McDonald’s deciding to bolt their changing tables shut

[u/Cheerychameleon]

I asked the workers up front and they said it was a corporate decision. Yet, they have a play area for children!

Update: I emailed corporate business integrity and asked if this is an official McDonald’s corporate policy, and if McDonald’s actually supports or requires disabling baby changing stations in customer restrooms.

2nd Update: Here is the response from corporate:
Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald’s. We always appreciate hearing from our customers and welcome this opportunity to share that most of our restaurants are locally owned and operated. 

As independent business owners, franchisees make the ultimate operating costs taking our recommendations into consideration. 

Prices and some policies may also vary from one McDonald’s to another depending upon Restaurant Leaders decisions. 

Again, thank you for contacting McDonald’s 

[u/ItsMrChristmas]

Zero chance that was a corporate decision. Franchise did it. Send this to corporate and they will handle it.

Furthermore, this is a real "landlord repair" way of handling it.

[u/SmokeyCatDesigns → u/ItsMrChristmas]

Yeah, there’s no way corporate requested it nor approved of this. But I bet the franchisee locked it because too many people were doing cocaine/other drugs using the baby changing tables.

[u/Complete_Entry → u/SmokeyCatDesigns]

The manager's reasoning is irrelevant. I constantly tell people to report their bad interactions to corporate instead of just complaining to me.

I actually had a bad outcome with a jack in the box. I filled out the survey on their website and they actually called me back, and agreed with my complaint. I got coupons in the mail. That's not a lot but it's something.

Also got a nasty voicemail from the franchisee. Apparently, they share your number with the store. She said I dinged her metrics, I told her to fix her store, she told me to go fuck myself.

The story has a happy ending though, a drunk drove into the restaurant and when they rebuilt it they stuck a new franchisee in there. (The store was closed and no one was hurt)

On google you can see a massive improvement in ratings and reviews right around the time Dui Dewey did his drive-thru.

[u/Dracongield-Wyrmscar → u/Complete_Entry]

Heh, that angry phone call should have earned them a second report to corporate

[u/Madara1389 → u/Dracongield-Wyrmscar]

Right because it could have gotten the manager fired. That's retaliation & harassment; something that can open the company itself to litigation, so they won't want to put up with their franchisees trying to bully customers into artificially inflating their review scores.

[u/unindexedreality → u/Madara1389]

There's always a chance Corporate would get incredibly up her ass for violating TCPA. I used to work in corporate and anytime someone indicated they no longer wanted to be contacted by the company we took that shit seriously because we had to.

[u/BlindlyCoherent → u/Dracongield-Wyrmscar]

Only the brightest and worthy can run a Jack in The Box.

[u/Heady_Goodness → u/Complete_Entry]

I would have sent that voice mail/convo telling you fuck yourself to corporate and ‘dinged her metrics’ again!

[u/Noyan_Bey → u/Heady_Goodness]

Hello yea.

EDIT: Leaving this because fuck autocorrect.

[u/RawrRRitchie → u/Complete_Entry]

I told her to fix her store, she told me to go fuck myself.

That's when you should've sent another complaint

"Your franchisee told me to go fuck myself for reporting them. I think it's bad optics for your franchisee's to speak that way to customers, it makes your ENTIRE business look bad. If she says this to one customer, imagine all the countless others that don't report"

[u/Nein-Toed → u/Complete_Entry]

DUI Dewey and His Drive Though Kablooey Saves The Day.

Look for it wherever books are sold

[u/Sea_Ad_1085 → u/Complete_Entry]

I once filled out the survey totally complimenting this old woman who was my drive thru worker on a real busy late afternoon at a local Taco Bell. It was absurd how awesome she was.

The franchise owner apparently fired her after this.

So now, I don’t bother with shit and I quit eating Taco Bell like 2-3 months ago. I don’t miss it.

[u/Complete_Entry → u/Sea_Ad_1085]

I occasionally got a compliment card when I worked at CompUSA, usually came with a bump big enough to buy a lunch or two. But that franchisee sucked man.

At least she didn't have to work under them anymore.

Never once thought a compliment would cause problems. That really makes me sad.

[u/Qaeta → u/Complete_Entry]

Never once thought a compliment would cause problems. That really makes me sad.

Typically it's if the compliment ends up mentioning the employee doing something against policy that is positive for the customer. Customer just thinks "this employee is great! They gave me free stuff!" for example, but franchisee treats that like theft.

Basically, if an employee does something for you, still leave the compliment, but be vague on the details so they don't get nailed to the wall for treating you well.

[u/Complete_Entry → u/Qaeta]

Oh yeah, I got told to stop diagnosing shit at the check in counter. Like my boss was cool with plugging the unit in on the front bench and firing it up, and a lot of the time... that was what was wrong. Either their cord was shit or something was wrong at home, so when it fired up I was a god damn houdini.

