Sure, let me just rebuild the entire store to suit your needs...

[XCashier]

A customer came up to my register with four or five items in her cart. "Before I buy this, I need to use your restroom."

I replied, "I'm sorry, we don't have a public restroom."

Her response was a loud, angry, five-minute tirade about how she has health issues, how she needs to have an available restroom and how she will not now buy the items she picked and will never set foot in our store again.

Okay, first of all, I am not unsympathetic. I am well aware that some folks do have health issues that necessitate frequent restroom stops. Some folks are pregnant or have small children with unpredictable toilet needs (I'm a mother too, BTDT). However, you cannot expect the rest of the world to reconfigure itself to suit your needs! You have the issue, you have to reconfigure your life around it. (Also, if you have an urgent need, why did you just spend five minutes yelling at me when you could've walked to one of the restaurants on either side of us and used their restroom in that time?)

Second, this is a fabric store. We do not sell food (aside from a few bits of candy and bottled drinks, both priced higher than even a convenience store), therefore we are not required by law to have a public restroom.

Third, this is a very old building, and was built decades before the current laws came into effect. While we do have restrooms, they are in the back room, for employees only, and letting customers use them opens us up to all sorts of liability issues. There is no way to redo the store (that I can see) to make the restrooms available to customers without making our back stock available to sticky fingers, or our upper levels, ladders and whatnot available to clumsy people and lawsuit bait.

Fourth, I am not in charge here! Yelling at me won't get you anywhere. Yeah yeah, I know, it's not me personally, it's the company. But it's my eardrums getting blasted.

Believe me, I am no stranger to customer insanity or inanity. I've seen mild-mannered customers do a 180 into a screaming fit that would have Jekyll and Hyde saying, "Dude, chill!" I usually don't take their crap personally anymore, but this one bugged me, and I needed to let it out.

[LillFilly]

I know there's a story about a woman messing herself in the time she argued with the employees. I agree entirely with the store, because no good deed goes unpunished. You let her use the restroom to be nice, she trips on something in the back room, and boom! Lawsuit. I'd feel bad when someone really has to go, but they should try planning ahead.

[infinitemonkies]

I've twice let someone -both times non customers- use the staff washroom at the hotel and both times regretted it.

First, was a night last winter, very cold, crappy weather. 4 very attractive young women come in and ask if they can wait in the lobby for their cab, I let them. After a few minutes, one of them claims a desparate need to pee, and I let her use the staff washroom. A few minutes after the cab shows up and they leave, I go to use the facilities myself, and what do I see floating in the bowl.... A recently used heroin syringe.

Second time was a month or so later, it was about 5am, and a cop who was visibly in distress asked to use the can... Now, I don't know what had been done to his digestive system, but GAH! It stunk for the next 2 days!

[bhskittykatt]

I was so thankful to the store employees at a shop I went into. I asked nicely, and they let me use their back bathroom.

It was my first road trip, I'd gotten to Olympia and had to pee, so I saw a sign that said "McDonald's Next Exit" and took that exit. I ended up in front of the State Capitol building. I pondered if perhaps it was in the building, and decided it probably wasn't.

After driving around, I finally pulled over and walked into some shop. I asked if they had a bathroom. They led me to their backroom and said "door on the left." I was like, "you're letting me go back there?!?" I was very grateful, though, and even bought some small items before I left.

Driving around, I finally found a strip with lots of fast-food restaurants on my way back to the interstate. Never found that McDonald's though.

[depechemodefan]

I remember once I was with a tour group in France. We stopped in this little town on the way to Paris. There were public bathrooms you have to pay to use in the plaza. I went into a bakery and bought some stuff then asked if I could use their bathroom. They let me. Unfortunately, other people in the tour group saw me enter the bathroom and they formed a line for it. I think the shop people thought, "fucking Americans".

[Green_Fairy]

more cities need this. or some of these. first one is basically pop-up urinals in side-walks to keep drunken men from peeing all over the buildings. second is a self cleaning public bathroom, much like a port-a-john...just much much much much cleaner and much much much less icky.

[JustaCashier]

We had, I think it was six, of the automated portable toilets in my city for a couple of years or so.

As many predicted, when they were still in the planning stage, they ended up becoming dens for doing drugs, and prostitution. The city ended up selling them for pretty much Fire Sale prices, as I recall.

Sad they didn't work out, I personally like the concept. But, since most of them were in Downtown, with only a few in other neighborhoods, (the Chamber of Commerce in my own neighborhood turned down an offer for one), and since I rarely get Downtown anymore, I only had one opportunity to check one out for myself, and I don't think I even really had to pee all that much, was just curious about the snazzy Port-a-Loo!

Mike

[Princess-Snake]

Maybe she would be a great supporter for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdUMy9HzdWo

[evilhomer]

I've twice let someone -both times non customers- use the staff washroom at the hotel and both times regretted it.

The last customer I allowed to use the washroom was the last one for a reason. He was in there for a good fifteen minutes, upon leaving he left the door open allowing the fragrance to make it's way through the entire (small) store, and the coup de grace was the floater that he left behind.

However, you cannot expect the rest of the world to reconfigure itself to suit your needs! You have the issue, you have to reconfigure your life around it.

This is a direct quote from me when the issue of discrimination comes up. I have all the sympathy in the world for those with disabilities and special needs, but they have to realize that they have disabilities and special needs. Accomodations should be made wherever and whenever possible, but that doesn't mean in every case without exception. Those who have the need should realize that it's simply not feasible in all cases and make appropriate plans to take care of themselves.

I remember a case a few years ago in my city where a historic movie theater was torn down. They had to bring the building up to the present code and spend millions on elevators and other renovations. The theater was barely breaking even as it was, the company was only keeping it running for it's historical value. The media dragged them over the coals for their greed and refusal to spend these millions. There was not a single mention of the fact that less than ten minutes away was a mall with a fully accesible movie theater that anyone with disabilities could go to instead.

[Broomjockey]

I remember a case a few years ago in my city where a historic movie theater was torn down. They had to bring the building up to the present code and spend millions on elevators and other renovations.

Aw, that is so wrong. I hate it when classic buildings like that are torn down. Theatres went through some real architectural dark ages, basically anything from about the late 70s-late 90s is junk. Boring, and usually brown. Now, they're a bit better, but before that, they were just classy. It's a real shame to lose a building like that. They should have tried to go and get it protected. I'm surprised that a historical society wasn't fighting for that as it was.

[evilhomer]

They should have tried to go and get it protected. I'm surprised that a historical society wasn't fighting for that as it was.

I can't remember the exact details, but if I recall it wasn't actually old enough to be officially declared historic. That's why it wasn't exempt to the new codes.

[Broomjockey]

I can't remember the exact details, but if I recall it wasn't actually old enough to be officially declared historic. That's why it wasn't exempt to the new codes.

Argh! Technicalities! Even worse. *goes to cry in the corner*

[tigress666]

Maybe she would be a great supporter for this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdUMy9HzdWo

Ok, that guy reminds me of Christopher Walken. A lot. He talks like him, similar voice, and he's got that creepy look like him (I also felt kinda sorry for him but I'm soft hearted and I couldn't be as harsh to him as those guys were about how that idea probably is not going to sell).

Though, maybe if he chose the right market (I could see it being more open for boaters who don't have covered cabins, particularly if they are female. You aren't surrounded by people so it wouldn't feel as awkward but you still don't want to be totally out in the open).