Take care picking that "public" restroom when traveling

Woman Tracked Down and Busted for Using Restaurant's Customers-Only Bathroom.

[Robin Garr]

Not just a bad decision, but an incredibly stupid one in the age of social media. Their Yelp, etc., reviews and Facebook page are awash with angry posts from people who found this offensive.

Actually, I'm really surprised at the negative response given that signs were posted. These are not public facilities- the owner has the right to set their own rules. All the customer had to do was buy a $1.20 Coke or something.

Deb

[Robin Garr]

Actually, I'm really surprised at the negative response given that signs were posted. These are not public facilities- the owner has the right to set their own rules. All the customer had to do was buy a $1.20 Coke or something.

I think the outrage comes mostly from getting the local Barney Fife involved and breaking (or at least bending) some laws to violate her privacy and open her to harassment over a restroom fee.

I get it ( and agree) - but I'd be upset with the Sheriff over that. To me this is somewhat like walking into a cupcake shop, taking two cupcakes and walking out...

You can choose not to patronize this place because you don't like their policy, but to flount it and complain about getting sent a bill doesn't make sense to me.

Deb

Seems pretty crazy and bad PR to refuse to let a non customer use the toilet.

Seems pretty crazy and bad PR to refuse to let a non customer use the toilet.

Seems like that, and then you open a restaurant in the block between Muhammad Ali and Liberty on 4th Street and fail to enforce a "no public restrooms" policy and have every drunk tourist and homeless person in the area jam up your toilets, break your sink basin in half (no joke), poo in your floor and on your walls (yep), lock themselves in the bathroom then pass out for two hours, and harass your paying customers on the way to and from such activity. Then you start to appreciate why someone would have this policy. I believe there can be some discretion, but I know all too well why these policies exist.

As for being "violated" because someone sent you a bill? If that's the case, LG&E violates me every month. (They really do, you should see my bill!)

This is much ado about nothing. Someone didn't have the courtesy to respect a restaurant's posted policy and now wants to complain about it.

Seems pretty crazy and bad PR to refuse to let a non customer use the toilet.

Will,

They didn't refuse to let them use the bathroom- they had a posted policy that said it was $5 to use the bathroom if you weren't a customer. The person refused to pay the fee. Personally I don't have alot of sympathy for someone who feels they are entitled to break posted policies.

These kind of " customer only" policies are very common- for some of the reasons Ronnie mentioned and so the establishment doesn't have to constantly clean the faciities due to high use in traffic areas from other businesses. It may not be kind or welcoming, but unfortunately it's kind of necessary some places.
Deb

Actually, I'm really surprised at the negative response given that signs were posted. These are not public facilities- the owner has the right to set their own rules. All the customer had to do was buy a $1.20 Coke or something.

Deb

I'm getting this from another source as I've been following this story with some amusement but they may actually be considered public facilities:

According to law, you can't deny access to bathrooms in a place of public accomodation, which a business selling food and/or beverage is defined as.

The owner didn't take the $5 because it would have constituted a violation of the ADA, which they probably found out after sending the letter.

Mike,
That's really interesting if it's actually against the law- practically every restaurant in beach/boardwalk areas has these "customer's only" signs posted.

Deb

Actually, I'm really surprised at the negative response given that signs were posted. These are not public facilities- the owner has the right to set their own rules. All the customer had to do was buy a $1.20 Coke or something.

I think the outrage comes mostly from getting the local Barney Fife involved and breaking (or at least bending) some laws to violate her privacy and open her to harassment over a restroom fee.

I know in Minnesota it is against the law for a L.E. officer to provide private citizens with this type of information (my BFF is a cop and I asked)...Not sure about Texas, those folks are kinda -out there- in a lotta resects, so maybe they have some kind of wild-west-posse-thing that allows them to do it...

So Mike's comment had me intrigued, so I did a little research on t he subject ( clearly it's Friday and I have nothing more exciting to do ):

Per multiple articles, each state individually sets their rules on what public restrooms rules are

The ADA however requires that if you have a "public restroom", it needs to be accessible ( subject to old building provisions)

This is not the first stinky situation over bathroom use:

Starbucks furor in NYC:
http://theweek.com/article/index/221484 ... wisecracks

Comments from all over- I particularly liked the "cover charge" in NOLA during Mardi Gras comment

http://ask.metafilter.com/34124/Restroom-restrictions

This is why you go to McDonald's, where there's a door right by the restroom that can't be seen from the front counter. Makes for a quick entrance and exit.

Seems pretty crazy and bad PR to refuse to let a non customer use the toilet.

No kidding. It also brought this immediately to mind.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=K2JtNouF2rQ