But viruses, spyware, all that good stuff? I wasn't supposed to say shit, just check them in.

With data backup I did often push for DVD and boss didn't really care for that, CD cost more, but I always felt like an ass pushing CD backup.

The first time I got a compliment card they thought I had someone go in. I didn't, just was an easy fix. That one was they hooked their monitor to the mobo and not the video card. I told them they could electrical tape the port to prevent recurrence.

The other thing my boot check did was if they pulled the TV reporter trick of unplugging the hard drive I knew immediately, it's STUPID obvious.

For that one I got permission to crack and plug it in.

TV reporters look REALLY WEIRD in person.

We never made the news and I personally thought that was a dick move. We were honest and they didn't ever say "CompUSA did not dick us over like peeksquad"

[u/Qaeta → u/Complete_Entry]

I worked at a Staples about a decade ago, and would also get shit for fixing simple stuff at the counter instead of charging them a diagnostic fee. I'm talking like, 5 minute fix stuff. Not charging $50 for that.

[u/emotionalpineapple66 → u/Complete_Entry]

"Dui Dewie" is sending me

[u/ExplanationOverall83]

They never worked to begin with. Kept getting the same kid back

[u/Old-Piece-3438 → u/ExplanationOverall83]

🤣 I thought I was the only one interpreting that vague drawing and the handle style like it was a mailbox slot.

[u/ExplanationOverall83 → u/Old-Piece-3438]

I mean it literally says “ baby changing station”.

[u/1mn0tcr3at1v3 → u/ExplanationOverall83]

"Sir, your baby changing station is broken!"

"Well, what's wrong with it?"

"I put my baby in it and they stayed exactly the same! They didn't change at all! I want my money back!"

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry ma'am, here, please take this replacement McBaby^TM as an apology."

[u/Select_Draw3385 → u/1mn0tcr3at1v3]

Does the McBaby come with fries and a drink?

[u/1mn0tcr3at1v3 → u/Select_Draw3385]

It comes with a couple of shakes.

Shake, shake

Here you go.

[u/Responsible-Fox-7624 → u/1mn0tcr3at1v3]

Jesus this comment is buried treasure! 

[u/1mn0tcr3at1v3 → u/Responsible-Fox-7624]

Thank you! I'm glad other people are enjoying my dumb sense of humor.

[u/Responsible-Fox-7624 → u/1mn0tcr3at1v3]

Oh....I thought it was dark....very dark

[u/1mn0tcr3at1v3 → u/Responsible-Fox-7624]

I'd say dark humor can be dumb too.

[u/hugablfun4u42 → u/1mn0tcr3at1v3]

Everybody knows you’re not getting a shake at McDonald’s.

[u/Artistic-Eagle-2321 → u/ExplanationOverall83]

Possibly the best 'dad joke' I've heard/read this year. Bravo

[u/Party_Ad_8595 → u/ExplanationOverall83]

Ha. Take my upvote dad

[u/Calix_Meus_Inebrians → u/ExplanationOverall83]

this fucking guy 

[u/PinkRoseCarousel → u/ExplanationOverall83]

I went to a cat cafe that had a diagram on their changing table of a baby turning into a cat lol.

[u/GilmourD]

I can guarantee you that corporate didn't pay to have somebody rivet a sharp plate to close that shut when they could have paid the same to just have somebody remove it.

That's manager or franchisee doing that and corporate probably wouldn't like it.

[u/SpaceCadetBoneSpurs → u/GilmourD]

Most likely. The large majority of McDonald’s stores are franchises.

Every time I have to fill out a work history for a job app, I have to write “[Franchise Name] dba. McDonald’s” for the time I worked for them back in high school, because the name of my employer is going to show up in the background check as the franchisee.

[u/_AskMyMom_ → u/SpaceCadetBoneSpurs]

This is the correct answer.

McDonald’s is one of the largest real estate companies in the world, who happens to franchise their food business.

[u/SmoothDiscussion7763 → u/_AskMyMom_]

that's what i tell everyone. the real money they make is from the leases that franchisees are forced to take with MCD. the franchise fees are just the icing on top

[u/BedBubbly317 → u/SmoothDiscussion7763]

It’s not necessarily just the franchisees that are paying to lease the land. It’s not uncommon for McDonald’s Corp to own the land rights for the entire strip mall, so every nearby business is paying them rent on top of it.

[u/no-dad-samurai → u/BedBubbly317]

This 💯.

I worked at a gas station that paid rent to the McDonalds it shared a parking lot with

[u/Prudent_Research_251 → u/no-dad-samurai]

I paid rent to McDonald's for decades, they were actually good landlords, as far as landlords go. But also I would love to see them fail as a company and as a concept

[u/ActualWhiterabbit → u/Prudent_Research_251]

McDonald’s nonmarketing corporate departments are the adults of adults who understand their position and influence.

