# Naked in the parking lot. WTH is with parents?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 2, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846 "2013-03-02T20:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/21 "2013-03-05T06:08:17Z")
I was driving by and noticed a guy walking along the sidewalk with a stream coming out in front of him, then I noticed he had his fly unzipped and was holding with one hand for a wiz, smoking a cigarette with the other hand while walking along. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/22 "2013-03-05T13:15:10Z")
I agree it’s a bit odd, but you don’t know whatever the whole story is. Maybe she has a toilet phobia. Maybe she has a history of peeing in her pants unless she’s is whatever home situation makes her feel comfortable. Whatever. Peeing in the parking lot is preferable to peeing in her clothes in the store. You just don’t know. Maybe there was a reasonable explanation (although unusual). ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/23 "2013-03-05T13:44:01Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Eh, while working a zoo tropical hall, I had to ask someone not to tell their child to piss on the plants. At least the kid in the OP was outside. Poss like this make me wish there was a “Like” button here. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/24 "2013-03-05T14:55:16Z")
> [@Filbert](#): > > Eh, while working a zoo tropical hall, I had to ask someone not to tell their child to piss on the plants. Let me guess… it was a little boy and he was nailing the tree canopy? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/25 "2013-03-05T15:06:29Z")
I don’t see the issue here. Should he have taken her inside to pee? Into the woods? What if there were no nearby woods? Sure, she should probably have had a diaper on. Maybe the very reason they were out was because they were out of diapers and needed to buy some. If that was the case, should he have left her home alone? ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/26 "2013-03-05T15:35:34Z")
I’m really surprised at the number of people who seem to be ok with it. I mean, everyone’s got a different idea of what’s socially acceptable but…walking your kid around like a dog, half naked in a public parking lot? For the record, it wasn’t warm. It was about 45, so not freezing but not naked/shoeless weather for a child. And I do know for a fact that they had diapers. As I was pulling out, it looked like he gave up and took a diaper out of the car. Seriously, if your child is so terrified of toilets that you can’t get her to use them for their intended purpose, then that’s a pretty good sign they’re not ready to be potty trained yet. That’s what they should have realized. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/27 "2013-03-05T16:08:40Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > I don’t see the issue here. Should he have taken her inside to pee? Uh, yeah. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/28 "2013-03-05T16:08:41Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > I was driving by and noticed a guy walking along the sidewalk with a stream coming out in front of him, then I noticed he had his fly unzipped and was holding with one hand for a wiz, smoking a cigarette with the other hand while walking along. OMG what is it with smokers these days?! They all think it is alright to walk around peeing on the sidewalk! ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/29 "2013-03-06T07:08:32Z")
> [@Baracus](#): > > OMG what is it with smokers these days?! They all think it is alright to walk around peeing on the sidewalk! 😕 ---
**Author:** ![romadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@romadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romadea)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/30 "2013-03-06T07:16:53Z")
**Baracus** was making a joke about how smokers are sometimes demonized in American culture. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/31 "2013-03-06T15:21:28Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > I’m really surprised at the number of people who seem to be ok with it. I mean, everyone’s got a different idea of what’s socially acceptable but…walking your kid around like a dog, half naked in a public parking lot? For the record, it wasn’t warm. It was about 45, so not freezing but not naked/shoeless weather for a child. And I do know for a fact that they had diapers. As I was pulling out, it looked like he gave up and took a diaper out of the car. Seriously, if your child is so terrified of toilets that you can’t get her to use them for their intended purpose, then that’s a pretty good sign they’re not ready to be potty trained yet. That’s what they should have realized. Those auto flushing toilets that are so common in public places are pretty terrifying for small kids. When mine were toilet training they were rare enough that we could scope out the public washrooms that didn’t have them but I would imagine they’re a lot more difficult to avoid now. When you’re trying to toilet train it can be really confusing to a kid when you go back and forth and tell them “it’s okay to pee in your diaper today but not tomorrow”. That said I don’t think I would walk around a parking lot with a half naked kid but I tend to give a lot of latitude to parents of kids that age for basically anything but abuse. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/32 "2013-03-06T16:08:39Z")
> [@romadea](#): > > **Baracus** was making a joke about how smokers are sometimes demonized in American culture. Actually it had more to do with how some posters are ready to extrapolate the actions of a few out to all “parents these days”. Maybe I just live a sheltered life, but my kid always peed and pooped in a toilet while potty training. I have never witnessed a kid being encouraged to go elsewhere nor have I heard of any parents encouraging their kids to use a tree or any other non-toilet place to pee until they “got the hang of it”. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but based on personal observation attributing it to “parents” in general makes as much sense of labeling all smokers sidewalk-pee-ers. Personally I think it is pretty stupid to have your kid to be walking around with no pants, but not enough that I am going to get all worked up about it. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/33 "2013-03-06T16:17:04Z")
As the parent of a four-year-old, I certainly remember being “caught short” at times by a child needing to go RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW and probably wouldn’t have blinked at a bottomless two-year-old in the parking lot (as long as it wasn’t for a long period or otherwise hinky). That said, if they had diapers ready to wear then they ought to have put them on the kid and let her fill them. That’s what I would have done, anyway; we tended to travel with enough supplies to deal with an army of toddlers sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/34 "2013-03-06T23:15:13Z")
> [@romadea](#): > > **Baracus** was making a joke about how smokers are sometimes demonized in American culture. :rolleyes: The guy could have been playing yo-yo with his other hand for all I care! I was simply observing his multi-tasking skills, nonchalantly walking, pissing and smoking at the same time. Did I need to not mention the smoking thing for political correctness? It was what he was doing with the other hand that I found offensive. I love how internet strangers can impute my opinions from one sentence. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/35 "2013-03-06T23:48:51Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Surprisingly no, it wasn’t Walmart. I briefly thought about taking their license plate and calling the cops but then I realized, that however stupid it was, there was probably nothing illegal about it. :\ Well, at least here, public urination is illegal. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/36 "2013-03-07T01:34:28Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I’m not a parent, but it’s a little weird that the parent was walking the kid pretty much the same way I walk my mutt, but I don’t think the kid being naked is a big deal. Aren’t kids naked a lot at that age? No, not really. Certainly not outside of the home . ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/37 "2013-03-07T02:21:01Z")
It’s a little odd, but I can’t imagine getting worked up about it. In the end, what does it really matter? Who is being hurt here? Kids often lead to weird and embarrassing situation. I tend to give parents the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/38 "2013-03-07T18:00:24Z")
naked babies are innocents, let them enjoy the breeze in peace. nothing to get excited or outraged about imo. offended? tough tushies ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/39 "2013-03-07T21:40:04Z")
Quite a few years ago I saw a woman holding her son over some bushes in the mall parking lot. While I know how tricky potty training is, pooping AND peeing right there in the parking lot at 11:00am on Saturday morning is indicative of some poor planning on the mother’s part. The world is not your child’s toilet. ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846/40 "2013-03-07T22:04:24Z")
I’ve read about people who practice “elimination communication” putting their baby over the sink in public restrooms to go. And I mean BABIES, not toddlers. Some people actually don’t believe in using diapers _ever_, and think the world is their baby’s toilet. So it could be worse. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naked-in-the-parking-lot-wth-is-with-parents/651846.md?page=3)