Starbucks Closed - Bathroom Question (1 Viewer)

[Chemical X]

so, sbux is closed today in response to having a pair of loitering black men arrested for not purchasing and trying to use the bathroom.  i mentioned this to my wife and said i was going to our local grocery sbux, which remains open.  mrs. x asked me, “why don’t fast food joints charge to use the restroom, like they do in europe”.  this is something i had not thought of.  outside of restaurants, our time in italy has taught us that almost all establishments, including train stations, charge for the restroom.  usually 1 euro, which is a coin.  good or bad idea here?  maybe charge .50?  eliminates discrimination, brings in money.  but does it penalize patrons?  just a thought.........would you pay?

 

[MAC_32]

The only answer

 

[Cjw_55106]

I think most locations are open...but closing early.

To answer the question, I wouldnt have an issue paying to use a bathroom somewhere. If I was a paying customer, I would expect them to give me some type of free use token with my purchase. 

 

[Arizona Ron]

Certain states have laws that require you to allow customers to use a restroom if there is a restroom available for employee use. 

There's also city codes like in NYC .

 

[IC FBGCav]

The only answer

I think @Arid Filch might have met her.

 

[sports_fan]

I'd pay but I'd be less likely to go back in the future. There's not much that annoys me more than being nickel and dimed.

 

[mrip541]

...  eliminates discrimination...

I think you could argue that it would have a discriminatory effect. At least that's what we'd be seeing in the news for weeks.

 

[Short Corner]

so, sbux is closed today in response to having a pair of loitering black men arrested for not purchasing and trying to use the bathroom.  i mentioned this to my wife and said i was going to our local grocery sbux, which remains open.  mrs. x asked me, “why don’t fast food joints charge to use the restroom, like they do in europe”.  this is something i had not thought of.  outside of restaurants, our time in italy has taught us that almost all establishments, including train stations, charge for the restroom.  usually 1 euro, which is a coin.  good or bad idea here?  maybe charge .50?  eliminates discrimination, brings in money.  but does it penalize patrons?  just a thought.........would you pay?

they don't charge in restaurants here.  gas stations do though.

 

[Short Corner]

I think you could argue that it would have a discriminatory effect. At least that's what we'd be seeing in the news for weeks.

I think it is ok to discriminate against people who are not your customers.

 

[Short Corner]

There used to be pay toilets decades ago, but they've been banned. They're unconstitutional for being discriminatory, as only women had to pay to urinate iirc. 

Now it's a health and safety issue. You have to have a certain number of facilities available in a public restaurant. That rule would apply to Starbucks if they want to serve food. You can't give people stuff that makes them need to use the bathroom, then charge them again to use it. 

They could put locks on the door that only open for customers, of course, but they don't want to deal with the hassle. 

If you don't have dine in seating over a certain number you don't have to provide restrooms.  The Peet's coffee in Santa Cruz used to have huge problems with homeless people using and trashing their restrooms so they just made them for employees only.

 

[Chemical X]

If you don't have dine in seating over a certain number you don't have to provide restrooms.  The Peet's coffee in Santa Cruz used to have huge problems with homeless people using and trashing their restrooms so they just made them for employees only.

in a lot of place, it depends on seating amount.  if you have X number of seats, you have to provide.  I am just wondering if their are laws, state by state, against charging.  I do like the idea of charging, but if you pay, you get a token to use the restroom. 

 

[Short Corner]

in a lot of place, it depends on seating amount.  if you have X number of seats, you have to provide.  I am just wondering if their are laws, state by state, against charging.  I do like the idea of charging, but if you pay, you get a token to use the restroom. 

The gas stations here charge but then you get a voucher to pay for something in the overpriced gas station store.

 

[IC FBGCav]

Maybe we should just try to help the homeless. 

 

[Chemical X]

Maybe we should just try to help the homeless. 

not just homeless, tourists too.  these days, many people don't have offices and work remote.  some people even use sbux and other places like offices.  when on the road, I am sure we have all said, let's pop into a mcdonalds to use the bathroom.  just saying that in this country its come to be expected free use of the facilities.  I am wondering if our society would accept pay toilets or would this become the new social outrage viral twitter instagram sit in?

 

[ChiefD]

The way I figure it is I've probably been to a McDonald's or some such restaurant maybe 500 times in my life. During those visits, let's say I used the restroom 10% of the time, so 50 times.

