# Area Mom Feels Free to Hang Out in the Men's Locker Room **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069 "2015-03-26T22:52:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/41 "2015-03-27T18:13:41Z")
If the little boy needed help changing, as mentioned in the op, he’s not going to be hit with sex offender charges for being dragged into a ladies room. That’s silly. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/42 "2015-03-27T18:17:54Z")
I agree with **puzzlegal** : that’s not going to happen. The kid was about three or so, and as I say there is clear precedent for going that way, none at all for doing what she did. ---
**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/43 "2015-03-27T18:25:42Z")
What’s an Area Mom? ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/44 "2015-03-27T19:09:56Z")
The woman was clearly wrong, and rude. The lifeguard should have told her to leave. The vast majority of locker rooms, even if they’re mostly open/communal, have at least one closed cabin changing room. Assuming that was the case here, why couldn’t the mother bring her son into the cabin on the women’s side? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/45 "2015-03-27T19:30:54Z")
45 posts and I’m the first to ask, “Was she hot?” ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/46 "2015-03-27T19:37:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 45 posts and I’m the first to ask, “Was she hot?” Maybe because this type of statement is against the rules? [Shrugs] I don’t know, kind of a grey area. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/47 "2015-03-27T19:39:03Z")
Meh, I hear there are 50 shades. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/48 "2015-03-27T19:40:17Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Can you link me to that other thread? I’d be curious to see what people had to say about that scenario. > > . Sorry, that thread was from too many moons ago. I wouldn’t even know how to begin searching for it. I don’t recall posting in that thread, so that search option is out. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/49 "2015-03-27T19:44:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > 45 posts and I’m the first to ask, “Was she hot?” > [@Shakes](#): > > Maybe because this type of statement is against the rules? > [Shrugs] I don’t know, kind of a grey area. Sincere question: how so? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/50 "2015-03-27T19:48:43Z")
Oh well, don’t worry about it. Do you remember the gist of the consensus? > [@Rodgers01](#): > > The woman was clearly wrong, and rude. The lifeguard should have told her to leave. > > The vast majority of locker rooms, even if they’re mostly open/communal, have at least one closed cabin changing room. Assuming that was the case here, why couldn’t the mother bring her son into the cabin on the women’s side? Right, in our side there is one, so I’m assuming the same is true over there. Good point (and come to think of it, strange that the dads with daughters I recall in the past didn’t do that). It’s kind of a funny thing to have that one closed changing room. If there were a whole bunch of them, you could take it as “okay, the culture has changed and people don’t change in front of each other any more” (which it feels like it’s going that way sometimes), but there’s no practical way for everyone to wait their turn for that one when it’s busy. I could have gone in there myself, I guess, but I had a bunch of stuff laid out on the bench and some valuables here and there, and that would have been a time-consuming PITA at that point as well. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/51 "2015-03-27T19:53:42Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > It’s kind of a funny thing to have that one closed changing room. If there were a whole bunch of them, you could take it as “okay, the culture has changed and people don’t change in front of each other any more” (which it feels like it’s going that way sometimes), but there’s no practical way for everyone to wait their turn for that one when it’s busy. > > I could have gone in there myself, I guess, but I had a bunch of stuff laid out on the bench and some valuables here and there, and that would have been a time-consuming PITA at that point as well. I think those lone closed changing rooms are funny in that if everyone else is changing in the open and you have one shy person, it seems much more conspicuous/awkward for them to go in there rather than just changing with everyone else and getting it over with! ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/52 "2015-03-27T19:54:50Z")
Right, definitely. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/53 "2015-03-27T20:02:03Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > Sincere question: how so? A couple of years ago there was a feminist movement on this board. The end result of this movement basically resulted in new rules stating that there should be no more sex jokes in threads where serious discussion is being had about the female anatomy or women’s issues. (New rules I’m in favor of BTW.) ETA: I just noticed your join date. You probably know all this. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/54 "2015-03-27T20:04:46Z")
