Overthinking

[Mars.inDiapers]

That's what I do. It's not just my opinion; I've been told so multiple times. Any time I see something teeny-tiny bit out of ordinary, I over analyze why the thing is the way it is and not some other way. I think about what I would have done in that place. I come up with possible scenarios and rationales that could have lead to the thing being how it is, and more often than not, I conclude that 'nope, I can't think of any good reasons, that's just seems wrong'.

Just today I went to a mall for some stuff. I parked in the underground lot. It was at least 90% empty. I parked six spaces from the sliding door that leads to the mall (it separates the underground parking lot from the mall interior). It's the only way that leads directly to the mall from there, there are the parking payment machines behind it (They've been out of order for ages in this particular mall; parking is free there. They've uninstalled the boom gates from entrances/exits years ago, leaving nests of wires where they used to be, and so far they haven't bothered to put the boom gates back in.) and from there there's a corridor with a pair of moving walkways. The corridor doesn't lead anywhere else other than from the lot to the mall floor, it's not a short cut to anywhere, there isn't anything else of interest on the way, aside the non-functional parking payment machines, the only rational reason someone would be there is to get from their vehicle to the mall, or the other way around.

As I went through the sliding door, I passed by a man with a baby stroller, who was crouching next to the payment machines, and trying to change his toddler's diaper, whilst the toddler was standing up. He seemed to be kinda struggling with it, mumbling something as if he was frustrated by something, and judging by the kid's crying, he wasn't too happy either.

And I can't figure out why he'd do that. The dad, I mean. The kids crying was understandable, it was rather cold there, and there were people passing by. I think in his place, I'd be crying too.

Like I said, this corridor only leads from the parking lot to the mall floor. It's an odd place to end up in unless you drove to the mall. Which I think they did. Most likely reason the dad with the baby ended there was because they were returning from a shopping run to their car. They had a baby stroller with them, packed full of shopping items.

Now, I'm no expert in changing babies' diapers; the only person with whom I have experience changing diapers, is myself. Not really a representative sample; also, I've unfortunately not been a toddler for the last 28 years (not physically, anyway :D) so my opinion might be baised.

StilI I think it's not unreasonable to think that the interior of their car would have made a much better impromptu changing place than the middle of a corridor from a parking lot? I also suspect that it's easier to change someone who's lying down, unless that person is too heavy to lift, which wasn't the case here. The parking lot was mostly empty, so it's not like they wouldn't have enough room for that.

If they didn't have a car there, and all they needed was some secluded place for an emergency diaper change, this was definitely a poor choice; there is no suitable platform other than the floor (wouldn't recommend) and there were people walking by. There are baby changing tables in both men's and women's bathrooms (which are paid for access, but paying customers can access them free of charge with a receipt from a shop). 

If that would have been too much of a hassle for them, then there are countless benches in a sort of secluded food court, which is almost always empty, and currently it's always empty, because restaurants are closed, (because covid-19), and it's lot less cold there.

If the dad didn't want the car seats to get dirty, that's what changing mats are for. Don't have them? He should. High visibility jackets are mandatory equipment for every automobile, and in combination with a plastic bag, can be used as an improvised changing mat.

It couldn't have been a case of 'blowout, emergency stop, halt everything else you're doing, change diaper immediately', because then surely having the kid stand up while being changed would hardly improve the situation, and besides, they were literally in the middle of a corridor; I had to go within a meter's distance from them to pass through, so I would have smelled it, which I didn't, not to mention the used diaper was set aside fully opened on the floor, and it wasn't dirty. 

If it was a case of a major leak, that doesn't seem to me like something that couldn't have waited until they were safely in their car, and required immediate changing the kid's diaper, right there on the spot. It's not like it would have fixed anything, anyway. His clothes wouldn't be any drier after that. 

So, what gives?

Are you a parent?

What would you do?

Am I overanalyzing things?

Am I overanalyzing this particular thing because it involved diapers? 

To be clear, I don't really care if people change their babies' diapers in public. I don't care if mothers breastfeed their babies in public, either. If it's necessary, then it's necessary.

But this one, just seemed like a strange decision. 

[rusty pins]

Reason why?  Because if he was in the store itself he wouldn't have been able to just drop or toss the used diaper on the floor and walk away, possibly what he did with the diaper after changing it since you said, " I parked in the underground lot. It was at least 90% empty.  The corridor doesn't lead anywhere else other than from the lot to the mall floor, it's not a short cut to anywhere, there isn't anything else of interest on the way, aside the non-functional parking payment machines".  Since it was probably a deserted or seldom traveled area, he may have been planning on leaving the used diaper on the floor or tossing it out into the 90% empty underground parking lot.

[Mars.inDiapers]

I'd hope that wasn't the case. There was no need, there are trash cans everywhere. Like, that wouldn't be just your common type of littering because one can't be bothered finding a trash can. They were right next to one. He'd have to be littering on purpose.

Also, it's quite a big parking lot, 90 % empty means there were still at least fifty cars there, and due to covid, almost all of the shops except the superstore are closed, and number of people allowed in the superstore is limited (one person per 15 square meters), so, people come in, get what they need, and get the hell out without wasting too much time, so, it's not really that deserted or seldom traveled ... people come and go through there regularly.

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

I saw a woman change an infant at the cash register in a K=Mart soe 23 years ago The kid was in one of those portable baby carriers

At any rate, dads are not equipped psychologically to take good care of babies. 9 times out of 10, if a kid gets left in a car too long, it's under the guy's care, and 9 times out of 10, if it is the mother, she is usually some kind of airhead to start with. He is just not taught how or oriented to it. This is made worse by paper diapers and no rubber panties so that 1. a blowoutr can happen and 2. no containment of the resutlant effluvium. Someone did not read and follow the directions on the box that the nappies came in; they tell you to use rubber panties over the diaper. And any baby care instructor or counsellor would have advised the parents to use them

Edited January 17, 2021 by Little Christine