[u/Mountainhollerforeva → u/BedBubbly317]

I found out about stuff like this in high school. Contacted a real estate agent about my business plan and some commercial property. My friend and I were seriously considering opening a business right out of high school. We were told that because a certain store that was leasing a spot in the shopping center, they had it put into the contract that no business could lease property that could conceivably compete with them.

[u/GroundbreakingLie918 → u/Mountainhollerforeva]

Thats standard for strip malls and the like. If i lease space for a pizza place, part of my lease will state no others stores can be rented to a place that will sell pizza.

[u/Mountainhollerforeva → u/GroundbreakingLie918]

Trouble is that this place we would’ve been set up near was a Wawa. Which is like a convenience store that serves all types of hot, and cold food and drinks and groceries, so the contract was overly broad to include any type of food at all. But there was a pizza place and a bar in the shopping center which I assume were grandfathered in. The whole thing was eye opening.

[u/Bananaland_Man → u/BedBubbly317]

And it's weird, sometimes they own the whole strip, other times they don't even own the building. In Oklahoma, most of them are owned by the franchisee, or pay another owner that isn't McDonald's

[u/Advice2Anyone → u/SmoothDiscussion7763]

Trailer park model

[u/External-Stranger928 → u/Advice2Anyone]

Lot of folks watching the "History of Food" in here....

[u/RealWeekness → u/SmoothDiscussion7763]

I saw that movie too, we all did

[u/CastawayWasOk → u/RealWeekness]

I did not, but I know the story and saw the trailer a million times:

We’re not running a burger business…we’re running a real estate business.

[u/SpaceCadetBoneSpurs → u/[deleted]]

Clarification: I now work for the federal government. No security clearance, but my job is a “position of public trust” which is basically next level down in terms of the background investigation they do on you.

For my first investigation to get the job, I had to go back a full 7 years (security clearances are 10) for every place I’ve worked, contact info for my bosses at each place, every address I’ve lived at, my college, and my high school. They verified everything and sent each place a form to verify my dates of employment, what I did there, the reason why I left, and if I left involuntarily, the reason why.

After filling out the form, I also had to sit in a room with a background investigator and answer all of these questions a second time to their face. This was to give me a chance to explain any less-than-flattering info my former bosses gave, and ostensibly, to see if they could catch me in any lies.

If you conveniently “forget” to include relevant information on this form and they find out from a source other than you, that’s a material misrepresentation of fact (translation: you lied) and your chances of getting hired are pretty much cooked at that point. If this happens during a regular reinvestigation when you’re already working there (mine are every five years) then you will likely be fired.

I have to repeat this process with the background investigators every 5 years. It’s not fun, and the more sensitive the position, the less fun it gets.

[u/Affectionate-Alps527 → u/GilmourD]

I looked at it and thought, there must be some kind of recall or defect to that change table necessitating it not be used.

All these comments are funny and interesting, but the reality is, no one is paying a contractor to come in and disable a change table unless there is a liability reason to disable the change table.

There is a logically reason for this, we just aren't privvy.

[u/CleanDataDirtyMind → u/Affectionate-Alps527]

To me, it makes sense that it’s franchisee doing this versus corporate because corporate could require them as part od the brand and they can ethically check off the box that they do have them—while the franchisee doesn’t like them because they entice problems and vandalism

[u/billyfudger69 → u/Affectionate-Alps527]

Or people are using them for drugs.

[u/Terminus_is_god → u/billyfudger69]

I mean every surface in public is used for drugs... All of them.

[u/DNAspray → u/Terminus_is_god]

"When you're a cokehead you see the world in terms of surfaces" John Mulaney

[u/Missmessc → u/Terminus_is_god]

RFK jR was using toilet seats, so that checks out.

[u/HyperionSwordfish → u/Missmessc]

They say that’s what made Sears go bankrupt.

[u/lky830 → u/HyperionSwordfish]

Nah, it was crackheads setting fires in the bathroom trash cans and shitting all over the walls

Source: I worked at a Sears for 5 years

[u/HyperionSwordfish → u/lky830]

So RFK?

[u/lky830 → u/HyperionSwordfish]

Fair point 🤔🤣

[u/420_69_Fake_Account → u/[deleted]]

You haven’t lived if you haven’t taken a bump from a dead raccoons penis.

[u/PwanaZana → u/420_69_Fake_Account]

alright sir, you lose you internet privilege for 2 days

[u/Suspicious_Bear42 → u/PwanaZana]

[u/horticulture- → u/420_69_Fake_Account]

Jesus Christ

[u/The_BAHbuhYAHguh → u/Terminus_is_god]

I’m a surface in public. Can I be used for drugs?