As far as I'm concerned they still owe me 450 bathroom visits. So if I'm out for a jog or something and need to pop in for a emergency dump, I've already paid for it. 

 

[Mr. Ected]

If it is a place like Starbucks or McD or a 7-11, I try to buy something if I use the bathroom. We do travel via car a lot, and unless it's a big rest stop, then we need to use the facilities. We usually need to get something anyway whenever we stop, even for gas.

 

[the moops]

sbux? is that a thing?

 

[Chemical X]

If it is a place like Starbucks or McD or a 7-11, I try to buy something if I use the bathroom. We do travel via car a lot, and unless it's a big rest stop, then we need to use the facilities. We usually need to get something anyway whenever we stop, even for gas.

would you pay, you seem to be the one I would be asking?

 

[Thorpe]

This being America, a good number of people would probably be angered enough by this to steal 50 cents of toilet paper.

 

[Short Corner]

sbux? is that a thing?

SBUX

 

[Dr. Octopus]

so, sbux is closed today in response to having a pair of loitering black men arrested for not purchasing and trying to use the bathroom.  i mentioned this to my wife and said i was going to our local grocery sbux, which remains open.  mrs. x asked me, “why don’t fast food joints charge to use the restroom, like they do in europe”.  this is something i had not thought of.  outside of restaurants, our time in italy has taught us that almost all establishments, including train stations, charge for the restroom.  usually 1 euro, which is a coin.  good or bad idea here?  maybe charge .50?  eliminates discrimination, brings in money.  but does it penalize patrons?  just a thought.........would you pay?

An establishment could give out a token of some sort to use the bathroom with every purchase.

 

[Mr.Pack]

The only answer

@Dentist Just blew his wad

 

[avoiding injuries]

An establishment could give out a token of some sort to use the bathroom with every purchase.

Or the bathroom code on the bottom of the receipt?

 

[nirad3]

Or the bathroom code on the bottom of the receipt?

Great idea.  There's a Carl's Jr. and Del Taco by my work that change the bathroom codes daily.  There's a good number of homeless/druggies in the area.

Also, somewhat related... I swear these places keep the a/c cranked to an unreal level in hopes that people (read: homeless/druggies) are too uncomfortable to stay in the restaurant longer than required to eat their food.  I run hot and blast the a/c in my car, have a fan directed right at me at my desk, etc., and I find these two locations to be like meat lockers.

 

[IC FBGCav]

not just homeless, tourists too.  these days, many people don't have offices and work remote.  some people even use sbux and other places like offices.  when on the road, I am sure we have all said, let's pop into a mcdonalds to use the bathroom.  just saying that in this country its come to be expected free use of the facilities.  I am wondering if our society would accept pay toilets or would this become the new social outrage viral twitter instagram sit in?

First of all, the shark move is to stop at a hotel, not a McDonald's.   The difference is comparable to first class and coach.   Paying doesn't bother me but then all cities turn into San Francisco:

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/10/mapping-san-franciscos-sidewalk-pooping-problem/409561/

http://mochimachine.org/wasteland/

 

[avoiding injuries]

Great idea.  There's a Carl's Jr. and Del Taco by my work that change the bathroom codes daily.  There's a good number of homeless/druggies in the area.

Also, somewhat related... I swear these places keep the a/c cranked to an unreal level in hopes that people (read: homeless/druggies) are too uncomfortable to stay in the restaurant longer than required to eat their food.  I run hot and blast the a/c in my car, have a fan directed right at me at my desk, etc., and I find these two locations to be like meat lockers.

FYI...The “SBUX” that started this all had the code on their receipts. 

 

[IC FBGCav]

not just homeless, tourists too.  these days, many people don't have offices and work remote.  some people even use sbux and other places like offices.  when on the road, I am sure we have all said, let's pop into a mcdonalds to use the bathroom.  just saying that in this country its come to be expected free use of the facilities.  I am wondering if our society would accept pay toilets or would this become the new social outrage viral twitter instagram sit in?

Yes, I would pay.   Yes, it would cause outrage.

 

[Chemical X]

First of all, the shark move is to stop at a hotel, not a McDonald's.   The difference is comparable to first class and coach.   Paying doesn't bother me but then all cities turn into San Francisco:

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/10/mapping-san-franciscos-sidewalk-pooping-problem/409561/

http://mochimachine.org/wasteland/

the double shark move is to stop in for the free breakfast on the way to work and to use the facilities!