By entering the men’s changing room, the mom in question has signified that she could care less about anyone’s chorizo y huevos. So unless you happy slap her with old one eye, she ain’t complaining about nothing. Leave her alone, she’ll leave you alone. Moms may just be a doctor or nurse or massage therapist or sex surrogate or nudist. She could just be too old, tired, sophisticated to feign outrage over seeing some random dude’s junk. “OMG! He\* exposed\* himself to me!!” So, kick him in the nuts, and move on. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/55 "2015-03-27T20:06:38Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > A couple of years ago there was a feminist movement on this board. The end result of this movement basically resulted in new rules stating that there should be no more sex jokes in threads where serious discussion is being had about the female anatomy or women’s issues. > (New rules I’m in favor of BTW.) > > ETA: I just noticed your join date. You probably know all this. Well, from a purely academic standpoint I’d be interested in knowing wether the woman’s appearance would affect the OP’s reaction to her presence in the locker room. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/56 "2015-03-27T20:13:11Z")
I’ll just share an anecdote-my mom would change me in the women’s locker room when I was c. 3 or 4. I clearly remember all of the umm scenery to this day. Yes, I was unusually intelligent and aware for a preschooler, but, still, something to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/57 "2015-03-27T20:14:45Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > A couple of years ago there was a feminist movement on this board. The end result of this movement basically resulted in new rules stating that there should be no more sex jokes in threads where serious discussion is being had about the female anatomy or women’s issues. > (New rules I’m in favor of BTW.) > > ETA: I just noticed your join date. You probably know all this. No, I didn’t - all of that apparently passed me by. So no sex jokes/innuendo in serious threads about women’s issues? But they’re allowed outside of that kind of thread…? Again, completely sincere questions, asked just out of curiosity. When I think about it I don’t notice much sex talk in general on these boards, but I never knew if that was just the culture or a board rule. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/58 "2015-03-27T20:17:32Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I’ll just share an anecdote-my mom would change me in the women’s locker room when I was c. 3 or 4. > > I clearly remember all of the umm scenery to this day. Yes, I was unusually intelligent and aware for a preschooler, but, still, something to think about. Same here. But I’m pretty sure neither one of us regrets having those memories. Mom was cool that day… ---
**Author:** ![get\_lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@get\_lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/get_lives)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/59 "2015-03-27T20:29:55Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > By entering the men’s changing room, the mom in question has signified that she could care less about anyone’s chorizo y huevos. So unless you happy slap her with old one eye, she ain’t complaining about nothing. Leave her alone, she’ll leave you alone. > > Moms may just be a doctor or nurse or massage therapist or sex surrogate or nudist. She could just be too old, tired, sophisticated to feign outrage over seeing some random dude’s junk. > > “OMG! He\* exposed\* himself to me!!” So, kick him in the nuts, and move on. How was the OP supposed to know she wouldn’t call the cops on him for exposing himself to her son? Stranger things have happened. Personally, I’d have changed in a bathroom stall. If no enclosed area (stall/shower) were available, I’d have tried to conceal myself with a towel over my lap while I changed (perhaps), while facing AWAY 🙂 from the woman. Who needs an arrest for indecent exposure? Or to encounter an overzealous prosecutor plus an asshole judge, and end up as a registered sex offender? It’s getting extreme in this culture. An adult male can’t be too careful. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069/60 "2015-03-27T20:34:24Z")
> [@Rodgers01](#): > > No, I didn’t - all of that apparently passed me by. > > So no sex jokes/innuendo in serious threads about women’s issues? But they’re allowed outside of that kind of thread…? > > Again, completely sincere questions, asked just out of curiosity. When I think about it I don’t notice much sex talk in general on these boards, but I never knew if that was just the culture or a board rule. Well, if you have about four hours to kill, [here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=690178) a good place to start. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/area-mom-feels-free-to-hang-out-in-the-mens-locker-room/716069.md?page=4)