we had the changing table we found people doing hard drugs off of it on more than or occasion and on many nights would find a power that was not baby powder on it. Also people vandalize infant changing tables all the time and sometimes lead them to being unsafe. Parents don't always buckle their child into the changing table and they can and do fall off and get hurt. All of these things make the store and ultimately employees liable and our manager decided based on the drugs alone it wasn't worth it.

You wouldn't believe what goes on in the bathrooms of major city Starbucks. Drug uses I so bad in them that we are actually trained to look for needles in the trash and be aware of any suspicious amount of time spent in the bathroom. We are also trained how to deal with boldly fluids since it seems to be a quick get away for teenage couples.

The only thing your manager accomplished by removing the changing table was she forced the addicts to use the sink instead. Is she going to remove the sink next?

The Starbucks in my NYC neighborhood have changing tables, but we aren't overrun by addicts and vandals. If they remove them there are plenty of other coffee shops to go to.

 

[Pinup Mommy]

Since you didn't read my post that was well past page one I'll post again how changing tables can harm someone. I worked at a very busy Starbucks in NYC. Before our remodel we had an infant changing table after or remodel we did not. The reasons were simple. When we had the changing table we found people doing hard drugs off of it on more than or occasion and on many nights would find a power that was not baby powder on it. Also people vandalize infant changing tables all the time and sometimes lead them to being unsafe. Parents don't always buckle their child into the changing table and they can and do fall off and get hurt. All of these things make the store and ultimately employees liable and our manager decided based on the drugs alone it wasn't worth it.

You wouldn't believe what goes on in the bathrooms of major city Starbucks. Drug uses I so bad in them that we are actually trained to look for needles in the trash and be aware of any suspicious amount of time spent in the bathroom. We are also trained how to deal with boldly fluids since it seems to be a quick get away for teenage couples.

I would like to thank Starbucks for having the cleanest restrooms.

My job keeps me on the road a lot, I drive about 15,000 miles a year in the So-Cal area. While I was pregnant I had to pee a lot and always stopped in Starbucks, I could count on finding one within a 10 mile radius.

I never once noticed a changing table, but I did see cute high chairs... as an expectant mother I noticed these things.

Once I had my baby I did not care for those "baby ironing boards" that hung from the walls. They always looked so dirty, and who knows if the person before me cleaned their mess.

As a mommy I still give them my business, get my caffeine fix, buy treats for clients and gift cards.

 

[NHdisneylover]

You're exhausted. Go to bed.

At least I am reasonably polite even when tired

I have now had a full nights of sleep and enjoyed a few caffeinated beverages, re read your posts (and the thread as a whole) and still do not understand what your point is.

All I have got at all is that you are angry that anybody would dare to want to go anywhere that does not welcome kids--and that you think Americans (or American DISsers?) dislike kids more than other cultures

 

[Bob NC]

Pretty much covers it. Somehow I managed to raise a child in the 90's without having a changing table in every bathroom.

Times have changed. *Many* people of child bearing age now expect to have everything they want or need available to them whenever they want or need it.

 

[dansamy]

Times have changed. *Many* people of child bearing age now expect to have everything they want or need available to them whenever they want or need it.

I wonder who's fault that is?...

 

[kevschickee]

The only thing your manager accomplished by removing the changing table was she forced the addicts to use the sink instead. Is she going to remove the sink next?

The Starbucks in my NYC neighborhood have changing tables, but we aren't overrun by addicts and vandals. If they remove them there are plenty of other coffee shops to go to.

You would nit go to a restaurant because it doesn't have a changing table? Wow how the heck did I get by with my kids?

 

[NHdisneylover]

You would nit go to a restaurant because it doesn't have a changing table? Wow how the heck did I get by with my kids?

and that, my friends. is kind of the whole idea I applaud the poster for choosing not to go somewhere which does not offer what they want, instead of demanding that the place changes to meet their desires.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

You would nit go to a restaurant because it doesn't have a changing table? Wow how the heck did I get by with my kids?

