Caution Germophobes

This may really gross you out.  It grosses me out.  Every time.  But I have to share it because it's part of the story.  (But seriously, this is really gross, and it just gets grosser - you have been warned.)

I was shopping at IKEA today and walked past a mirror display and couldn't believe my eyes:

Oh, you're not sure what that puddle on the floor in the middle of the IKEA showroom is?  How about a closer look?

Do you need me to put it into words?  Are you simply aghast that someone might do this IN A STORE????  It's hard for me to understand how one overcomes this kind of culture shock.  When this is no longer shocking to me, I think I'm in trouble!

Now, I don't want you to think this is my first encounter with something like this.  It happens all the time.  Taxis pull over on the side of the highway to use the wall.  I've seen a mom hold a bag for her son to use in a corner of a museum AND a mall!  Here is a picture of a common practice here:

I debated including this picture because of the content.  There are two adults, one is holding the child who needs to do her business.  I took this picture a long time ago and don't think I waited around to see what kind of business it was.  I've also seen this more times than I care to remember.

I showed these pictures to my dear neighbor, and she shared a story with me.  She's British, so make sure you think this in a British accent:

We were lined up in the queue at IKEA and it's taking a long time to check out.  The kids were hungry and they wanted hot dogs, so I had them line up for hot dogs while my husband was checking out.  So I'm standing between the checkout and the cafe place.  And about 10 meters away was a trash can.  So, if you can imagine the restaurant being about 10 meters away from me AND the trash can.  So my kids are standing there eating their hot dogs and this woman comes along with her child and hangs the child over the garbage can and the kid is POOPING!  INTO THE TRASH CAN!  Her back is to the checkout and she is facing the cafe (meaning so is the child's rear).  And the kid is pooping into the trash can.  And there's a security man standing between the woman and myself.  So I point at her to the security man and he turns the other way and pretends not to see me.  So I'm saying "Can you do something about that?  This is completely inappropriate!  There are people eating!  My children are eating!  Don't pretend like you can't see me!"  He won't do anything, so I walk over near the woman and point at the Toilet sign just over her head and say "This is NOT ok!" and I point to the toilet.  She keeps saying "Sorry, sorry."  So she finishes up with the kid (by this time, my kids are completely grossed out).  I'm like, "OK, I know I'm going completely over the top, but SERIOUSLY? And I know I've drawn a crowd, but SERIOUSLY?????"

Yes, seriously.