Disgusting Litterer

[cate]

Today I saw a woman let her small daughter, aged about 3, have a pee on Goose Green by the entrance closest to the playground. She wiped her daughter and then threw the tissue on the ground. She was on her way to the gate and I shouted to her to pick up her litter. The bin was all of 4 feet away from her. I must have pricked her conscience because she eventually did pick it up. She was a light skinned black woman wearing a greyish/green short jacket with her hair twisted on top of her head with sunglasses perched on top of her hair. Her daughter was dressed in a pink outfit with trousers. This was about 1 pm. She and the kid went straight back to the playground. So if that was you you lazy mare I hope you were and are embarrassed. I know there was another thread on this somewhere and I thought that if your child had to go when out it was usual to use the gutter or drain. What do other parents do when at the playground and their kids have to go?

[ana maria]

I saw a boy(2 or 3) the other day having a pee in front of Burger King in Peckham. His mother pretended she was not seeing anything and just walked away after he finished. I seriously thought about following her so I could do the same thing in front of her house!

[Tarot]

If the councils provided more toilets. especially for little tots and the disabled. there wouldnt be instances like this. It is hard for mothers with small children.

[cate]

There are portable potties for little ones.

[Pickle]

I carry a portable potty when we're going places that I know there won't be toilets - it's small enough to fit in my bag. Worst I've come across is at the water play park in Sydenham over summer, a mother holding her little girl and laughing as she swung her round while she wee'd, meaning it splashed across other kids playing near her. Horrible :(

[cate]

Pickle, thank you for your very useful and informative post. Did you say anything to the woman in the Sydenham park? How revolting!

[Pickle]

I didn't, but I did see a couple of other adults speaking to her as we left.

It is difficult with kids, especially when they're little and unable to wait - however I hate seeing parents letting kids go to the toilet in busy areas (Lordship Lane on Saturdays for example). We've always managed to at least go into a side street, and have also found most businesses are happy to let kids use their toilets.

[Applespider]

Not that I'm condoning it or would want to be sprayed by it, but urine is pretty much sterile when it comes out of the body. It's only as it degrades that it smells etc. People used to save their pee to make ammonia to clean animal skins etc.

It's the number twos that have more potential for nasties...

[Fuschia]

Even if your child needs to wee outside, there's no excuse for throwing the wipe on the floor!

Sometimes our son will wee against my car wheel, occasionally against a tree. It can be very hard traipsing out of the park to find a loo when you have other small children in tow, and many places are impossible to get into with a double buggy and I wouldn't like him going into a toilet alone, but we seem to manage without inflaming the sensibilities of passers by too much!

[Saffron]

Vinegar is pretty much sterile too, but I don't go around spraying it on people either!

[Dorothy]

There are no public toilets in East Dulwich at all.

I have boycotted the toy shop in Dulwich Village for more than four years now because they would not let my 3 year old use their toilet one day.

Yes, I know, regulations, health and safety, yada yada yada.

[KidKruger]

I think as long as it's done moderately discreetly it's unfair to criticise kids and/or their parents when the kid(s) need to go to the loo whilst out in a park like Goose Green. The lack of facilities is not their fault and it's a difficult situation for them to be in.

[cate]

Kid Kruger, they weren't in Goose Green, they were at the playground which is next to Locale which has toilets. I wonder how amenable they are to kids using their loos. Anyone know? They crossed the road to use the grass in the park instead of using the gutter which I thought was more usual. My main problem was with the mother throwing the tissue she used to wipe her kid on the ground. I am curious as to why parents don't bring portable loos with them like Pickle mentioned especially when they are at places like playgrounds.

Dorothy, it seems extremely odd that a toy shop wouldn't let a child use their loo! How utterly bizarre.

[James Barber]

Goose Green playground is nearly across the road from the Dulwich Leisure centre that has public toilets.

Burger King as a food outlet has toilets.

The examples given are people being at best thoughtless.

[dennis]

There has been a steady rise in this kind of ASB

since BT started to remove the red telephone boxes.

[cate]

dennis Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There has been a steady rise in this kind of ASB

> since BT started to remove the red telephone

> boxes.

:))

[kristymac1]

James Barber Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Goose Green playground is nearly across the road

> from the Dulwich Leisure centre that has public

> toilets.

> Burger King as a food outlet has toilets.

> The examples given are people being at best

> thoughtless.

Perhaps the Burger King one but I really don't agree that having to let your 3 year old pee in the playground is thoughtless - I have a 3-yr old and as it happens she had to go behind a tree by the railings in Goose Green on Sunday (the subject of the OP was not me btw - I put the tissue wipe in the bin!). Traipsing across to the Dulwich Baths (which to the unknowing resident/non-resident looks shut) or even to Locale is probably too far for a 3-yr old who's racing around the playground and only realises they need a wee at the critical point (they're 3!!), and what if there are more children in the family - do you suggest they get left in the playground alone while the parent rushes the other to amenities outside (because there really wouldn't be time to hoard them all up)?