I live in NYC, we walk to the restaurant and don't drive. As a courtesy I try to bring him in a carrier if it's close instead of a stroller (the restaurants are overrun with strollers during the day). So if they don't have a table then I'm stuck changing him on the floor. It's also easier on my back to use the table.

There are restaurants on every block. With so many choices, yes, I will go where I find it convenient. I live in a neighbhorhood with a gazillion kids (and dogs), so most places make it convenient. The few that don't I have no reason to go to.

Folks that are fine with changing their kid on the floor are free to go and spend their money there.

 

[kevschickee]

and that, my friends. is kind of the whole idea I applaud the poster for choosing not to go somewhere which does not offer what they want, instead of demanding that the place changes to meet their desires.

I understand where you are coming from but I just can't understand not going somewhere because they don't have a changing table.

 

[luvsJack]

Why? Where do you live? I know there are MANY childfree/child UNfriendly restaurants that thrive. I know many people (like myself) that have children and still enjoy a childfree meal every now and again. I can't imagine a non-family restaurant that has excellent food not doing well

Adding:

We all know that Palo and Victoria and Albert's don't do very well. NOBODY goes to _those_ restaurants WHAT!?! No children at WDW restaurants

I don't live in WDW so V&A has nothing to do with what I said. I didn't say I didn't think ANY child free restauarant would do well, I just said that one HERE wouldn't do well. They have tried, didn't have enough business to stay open.

Having excellent food will not help if you don't have the customer base. And here-in this area they don't have it; doesn't mean that base won't be there somewhere else.

I have no problem with anyone wanting a child free meal. Its not that I think that wanting that is wrong, I am just saying that HERE you may or may not get that as all the ones in this area allow children. They don't all cater to children---there are many that don't. They don't all advertise as a "family" place but there isn't one that doesn't allow children.


Keep in mind, that I certainly think that Starbucks was completely right and should have asked the couple to leave. They are in no way required to make changing diapers easy. If you drive there, use your car seat. If you walk, lay the stroller seat back and use it--outside, carry a blanket and/or a pad and change the child on the floor in the restroom. Changing one at the table should never be considered.

 

[Planogirl]

The only thing your manager accomplished by removing the changing table was she forced the addicts to use the sink instead. Is she going to remove the sink next?

The Starbucks in my NYC neighborhood have changing tables, but we aren't overrun by addicts and vandals. If they remove them there are plenty of other coffee shops to go to.

If it's the kind of drugs I'm thinking of, the druggies would want a flat surface. A free standing sink wouldn't have that so maybe that makes a difference?

 

[kevschickee]

If it's the kind of drugs I'm thinking of, the druggies would want a flat surface. A free standing sink wouldn't have that so maybe that makes a difference?

I agree. It's kind of hard to cut a line on a slanted sink.

 

[wilkeliza]

The only thing your manager accomplished by removing the changing table was she forced the addicts to use the sink instead. Is she going to remove the sink next?

The Starbucks in my NYC neighborhood have changing tables, but we aren't overrun by addicts and vandals. If they remove them there are plenty of other coffee shops to go to.

We removed the liability of a child getting hurt from a faulty changing table. Also if the druggies do it off the sink so be it because it typically gets washed down and the next person doesn't have direct contact with it for very long because the sink is used to wash hands. A changing table however not all parents wipe down the changing station and then their kids put their hands on it and then in their mouth and next thing they know their child has small amounts of drugs in their system. Doesn't happen often but enough to want to remove the risk.

Also I like in NYC and all 3 Starbucks locations I have worked for are in decent areas (two in Hell's Kitchen/Midtown and one in Kips Bay) and all of them have druggies come in late at night no matter how nice it was during the day. The moms who stop in would have no clue what had happened in those bathrooms the night before when we didn't close until 11pm or midnight.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

And this is why I always carry my own changing pad.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We removed the liability of a child getting hurt from a faulty changing table. Also if the druggies do it off the sink so be it because it typically gets washed down and the next person doesn't have direct contact with it for very long because the sink is used to wash hands. A changing table however not all parents wipe down the changing station and then their kids put their hands on it and then in their mouth and next thing they know their child has small amounts of drugs in their system. Doesn't happen often but enough to want to remove the risk.

