expectant mother toilet access

[mummymoolie]

I am 8 months pregnant and was desperate for the toilet. I asked the manager of the cafe where I buy my breakfast every morning whether I could use his toilet. He flatly refused and was very rude, even though I begged him and was almost in tears. What is the law on letting heavily pregnant women use your toilet ?

[bednobs]

is it a toilet for customers or his own private toilet?
If its his own they why should he let you use it? Being pregnant has no bearing on it i'm sure. If someone rocked up at your door and asked to use your "facilities" would you think it a cheek?

[mummy_Heth21]

Am really not sure that there is any law on it. cant find anything about it, but the manager not letting you use the toilet especially when you buy your food there is just down right rude, and i wouldnt go back there again out of principal. maybe his loo was too unhygienic for you to use?

From having had two kids myself i know exactly what its like to despertaly need to go and nowhere to go.

I heard from somewhere that if your out in the street and your pregnant and a policeman walks by you can wee in his hat?? lol goodness knows where i heard that. wouldnt fancy trying it though

[daffy654]

I don't know if there is a law that covers this but if the cafe has more than 15 seats they must have a toilet for customer use anyway,If this one doesn't then it is breaking the law.

[innocenti]

But the possibility is that the shop is not insured for members of the public. Supposed you had tripped whilst on the way to the toilet and decided to sue. I know from my exprience of being pregnant that when you need to go, you REALLY need to go, but because of the sue sue sue culture we now live in I can understand why he refused.

[DONNAKEBABUK]

I had a similar problem once but I had already had my baby. I used a cafe quite a lot and always sat at the back due to the pram, thus giving access to customers at the front. I once changed my babies nappy in the loo and the owner went mad (even though I'd wrapped up the nappy and taken it with me).

It IS a cheek and I wouldnt go back in that cafe. In fact I would report the owner to the environmental health for dirty toilets just on principal. lol.

Regards.

Kate. Lancashire.

[Hermia]

We are not allowed to let customers use the staff toilets where we work because of insurance too. Part of the reason is that you have to go through the staff room and past an office which contains confidential documents to get to the staff loo. We once let a woman use the loo because she said she had a bowel condition and we then found her rummaging through the pockets of the staff's coats!

[mummymoolie]

Interestingly enough , I have contacted the customer services team of the chain involved and they have confirmed that legally they have to let a pregnant woman use the toilet, even if its not for customer use. Anyone who has ever had an enormous baby squashing their bladder will probably understand why. So , I'm very happy , I've had my apology and now know my rights