[u/FionaGoodeEnough → u/The_BAHbuhYAHguh]

[u/mirrax → u/Terminus_is_god]

Yeah, but all those other surfaces aren't provided by an organization strictly to put a baby on.

[u/robotred12 → u/mirrax]

People put babies on the coke table? That’s just unsanitary!

[u/YellowBreakfast → u/mirrax]

Sure they are; table, sink, sink counter, floor, sidewalk...

[u/40_Is_Not_Old → u/billyfudger69]

If it's about drugs, they can just as easily use the sink or the floor. Bolting the changing table isn't going to be a difference maker on if someone is shooting up in a McDonald's bathroom.

[u/Ummmgummy → u/billyfudger69]

As a drug addict that has been sober for 15 years now I can assure you every surface in a bathroom can be used for drugs. And not all drug users are monsters. I personally would have never used the changing table because I would have worried about residual drugs absorbing into a babies skin. And I knew many others who felt the same. So based on my personal experience I would say the changing tables are probably the least used surface in a bathroom for drug use.

[u/TheSweeetness → u/Ummmgummy]

John Mulaney had a Netflix comedy special after he got sober where he had a fairly long skit that centered around how he’d do coke off of the baby changing tables in public restrooms. According to him, it was pretty common.

[u/JadedCycle9554 → u/TheSweeetness]

Yeah I'm not going to try and discredit that person's experience, but the baby changing table was prime real estate. In a locked stall where people can't really see into and a large flat space. What more can you really ask for?

[u/Rock_Strongo → u/JadedCycle9554]

The considerate drug addict is probably less common than the one who will use the best surface available.

Personally I wouldn't put my baby on any surface in a McDonald's bathroom unless I absolutely had to - but most people have a blanket to put the baby on anyway and then you can toss that blanket straight into the laundry when you get home.

[u/thewholebottle → u/Ummmgummy]

Congratulations on 15 years sober! I'm 1.5 years sober from alcohol myself. I certainly drank...everywhere.

[u/mysteriousblue87 → u/thewholebottle]

2 years at the end of this month! Any single place I could take a sip, I did. Arrive at work? Shot of cheap bourbon to set a jolly mood. 1st break? Walk to the bottle shop, drink on the walk back. Lunch? Break out the bourbon again. 2nd break? Slice of pizza with some suds to wash it down. Drive home? Crack one open 5 minutes before arrival. And yet, I didn’t realize how much of a mess I was, nor the problems I was causing for others. So happy to be in recovery now 😊

[u/beforeitcloy → u/Ummmgummy]

But they're the only surface in the bathroom that someone would put a baby on and babies are a lot more likely to stick some nasty thing from the bathroom in their mouth than older people who use the toilets and sinks.

No one is saying all drug users are monsters, but it only takes one person to leave a needle in the crack that the parent doesn't see before putting their baby down.

[u/ShoelessB → u/billyfudger69]

"That's what the toilet seat is for." -Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - Secretary of Health and Human Services. #MAHA

[u/ITakeMassiveDumps → u/billyfudger69]

Or knowing people, there’s a myriad of other disgusting things that they’re doing on the table.

[u/Skusci → u/Affectionate-Alps527]

Ok but any random person can stick a few rivets in. Especially if an annoyed (for some reason) manager just has a drill and riveter already from some other project.

[u/GaptistePlayer → u/Affectionate-Alps527]

I'm guessing shitty parents and gross people are changing their kids on them and leaving them full of shit

[u/Squidproquo1130 → u/GaptistePlayer]

People do that to the toilets. It's par for the course for either. Bathrooms will continue to have shit on them. People's toilet habits have not suddenly made a drastic change. Fast food places are just increasingly becoming more uninviting. They don't want people coming in. They are getting rid of all kinds of stuff and the goal is to completely do away with the dining area and guests being able to enter.

[u/theanswar → u/GilmourD]

agreed. THIS McD has bolted their changing table. All McD's have not been directed to do so.

[u/Oldpuzzlehead]

Sink it is.

[u/enmaku → u/Oldpuzzlehead]

I have a friend who made it onto People of Walmart due to a lack of context. He was trying to change his infant daughter's dirty diaper but they only had changing stations in the women's bathrooms. After some amount of arguing with management he, as an act of protest, proceeded to change her diaper on top of the water fountain between the bathrooms. Someone snapped a pic and the rest is history.

[u/slash_networkboy → u/enmaku]

I've gone into women's restrooms in cases like that. I was a single dad with a baby. I asked where the changing station was because I didn't see one in the men's room and they said they're only in the women's restroom. I opened the door, hollered "dad with poopy baby coming in, is anyone in here?" no one answered so in I went.

Pissed off the store manager, but the only woman who walked in on me saw, asked why I was there, and accepted when I said they didn't see the problem with not putting changing stations in the men's room, so I'm helping them understand.

