A man in the women's dressing room...what would you do?

[belle&beast]

Last week I was shopping at T.J. Maxx- looking for a summer dress, so I stripped down to my bra and panties when I heard a man's voice in the dressing room. I looked over the top of my door and lo and behold there was a man in the women's dressing room. I immediately got dressed and looked to see if I had mistakenly gone into the men's side, but I was in the right place. I needed a dress, so I went back to try it on and I heard a young girl calling "Daddy, come here." Again the same man came into the dressing room and was talking to his daughter.

He was not interested in what I was doing, but I have to say I was very uncomfortable with him coming in and out of the dressing room. The girl was trying on swimsuits and was probably about 10 years old. She was in the very first dressing room and he came in twice while I was there and she was still trying things on when I left.

I told the dressing room attendant (a young girl about 16 years old) that there was a man in the women's dressing room and she replied that he was shopping with his daughter. I told her that I was very uncomfortable with a man coming into the dressing room, but she just shrugged me off. I didn't go to the manager, but as I think about it more, I think I should have. What would you do?

 

[fan_of_small_world]

Personally, if he was with a young daughter, it wouldn't have bothered me one little bit.

If he was in there alone, well, that's a whole different issue!

BTW, anyone taking bets on how long this thread makes it?

 

[kaw1218]

Personally, if he was with a young daughter, it wouldn't have bothered me one little bit.

If he was in there alone, well, that's a whole different issue!

BTW, anyone taking bets on how long this thread makes it?

I agree. He wasn't going further than the first room, right? and he was with a younger girl? Nope, wouldn't have bothered me either.

 

[lulugirl]

Wouldn't have given it a second thought.

 

[Virgo10]

Nope. Wouldn't bother me at all. Maybe he's a single parent due to divorce or even the death of his wife.

A guy in the ladies dressing room with his child minding his own business is small potatoes as things go.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I used to be a fitting room attendant. It's a tricky situation when a mother is shopping with her son, or a father is shopping with his daughter. What we used to do was give the parent two options: 1.) Let your son/daughter go in alone and come out to show you, 2.) If unoccupied, allow you to accompany your child in the appropriate fitting room of the child until someone else of the appropriate gender needs to use the fitting room, at which time you will have to leave your child alone and stand outside of the fitting room.

I wouldn't worry about it. I am sure this man just wanted to make sure his daughter got the right size, and most kids (and adults!) don't feel comfortable walking out of the fitting room in a bathing suit. I'd just shrug it off if it was me. The man obviously was there for a reason, for his daughter, not to peep on women.

 

[dmslush]

I have to say that I am glad that he was comfortable enough to be helping his daughter.. you never know what is going on behind the scenes. What if he is a single parent, who else is there to go with his daughter?

Look at it this way, you were in a dressing room, correct (because you said that you had to look OVER the door to see him). He couldn't see your body, he was making no attempts to come near you, why should you be uncomfortable?

 

[lillielil]

It wouldn't have bothered me at all. I think it's nice that he was helping his daughter shop.


Then again, I've been known to use the men's room if the line for the ladies' is too long...

 

[Cantw8]

It wouldn't have bothered me at all

 

[thewishfire]

That wouldn't have bothered me one bit. He was helping his daughter. If he was just standing there alone it would have been different.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Wouldn't bother me a bit. I use unisex dressing rooms all the time at the Gap and Old Navy.

 

[belle&beast]

Personally, if he was with a young daughter, it wouldn't have bothered me one little bit.

If he was in there alone, well, that's a whole different issue!

BTW, anyone taking bets on how long this thread makes it?

I am not trying to cause trouble, just looking for opinions.

I think the surprise of it made me uncomfortable. And I think if I were reading this post, I would feel like it was no big deal, but when I was the half naked woman in the dressing room with a strange man, it was a different story.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

It would unsettle me, too, but as long as I couldn't be seen over the door, I'd get over it.

 

[fan_of_small_world]

I am not trying to cause trouble, just looking for opinions.

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to imply that you were stirring the pot! I've just seem some threads (and posted on a few) that got quite heated about similar situations.

 

[CJBaby]

Sorry, but with your specific facts I agree with everyone else here. If he's anything like men in general, he wanted to be there even less than you wanted him to.

And I have to say that the rest of you have me actually feeling so sad for this guy, even if all of those scenarios are imagined!

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

No big deal!

I go with my son into the boys dressing room.

 

[lovemygoofy]

Have you ever tried on clothes at some of the Old Navy's? They have a big unisex dressing room at one of the stores in Nashville. It's a bit odd to hear a man's voice besides you while trying on your dress but honestly I don't think anything about anything anymore. I probably wouldn't be suprised to hear a man's voice in the ladies room.

 

[JadenLayne]

I would have been a little proud of him for helping his daughter. I think it's wonderful. It wouldn't make me uncomfortable.

 

[belle&beast]

I have to say that I am glad that he was comfortable enough to be helping his daughter.. you never know what is going on behind the scenes. What if he is a single parent, who else is there to go with his daughter?
This is exactly what I thought, too, and I love to see dads out with their kids, but the dressing room was a little too close for me.
Look at it this way, you were in a dressing room, correct (because you said that you had to look OVER the door to see him). He couldn't see your body, he was making no attempts to come near you, why should you be uncomfortable?

Had he turned around, he could have seen it all. The doors are not very tall and he was quite a head above the rest.

Wouldn't bother me a bit. I use unisex dressing rooms all the time at the Gap and Old Navy.

These doors were not as big as unisex dressing rooms.

I think there should be a policy for opposite sex parents shopping with kids. I am not a prude and I think its great the dad was shopping with his daughter, whatever the circumstance might be. I was just taken by surprise.

 

[Missy1961]

I would have been surprised at first. But since he was only coming in to check on his daughter, and not hanging in the room I think I would have been OK with it.