Also I like in NYC and all 3 Starbucks locations I have worked for are in decent areas (two in Hell's Kitchen/Midtown and one in Kips Bay) and all of them have druggies come in late at night no matter how nice it was during the day. The moms who stop in would have no clue what had happened in those bathrooms the night before when we didn't close until 11pm or midnight.

I would hope the bathroom is cleaned each night.

 

[luvsJack]

We removed the liability of a child getting hurt from a faulty changing table. Also if the druggies do it off the sink so be it because it typically gets washed down and the next person doesn't have direct contact with it for very long because the sink is used to wash hands. A changing table however not all parents wipe down the changing station and then their kids put their hands on it and then in their mouth and next thing they know their child has small amounts of drugs in their system. Doesn't happen often but enough to want to remove the risk.

Also I like in NYC and all 3 Starbucks locations I have worked for are in decent areas (two in Hell's Kitchen/Midtown and one in Kips Bay) and all of them have druggies come in late at night no matter how nice it was during the day. The moms who stop in would have no clue what had happened in those bathrooms the night before when we didn't close until 11pm or midnight.

if it was removed to protect the children from the drug users, then it was a good choice. if it was removed to stop the drug use then it was pointless. If someone wants to use drugs in Starbucks then they are going to find a way.

I would hope that if there is a changing table in a bathroom, it would be cleaned by the staff at closing.

 

[stargazer2892]

As an employee of a local (lots of families) bar we don't have changing tables. Not because we don't WANT them its just our bathrooms are so small there's no where to put it. The only open space on a wall that is big enough is right behind the door or right in front of the sink. It sucks having to listen to parents complain that we don't have one but once we ask them to find a place on the wall to put it they understand and go next door or change them in the car.
As a parent it is frustrating but there is a reason that they make the changing mats that you can put anywhere and you have clean surface (as long as you clean it regularly of course) so yes I have changed my son on our bathroom floor on his mat when he was 3 days old. It was no different then changing him on a changing table, in fact it may have been cleaner since the floors get washed every day when who knows when the last time a lot of the changing tables have been cleaned.

 

[TDC Nala]

All the post has proved is that there are some persons who think it's OK to change a diaper on a dining table, including some who think the absence of a bathroom changing table gives parents the right to change a diaper on a dining table. Most don't like the idea of having exposed poop on a dining table. I don't either. I've seen it done in places where I know the staff doesn't always wipe the table between guests (WDW I'm looking at you). Guess it's time to start carrying a mini pack of Clorox wipes myself.

These parents didn't strike much of a blow for parents of infants everywhere when the dad threw a hissy fit and poured coffee on the floor.

 

[fairestoneofall]

We just spent a week in DC. I encountered several restrooms that didn't have changing tables. I either changed my son in his stroller or with him standing up. Because we rode the Metro into the city, I couldn't just go to the car to change him. There was one spot where I opted to walk up a block to a restroom with a changing table instead of changing him where we were eating lunch.

It's never appropriate to change a diaper at a table where people eat/drink. You can find a way to change your child elsewhere, even if it isn't the most convenient for you.

 

[luvsJack]

All the post has proved is that there are some persons who think it's OK to change a diaper on a dining table, including some who think the absence of a bathroom changing table gives parents the right to change a diaper on a dining table. Most don't like the idea of having exposed poop on a dining table. I don't either. I've seen it done in places where I know the staff doesn't always wipe the table between guests (WDW I'm looking at you). Guess it's time to start carrying a mini pack of Clorox wipes myself.

These parents didn't strike much of a blow for parents of infants everywhere when the dad threw a hissy fit and poured coffee on the floor.

I skimmed back and didn't find it; but did some REALLY say that they thought it was ok to change a diaper on a table??!!??