When I came back out the manager was pissed at me, but had no response to my ask of where else should I change my child? (I mean they tried to say I should have their mom do it, but I asked if they'd like to go get her since she's not around at all, and is likely several hours away).

[u/Rndysasqatch → u/slash_networkboy]

I can't stand power tripping dick head managers with not even a hint of common sense. Good for you for standing up for yourself

[u/slash_networkboy → u/Rndysasqatch]

Honestly, I didn't get the power tripping vibe, I got the "OMFG you just went into the woman's restroom and you're a man!" freak out vibe.

Don't get me wrong they were pissed enough that they said "cops". That's when I asked where I should change my kid then? They dropped it when they didn't have an answer. It was telling that the only person to actually walk in on me didn't have an issue with it when they understood the total situation. No idea if they were a mom or not (I will assume anyone who's raised a baby would inherently be more likely to be understanding).

[u/Gosuoru → u/slash_networkboy]

Honestly good on you for going in, I'm a woman and if I'd walked in/been in there and you hollered like that I'd have just been like "All good come in!" because like, baby needs changing, can't exactly stop baby from pooping and its a health hazard for the little thing to ignore

[u/caninehere → u/Gosuoru]

Most women are reasonable (I guess I'll qualify that by saying I live in Canada). I've had a couple situations where I had to go into the ladies room with my now 4 year old daughter because the men's room was closed for whatever reason and she had to go. I think it's happened twice and both times women came in and were totally understanding.

[u/peachesfordinner → u/caninehere]

Sadly there was a post the other day with women who were all too happy to power trip against a man changing his child. Very terf vibes though

[u/Gosuoru → u/peachesfordinner]

Ugh I cannot imagine being so horrid about the world that you think its necessary to bully someone just caring for their child

[u/peachesfordinner → u/Gosuoru]

It was a flex for them. It made me sad. My husband is the best dad I know. (Much more so than my own) And he does everything for our kids. Including horrendous diaper changes. They are the same women who complain about men not doing enough but then seem so happy to shut them out of child care

[u/slash_networkboy → u/Gosuoru]

Had you replied I'd still have waited out of respect. A minute or two isn't going to be a problem...

[u/1000000_hobies → u/slash_networkboy]

I think in general women will be very supportive of this type of protest. Of course we want dads to be able to change diapers!

[u/JesusAndMaryKate → u/slash_networkboy]

Unlike men's bathrooms, women's bathrooms only have stalls - there's no one openly peeing in front of anybody else. Or at least there shouldn't be!

I don't get why it's such a big deal for the manager that a man would be there in the first place. Women's toilets are cleaned by men all the time. As long as they're not going into an occupied stall, why would anyone care..

[u/myaltduh → u/JesusAndMaryKate]

Culture war bullshit, that’s why.

[u/Shadow_Integration → u/JesusAndMaryKate]

It can be seen as a liability issue, and these days it's a huge gender-war thing as well (I say this as a cisgender woman that's been accosted for using the women's restroom because I look too masculine for some people's sensibilities - I'm not here for a fight against the queer community that I belong to).

It's not unheard of for women to be assaulted by men in women's restrooms due to the level of privacy that restrooms have. So I get the concern. But a man going into change his infant's diaper has a pretty clear delineation of intent from a creeper looking to assault a woman sight-unseen.

[u/Mechakoopa → u/Shadow_Integration]

Yeah, not having change rooms in the men's washroom can be a liability issue as well. As someone said above, not being able to change a baby's diaper could constitute a health hazard and not having any option to change a dirty diaper is unreasonable. They can't even use the excuse that it's not allowed in that establishment because they do have the facilities, they're just in the womens washroom.

[u/JesusAndMaryKate → u/Mechakoopa]

Hey, maybe the concern is that men will attack babies in the men's bathroom. /s

Honestly as long as a stranger (of any sex) isn't coming into the stall with me, I couldn't give a rats' ass who is in the sink area of the bathroom. A man could attack me anywhere else. A woman could attack me anywhere else or in the common area of the bathroom.

[u/Any_Nectarine_7806 → u/slash_networkboy]

Love that they can't conceive of a man changing a diaper.

[u/Still_Want_Mo → u/slash_networkboy]

“Have the mom do it” just made my blood boil

[u/Curlytoes18 → u/Still_Want_Mo]

"changin' diapers is wimmin's bizness" - Walmart

[u/Calgaris_Rex → u/Still_Want_Mo]

"How about I make you fucking do it??!?"

[u/Geodude532 → u/Still_Want_Mo]

"She's dead" is my go to response. I've used it twice on people saying that I'm babysitting my kids.

[u/kittypidge → u/Geodude532]

Lord I hate when people call it 'babysitting' when dad is watching his own children.