I don't have a portable potty as I think they're probably only necessary for 'number twos' and the urgency to reach a loo for that is IME with my little one not an issue (probably too much info - sorry!). I personally see no problem with little ones who are not too long out of potty training having to pee discretely outside where there are no facilities available. Of course I also think the parent should ensure that any litter resulting should go in the bin - that's just common decency.

[cate]

This mother and child didn't pee in or near the playground. They crossed the road to Goose Green proper. Locale was closer than doing this. She didn't have any other kids with her. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have some kind of portaloo next to playground.

[computedshorty]

Here is the list of Public Toilets. In Southwark.

It could be helpful to print out and carry in your bag when going to less known places.

Camberwell

?Camberwell Green automatic toilet, Camberwell Green, 24 hour

?Harris Street NHO, Harris Street, SE5 7RX, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Town Hall, Peckham Road SE5 8UB, Monday to Friday, 9am to 10pm

Dulwich

?Crown House NHO, 41-43 East Dulwich Road, SE22 9BY, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Dulwich Library, 368 Lordship Lane, SE22 8NB, Monday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 8pm; Tuesday 10am to 8pm; Saturday 9am to 5pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm (toilets are usually locked but ask for the key at the desk)

?Kingswood Library, Kingswood House, Seeley Drive, SE21 8QR, Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm

?Dulwich Park Rangers Officer, Dulwich Park, College Gate Road, SE21 7BQ, Every day, dawn to dusk

?Rear of pavillion cafe, Dulwich Park, College Gate Road, SE21 7BQ, Every day, dawn to dusk

?Cycle hire block, Dulwich Park, College Gate Road, SE21 7BQ, Every day, dawn to dusk

Nunhead and Peckham Rye

?Atwell Road automatic toilet, Atwell Road, SE15, 24 hour

?Parkside NHO, 25-27 Bournemouth Road, SE15 4UJ, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Nunhead Library, Gordon Road, SE15 3RW, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 7pm; Friday 10am to 6pm; Saturday 10am to 5pm

?Peckham Rye Park Ranger's Office, Strakers Road, SE15, Every day, dawn to dusk

Peckham

?Peckham Library, 122 Peckham Hill Street, SE15 5JR, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am to 8pm; Wednesday 10am to 8pm; Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm

?Peckham Pulse, 10 Melon Road, Peckham, SE15 5QN, Monday to Friday, 7am to 10pm; Saturday and Sunday 7am to 8pm

?ASDA Old Kent Road, Old Kent Road, Offory Road, SE1 5AS, Monday to Saturday 8am to 10pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm

Rotherhithe

?Abbeyfield NHO, 153-159 Abbeyfield Road, SE16 2LS, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Southwark Park Cafe, Southwark Park, Every day, dawn to 5pm or dusk

?Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Redriff Road, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 6pm

Walworth

?Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, Elephant and Castle, Every day 8am to 6pm

?SAST House, Dawes Street, SE17, Tuesday to Friday, 6am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 6am to 4pm

?Portland Street, Protland Street/East Street, SE17, Tuesday to Friday, 6 am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 6am to 4pm

?Taplow NHO, Thurlow Street, SE17 2UB, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Lorrimore Depot, 113 Lorrimore Road, SE17 6BR, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

?Chumleigh Gardens, Burgess Park, Chumleigh Street, SE5 0RJ, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm

?Burgess Park Tennis Centre, Burgess Park, Every day, dawn to dusk

?Walworth One Stop Shop, 151 Walworth Road, SE17, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

My Zimmer might look like a Walking frame, but it is really a Commode in Camouflarge, I might be resting or just listen!

[mooshie]

I have to agree with Kristy.

The thought of crossing over a busy intersection with my family in order to get my toddler to the toilets in Dulwich Baths is beyond achievable, he would have staged his dirty protest long before we arrived!

I always try to ensure that we are discreet and out of the way if he needs an emergency pee, and NEVER litter, but we do sometimes have to go in public places like Goose Green/playground.

[Jamma]

There's two issues getting confused here isn't there? The peeing sounds reasonable. The littering is obviously unacceptable. What more is there to say?

Oh, this - portable potties?! They cost about ?13 and most likely the mother in question had better things to spend her money on. I really don't understand why the world needs portable potties. My parents managed without such a thing and I shall do the same.

[*Bob*]

Well, I suppose if you really are determined to spend a dozen occasions rinsing-out underpants caked in sh1t in the kitchen sink after a trip home from your relaxing day out in a car smelling of poo - all for the sake of ?13 - then you go for it.

[Jamma]

Ooh *Bob* I love it when you talk dirty.

(That's not appropriate on this thread is it?)

[edanna]

Come on, it's just a bit of wee. What's the problem with that going on the grass? If she'd had a potty with her, she would still have needed to pour the wee out somewhere ( or carry it home?!) There's no excuse for the littering but public weeing is one of the unavoidable joys of having small children who have very little warning when they need to go.

[*Bob*]

No probs, Jamma.

I am trying to use a grown-up toilet but unfortunately my success rate is still only about 80%.