 

[Short Corner]

Great idea.  There's a Carl's Jr. and Del Taco by my work that change the bathroom codes daily.  There's a good number of homeless/druggies in the area.

Also, somewhat related... I swear these places keep the a/c cranked to an unreal level in hopes that people (read: homeless/druggies) are too uncomfortable to stay in the restaurant longer than required to eat their food.  I run hot and blast the a/c in my car, have a fan directed right at me at my desk, etc., and I find these two locations to be like meat lockers.

Some places put blue lights in the bathrooms here.

 

[the moops]

SBUX

OK. Is referring to a company by their stock name a thing?

 

[Mr. Ected]

If it is a place like Starbucks or McD or a 7-11, I try to buy something if I use the bathroom. We do travel via car a lot, and unless it's a big rest stop, then we need to use the facilities. We usually need to get something anyway whenever we stop, even for gas.

would you pay, you seem to be the one I would be asking?

Dunno, I rarely walk around with change or small bills (try and do everything on my Amex), so that would be an issue, especially if I have to ask them for change; kinda defeats the purpose.

I like the idea of a code on the receipt.

 

[falguy]

the shark move is to stop at a hotel, not a McDonald's.

As a guy who has to occasionally make an emergency drop off at the pool I'm ashamed that I never thought of this. Hotels always have a lobby pooper. Just enter like you are staying there and do your business. Game changer.

 

[IC FBGCav]

As a guy who has to occasionally make an emergency drop off at the pool I'm ashamed that I never thought of this. Hotels always have a lobby pooper. Just enter like you are staying there and do your business. Game changer.

Happy pooping!

 

[Johnny Rock]

The way I figure it is I've probably been to a McDonald's or some such restaurant maybe 500 times in my life. During those visits, let's say I used the restroom 10% of the time, so 50 times.

As far as I'm concerned they still owe me 450 bathroom visits. So if I'm out for a jog or something and need to pop in for a emergency dump, I've already paid for it. 

The emergency dump counts as 2. 

 

[Doug B]

As a guy who has to occasionally make an emergency drop off at the pool I'm ashamed that I never thought of this. Hotels always have a lobby pooper. Just enter like you are staying there and do your business. Game changer.

As a former service industry drone: So long as you don't make a hard-to-clean mess ... no hotel or restaurant employee is going to care about people coming in off the street to use the john. The way Wendy's around here are set up ... we couldn't even see people slip in the door if they made that immediate right turn and went down the hall to the john.

 

[Dentist]

@Dentist Just blew his wad

That story is a few weeks old, I'm still raw tho

 

[Charlie Steiner]

There used to be pay toilets decades ago, but they've been banned. It was argued they were unconstitutional for being discriminatory, as only women had to pay to urinate iirc. (each stall door had a lock, but the urinals in the men's room were always accessible). It became a human rights argument: https://psmag.com/economics/dont-pay-toilets-america-bathroom-restroom-free-market-90683

Now it's a health and safety issue. You have to have a certain number of facilities available in a public restaurant. That rule would apply to Starbucks if they want to serve food. You can't give people stuff that makes them need to use the bathroom, then charge them again to use it. 

They could put locks on the door that only open for customers, of course, but they don't want to deal with the hassle. 

I used a pay toilet once. Cost me a nickel, but it turned out to be a false alarm.  I was crestfallen.

 

[ghostguy123]

The only answer

I have seen this far too many times in person at my job.  God I love my job...................but sometimes it's a s####y job.

 

[sports_fan]

As a guy who has to occasionally make an emergency drop off at the pool I'm ashamed that I never thought of this. Hotels always have a lobby pooper. Just enter like you are staying there and do your business. Game changer.

Help yourself to the free breakfast as well 

 

[Johnny Rock]

As a guy who has to occasionally make an emergency drop off at the pool I'm ashamed that I never thought of this. Hotels always have a lobby pooper. Just enter like you are staying there and do your business. Game changer.

Help yourself to the free breakfast as well 

Nothing wrong with a quick workout, rejuvenating swim, hot tub and shower. Then coffee, some fruit and the USA Today before you get some work done on WiFi in the lobby.

 

[Vanilla Guerrilla]

Use the crapper, but the requirement is to give the store a 5 on their card or online survey.  Only way any place would get a 5 from me.

 

[JaxBill]

I'd pay but I'd be less likely to go back in the future. There's not much that annoys me more than being nickel and dimed.

Sounds like it would be even more painful to be Euro'ed.