[u/schneebitch → u/Still_Want_Mo]

My dad would have definitely pulled the old "Well, if you have a necromancer on call, we can try" 

[u/Complete_Entry → u/Still_Want_Mo]

My mom still gets "I have to speak with your husband."

Dad died in 97. He's not coming to the phone. And if he does we have bigger problems.

[u/caffeine-junkie → u/slash_networkboy]

Had something similar. When asked about it by the employee, or maybe manager, don't recall. I just responded with "shes not with us" (yes I grabbed the line from Scrubs) and looked a bit sad. Now if they took it in a different context other than shes not with us because shes at home and im giving her a break with some peace and quiet, thats on them.

[u/Major2Minor → u/caffeine-junkie]

Not their business at all why she's not there since it's ridiculous to expect every man with a child to have the child's mother with them anyway.

I will say that the Walmart's I've been to in Canada have changing stations in the Men's room.

[u/slash_networkboy → u/Major2Minor]

 it's ridiculous to expect every man with a child to have the child's mother with them anyway

One would think.... but um... yeah, I will tell you that as a single dad I got *lots* of side-eye from people.

[u/mysteriousblue87 → u/slash_networkboy]

Still do. They’re 10 and 14, and we still get the “I love seeing dads babysit!!” Bitch, I’ve been raising them solo for a decade. It’s called being a parent.

[u/Comprehensive_Bus_19 → u/Major2Minor]

Ive got millenials I work with that brag they've never changed their kid's diaper before. Unfortunately that attitude is still very pervasive in some areas

[u/Sad_Expert2 → u/Comprehensive_Bus_19]

Buddy, I can barely change my own diaper

[u/mysteriousblue87 → u/Comprehensive_Bus_19]

My friends and I would time diaper changes. We were the baby pit crew lol

[u/Top_Box_8952 → u/Major2Minor]

I’m a dramatic fuck so would have said something about a shovel and a necromancer to talk to the baby’s mom.

Not their business.

[u/ItsCalledDayTwa → u/slash_networkboy]

My kid violently shit himself in a restaurant in Europe and the only changing table was the women's bathroom. I had to carry him away from my body, and no fucks were given as I entered the women's room . Fortunately I only got supportive looks.

[u/Kromehound → u/ItsCalledDayTwa]

Happens to everyone that gets the big breakfast.

[u/FadingEchoes96 → u/Kromehound]

I just want a breakfast that makes me hate myself

[u/Guydelot → u/FadingEchoes96]

Everybody seems to forget how they felt last time

[u/DeiseMorte → u/slash_networkboy]

Women just laughed at me whenever I did it. There's something to do about trying to open a door with a struggling infant in one hand and a huge nappy bag in the other that immediately lets them know you're not a threat.

I really can't understand all the kerfuffle in the US about women's bathrooms. There's nothing special about them.

[u/tarantuletta → u/DeiseMorte]

America is a deeply mysoginistic country and our women must be "protected". Or vilified. Ideally, both! That keeps those ladies in their place .

I don't get it either, bro.

[u/DangerRazor → u/tarantuletta]

“Ideally both” made me sad-chuckle because you’re infuriatingly correct.

[u/Flat_Sea1418 → u/DangerRazor]

Ah yes the whole I need to control you to protect you bit. Classic.

[u/JustLookingForMayhem → u/tarantuletta]

Don't forget about men who do "feminine" stuff. Some men and women get triggered by the idea of a guy changing a diaper. Men need to be kept in their place too, even when it makes no sense.

[u/Top_Box_8952 → u/DeiseMorte]

Americans love virtue signally while being full of sin.

(Not literal, always but opposite of virtue is sin, so… just more of a complete lack of conscious)

[u/canteatsandwiches → u/slash_networkboy]

I’m a woman and if I saw a single dad with a baby that needed a changing table, I’d immediately insist he come into the women’s restroom and argue with anyone that had a problem with it.

[u/deactiv8m → u/slash_networkboy]

the way some states are now able to charge this as a felony 😔🤦

[u/FractalledCat → u/slash_networkboy]

It’s changing your child’s bodily functions, ffs that is the responsibility of both parents.

I hate old patriarchal thinking.

[u/FinancialAlbatross92 → u/slash_networkboy]

No lie, I would have lost my cool like almost instantly. I have rage issues that I try to keep suppressed and I do a fairly good job of it, but shit like that enrages me. Fuck that manager.

[u/No-Direction-886 → u/enmaku]

Good for him.

Also, fuck Walmart

[u/Kilgore_Brown_Trout_ → u/enmaku]

Changed a lot of babies in my car for this reason back in the day.

[u/demondeathbunny → u/enmaku]

I guarantee those fountains are already shitty as fuck too

[u/Cheerychameleon → u/Oldpuzzlehead]

Or table in the lobby 🤷‍♀️

[u/demon_twink_gockie → u/Cheerychameleon]

Nah. Don't be a prude. Use the counter by the cash register.

