Here's a story that will totally piss off anyone who has tried to potty train a toddler (pun totally intended). Philadelphia mom Caroline Robboy was given both a ticket and a lecture by a police officer this past Sunday evening because her 2-year-old potty-training son, Nathaniel, couldn't hold it.
I kid you not. She told NBC10 that they were in a store with her two other children and elderly in-laws when the toddler said he needed to go. She asked if they could use the restroom, and they were "told no." Upon exiting the store the boy couldn't hold it and ran over to a pole on the sidewalk to get some relief.
When she saw what was happening, she tried to at least get him to move to a grassy patch, but it was too late. A police officer saw it and busted them, issuing her a $50 ticket for public urination.
She told the station, “He said, ‘I’m doing this for your own protection' because God forbid there might have been a pervert out there looking at my son."
Unbelievable, right?
More from The Stir: Mom Kills Son for Potty Training Accident, Then Eats Pizza
When a 2-year-old needs to go, a 2-year-old needs to go, and while outside on a public street isn't ideal, sometimes that's what needs to happen. Dogs do it all the time, so it's not that big of a deal. I wouldn't encourage my son to do so except in an emergency, but there were plenty of times that we had no other choice than to go in a corner of a parking garage or at a park. It happens.
As for any perverts, in the heat of the moment, I'd be pretty willing to take my chances that one didn't just happen to be standing there for the two seconds it takes for a kid to go. Talk about paranoia. Besides, the street seems a lot less sketchy than public restrooms in that regard.
Robboy says she plans to fight the ticket, as she should.
It’s not about the $50. I want a place that feels friendly to me where my children feel safe and have positive experiences with police officers.
Hopefully she'll get some justice. Here she is talking more about the incident.
Do find it outrageous that this mother was ticketed because her 2-year-old peed on the street?
Image via NBC Philadelphia
Ashley Is a Widow Who Stays Strong...
This Hot Dad Wants to Vacuum Your Rug
This Hot Dad Wants to Do Your Ironing
KStew Refuses to Shower
Comments 120
why do my comments get deleted????
I think that's just plain terrible on the policeman's part. If you believe Erik Erikson and any of his theroies of child development, potty training is an extremely important achievement to be handle with encouragement and not punishment or scorn or a $50 ticket! It's the first task that a toddler is REALLY conquering on his own, and how it is handle can leave them with a lifetime of either confidence or shame/self doubt. The little boy knew he had to go, knew he had to get to a bathroom, knew he wasn't supposed to pee inside of his pants, so he did the most logical thing, and peed outside of his pants.
What a jackass of a cop, seriously. I would have probably ripped the ticket up right in his face. There is a difference between a two year old boy in the midst of potty training having an accident on the sidewalk and a grown man. He does not deserve the shame and humiliation of having what is basically an accident outside of his pants! Give me a break. It could have been a learning opportunity for everyone involve. The cop is a prick and I bet you 99% of cops would not actually issue the damn ticket. Have a talk with the mother? Probably. Given her a warning? Maybe. Given her a break? I would!
I'm a mom, and I know what it's like to have a child that needs to go and a restroom is nowhere in site. You don't have a diaper nor fresh clothing. What do you do? We aren't perfect and so I'm not going to bash this mom because I know. That officer was a little mean though. He's 2 not 20, the kid didn't know any better. The kid would have been just fine with a warning as I'm sure the mom knew that you don't pee in public.
Unprepared + Mean officer = ticket.
I'm sure she can fight this and win, the kid won't even remember it.