An American expat living in Queensland has opened up about the “normal” sight in Aussie public changing rooms that left him confused and concerned.
Dad-of-two Spencer has been living Down Under for a decade and is fairly accustomed to the cultural norms here.
But he told Yahoo Lifestyle about an interaction involving his 11-year-old son and some older men in the changing rooms of his local swimming pool that would never happen in the US.
American dad Spencer (left) has urged older Aussies to cover up in change rooms after an awkward interaction in the changing room with his son.
(Supplied/Getty)
“We normally use the family bathroom, but it was under construction, so we ended up in the men’s locker room,” he said.
“While I was helping him shower, there were two older guys in there.
“One had just finished showering and had his leg up on the bench, completely exposed, and the other was about to get in the shower and also wasn’t covered up at all.”
He said the older blokes could have grabbed a towel to cover themselves, but they just let it hang out.
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“It made things really uncomfortable for both my son and me,” Spencer added.
Not every older bloke will strut around a change room in their birthday suit, but it’s a common occurrence.
Some younger blokes will use a towel and put their undies on while still covered up, but there are a handful who don’t mind being fully naked.
The Kentucky native, who now lives on the Sunshine Coast, doesn’t have a problem with nakedness per se.
It’s more doing it in the presence of a child.
Do you have a story? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com
“Growing up in the US, this basically never happened,” he told Yahoo Lifestyle.
“Guys walking around fully nude in front of other people’s kids just wasn’t a thing, and it comes down to respect — for the parents and for the kids.
“There’s a real difference between having manners and being flat out gross about it, and that’s the line for me.
“It’s about consideration for who’s in the room with you.”
Spencer posted about the issue on social media, and many Aussies chimed in, saying they grew up with older blokes doing this and didn’t have an issue with it.
“That’s normal,” said one.
“Bodies are natural. Kids should see the human body in all the different variations – even with tons of wrinkles. It’s important for their development so they don’t develop body image issues,” added another.
“Nudity isn’t sexual. It’s just a human body. It’s normal,” wrote a third.
But others agreed with the American dad, saying everyone should be conscious of who is in the change rooms.
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