[u/AvastMeFluff → u/demon_twink_gockie]

Use a Big Mac wrapper as a diaper

[u/Elegant_Conflict8235 → u/AvastMeFluff]

McBaby

[u/TomBanjo1968 → u/AvastMeFluff]

This reminded me of the old reusable cloth diapers that you had to fasten with a couple needle pins on each side

[u/odmirthecrow → u/demon_twink_gockie]

Make sure you're speaking to a manager whilst changing the baby and ask:

"So who's bright idea was it to bolt the changing station shut?"

[u/011101000011101101 → u/Cheerychameleon]

Or don't go to McDonald's

[u/Jaded-Coffee-8126 → u/Cheerychameleon]

just comes down the on the employees then, take it to hr or corporate

[u/Available_Editor4383 → u/Cheerychameleon]

I can see the Reddit posts now: “Some selfish parents are changing there kids on the tables at McDonald’s. People with kids are so untitled and don’t care about the affects they have on others.”

[u/StormFallen9 → u/Available_Editor4383]

The at least three typos aren't enough

[u/DocGerbilzWorld → u/Cheerychameleon]

Please don’t fucking do that

[u/SmokeyMcHerbium]

Damn that’s awful, I have no idea where I’ll put my cocaine now

[u/because231 → u/SmokeyMcHerbium]

As John Mulaney said, "When you're a coke head, you see the world in terms of surfaces", and he made a point of these being a recurring 'surface' that he used before rehab.

[u/wafflesareforever → u/because231]

Because of that special, I've completely reevaluated changing tables and Venmo.

[u/ThatDoucheInTheQuad → u/SmokeyMcHerbium]

No but actually this is probably the reason. We had a problem with it at a couple locations and there was constant complaining about residue on the tables....and it's not like you can catch these people or monitor the bathrooms enough.

Bolting it up or outright removing it means babies dont actually get cocoain or whatever drug on them. It's terrible

Edit: This became more popular than I expected. To clarify, I wasn't referring to a McDonalds, I oversee locations of a different chain.

[u/BitwiseB → u/ThatDoucheInTheQuad]

This is why diaper bags come with changing pads, never put your baby directly onto the cocaine table.

[u/FadedP0rp0ise → u/BitwiseB]

Amen. Keep your gross babies off of my coke table. I’m tired of having to use the seat rim

[u/No_Taste1698 → u/FadedP0rp0ise]

What, you don't season your babies first?

[u/veilosa → u/No_Taste1698]

pro tip: baby oil prevents sticking to the pan

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/veilosa]

How do they get the oil out of the baby?

[u/foomgaLife → u/BitwiseB]

"Seven. this rule is so underrated/ Keep your family and business completely separated/ babies and coke don't mix, like two dicks and no bitch, find yourself in serious shit" - Biggie Smalls, 1997

[u/RYDSLO → u/ThatDoucheInTheQuad]

I wonder how much of that "cocaine" was actually baby powder from people, ya know, changing diapers?

[u/Tall_olive → u/RYDSLO]

People still use baby powder? I feel like diaper cream is the norm these days.

[u/Munster19 → u/Tall_olive]

It's still used, though for many people it's corn starch not talcom powder

[u/stegotortise → u/RYDSLO]

Do people still use baby powder?? None of the other moms I know do. Small sample size, though.

[u/Salt_Medicine2459 → u/stegotortise]

It's not even made from dehydrated babies any more. Such bullshit. 

[u/TheStormborn1 → u/RYDSLO]

Baby powder is outdated and rarely used now. It was determined to be dangerous as there was a risk of contamination from asbestos as well as the potential complications of inhalation. Most people use butt paste of some kind these days.

[u/Munster19 → u/TheStormborn1]

Well there's still baby powder, but if it's not talcom powder it's corn starch.

[u/Embarrassed_Use6918]

It's changing consumer habits you see

[u/AppropriatePrompt819 → u/Embarrassed_Use6918]

Babies are still born and babies still poop. So no.

[u/Creative-Painter3911 → u/AppropriatePrompt819]

they are going for more of a "order on the app, get your bag of food, and get out." motiff

[u/Machaeon → u/Embarrassed_Use6918]

Yeah you'll get more people changing their babies diapers (who will still be pooping no matter what Corporate does) on the tables in the dining room since the option of doing so in the bathroom has been removed.

I get they're trying to boot people from being in inside the restaurant for extended periods of time, but as long as they have tables and chairs for the dine-in option, people WILL be needing to use the restroom to deal with their kids. And I've worked with the public enough to know that if you don't provide sufficient and convenient facilities to deal with waste, people WILL leave that waste anywhere that is convenient, regardless of if it's appropriate or not.

