Is This What Our World is Coming To?

Let me tell you a little story about something that happened on the weekend.

We were going to the Family Skate with the Manitoba Moose on Sunday. We parked in Winnipeg Square because we know the kids like to walk through the walkways to the MTS Centre. Sure, it ends up costing money but what's a few bucks when it comes to my kids happiness? Anyways....my daughter had to go to the washroom. Why she didn't go before we left home is beyond me. She says she didn't *have* to go then but we had to stop at her daycare to get her ski pants which is like 5 mins away from our house and all of a sudden, she has to go. I told her at this point, she would have to wait til we got there.

So we get there and seek out a bathroom in Winnipeg Square. For those not in the know, Winnpeg Square is a business/shopping complex in downtown Winnipeg which caters to a lot of the downtown crowd on weekedays. It can be quite busy during the week but on the weekend, not so much. The shops aren't even open but you can walk through. Lo and behold, there's a bathroom. We trundle over and whaddya know, its locked!

Okay, so no panic, there's a Tim's across the street. Her and I head over, go in, find the washroom and....you guessed it, its locked! So I go over to the counter to speak to one of the no doubt exemplary Tim's employees to ask for a key (my daughter is beside me, she's 8 and looks like she needs to go if you know what I mean):

"Excuse me, could I get a key for the washroom please?"
"Have you placed your order yet?" - says said Tim's employee
"No I haven't" says I
"Well I'm sorry you need to place an order first." (and somehow, I *knew* she was going to say this)
"You're kidding!" exlaims I and walks out with my somewhat anxious daughter in tow.

Back across the street we go to where my husband, father in law and son were waiting.....wait for it, the door is locked!! We can't get back in. Well we can but if nobody was waiting on the other side, we would be out of luck.

Now, I know *why* everything is locked but really does it need to be? Is this what our world is coming to? Is it so bad that you have to lock out the potentially homeless people from warmth and a place to use the bathroom so they don't go in more unsavory locations that you are depriving a child from using the same said washroom? A couple of years ago there was a video taken of a man making an ahem, "deposit" in a flower pot. Well sure, if he can't even get into the washroom, what is he supposed to do? And there are a lot of conversations that can stem from this incident, both good and bad but again I ask, is this what our world is coming to?