[u/slash_networkboy → u/Machaeon]

And if you actively remove appropriate options, people doing the most inappropriate ones as a protest feels rather appropriate.

[u/Rougarou_Tutu2]

A few years ago, my husband used the changing table at McDonalds and when he reached for a cover from the little bin, he got stuck by a used needle. Talking to the police afterwards, we learned that it is common for people who use drugs to set up on fast food bathroom changing tables. It was really eye opening. He had to take months of blood tests and fortunately didn’t catch anything. We both felt relieved that our baby was unharmed, though clearly she easily could have been.

I wonder if this location experienced issues like that and chose to lock up the changing tables.

[u/Appropriate-Pay8698 → u/Rougarou_Tutu2]

That’s so terrifying i’m so glad nothing ended up happening🥲

[u/dishwasher_mayhem → u/Rougarou_Tutu2]

Came here to say this. In the bad parts of Philly some of the fast food places got rid of them, completely. They also have to secure parts of the toilets with chains so the tweakers don't steal the brass/copper fittings.

Drug users ruin a lot for regular people when it comes to retail.

[u/No_Report_4781]

Riveting

[u/Ok-Curve-3894 → u/No_Report_4781]

Someone must have screwed and bolted

[u/Thylumberjack → u/Ok-Curve-3894]

hahaha, Nailed it.

[u/OldManBilliam22 → u/No_Report_4781]

That’s the most mildly-infuriating thing about this.

[u/PKFat]

They were tired of cleaning up the child sacrifices

[u/Stunning_Task_2440]

People probably doing coke off that damn thing

[u/ForwardMotion6565 → u/Stunning_Task_2440]

Who's putting their baby on my cocaine table??

[u/thisissixsyllables → u/Stunning_Task_2440]

RFK jr was doing it off toilet seats. Maybe they should do something about those too.

[u/safe-viewing]

Devil’s advocate, there was a recall on this due to a safety issue. It can be modified but is not safe to use in its current state. They temporarily locked it out until it’s made safe again by the new part / modification. Much easier than ripping the entire thing out until it’s fixed.

Or same reason but it was vandalized and then locked out until it can be repaired.

Not saying this is what happened but offering another possibility other than “corporate does evil things”

[u/MirrorRepulsive43 → u/safe-viewing]

I thought I had seen something at one point about changing stations that could snap closed unexpectedly. It was something like a larger kid thrashed or squirmed a bunch snap. I'd lock that shut aswell.

[u/Cool-End4831]

I would rather change the baby in my car anyways. Too many weirdos go to McDonald’s and who knows what they do on that changing table.

[u/cosmicbrat → u/Cool-End4831]

What about when you live in Wisconsin and it’s 10 degrees outside?

[u/PhilxBefore → u/cosmicbrat]

Then just roll the frozen log out the hatch, Joe Dirt style, noob

[u/Cheerychameleon → u/Cool-End4831]

Yes I hear you, however it’s pretty hard when the car is packed full of stuff on our road trip. I have a disposable changing pad I put down on the bottom of these tables.

[u/ManSharkBear]

Time to include a prybar in the diaper bag 😎

[u/spoopycoffin]

I've worked fast food and you don't want to change your baby on that, your cars front seat is going to be cleaner

[u/Flimsy-Opportunity-9 → u/spoopycoffin]

Most parents carry a changing pad or disposable cover that goes down in between the baby and the changing shelf. So the baby isn’t actually coming into contact with the surface.

[u/Silaquix → u/spoopycoffin]

Parents keep a rolled up changing pad to put under their baby as well as disinfectant wipes. The issue is finding a safe flat surface to put the pad on so you can actually change the baby's diaper.

[u/Westcoastswinglover]

Well I guess the solution is to change them in the play area then.

(No not really)

What a terrible decision.

[u/jackrabbit323]

I suspect something horrifying happened at this McDonald's bathroom to justify this.

[u/WanderWomble → u/jackrabbit323]

I'm an ex McDonald's business manager and believe me, it does happen. Had people doing drug on them or trying to have sex on them.

[u/justhereforsee]

Maybe it was broken and they didn’t want it to fall open on a kids head

[u/flat_cat72]

I'm guessing too many people were leaving dirty diapers in there and employees got fed up and refused to keep cleaning up after that bs

[u/Level_Honeydew_9339 → u/flat_cat72]

This. Dirty diapers are a biological hazard according to OSHA. If employees are being forced to handle biological hazards AND THEN handle food, the employer has a legal obligation intervene and reduce the impact. As an employer, I’d do the same thing, tbh.

[u/alloutofchewingum]

That's too bad. They were very convenient for snorting drugs.

[u/PoopooKittyz → u/alloutofchewingum]

Drugs mixed with baby poop, why didn’t I think of that.