Stores With "No Public Bathroom"

[luvsJack]

Or it could have been prevented by paying attention and getting him or her to a bathroom sooner instead of trying to bully a store clerk.

Since when did asking a question become bullying?

Paying attention. Kid standing at your side looking at clothes or whatever and a second later is dancing around. What eexactly should one be paying attention to?

 

[OurBigTrip]

In states like Florida, that's illegal:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ng=&URL=0500-0599/0509/Sections/0509.221.html
(2)(a) Each public lodging establishment and each public food service establishment shall maintain public bathroom facilities in accordance with the Florida Building Code as approved by the local building authority. The division shall establish by rule categories of establishments not subject to the bathroom requirement of this paragraph. Such rules may not alter the exemption provided for theme parks in paragraph (b).

I guess you didn't read the bolded part. The state can offer exemptions.

Do you have a citation of the law stating that hotels and restaurants must allow anyone other than customers and employees use their restrooms?

 

[jodifla]

I run the Chamber in Hillsboro. 90% of the time, we allow it to be used as a public restroom. But we have a LARGE arts & Crafts fair in September. For two days, we do NOT allow anyone (other than those in the office working) to use it. Are there other options? Yes. Could it be considered "mean?" Yes. But due to insurance and libilitiy issues, this is what my board has informed me of.

If there are other options available (I assume portapotties are brought in) I don't see how it's "mean."

For me, having bathroom access at a mall also counts as an available bathroom.

 

[jodifla]

I guess you didn't read the bolded part. The state can offer exemptions.

Do you have a citation of the law stating that hotels and restaurants must allow anyone other than customers and employees use their restrooms?

They can, but I've not seen it. Every place I've been that they serve food in Florida, they have a restroom open to the public. It really stood out to me when we went to Massachusetts and went to a pretty big shopping center that also had a coffee shop, but they told us there was no public restroom. So we left and didn't return.

 

[OurBigTrip]

Since when did asking a question become bullying?

Paying attention. Kid standing at your side looking at clothes or whatever and a second later is dancing around. What eexactly should one be paying attention to?

Telling a clerk that you're going to let your kid pee or poop in their store if they don't let you in the bathroom is bullying.

Paying attention as in if your kid is still potty training, it's prudent to either stop at the restroom frequently or if you don't want to do that, use Pull-Ups.

 

[OurBigTrip]

And apparently Florida law doesn't dictate that businesses have to open their restrooms up to non-customers.

"Florida law and building code require that lodging and food establishments maintain public bathrooms.

The state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation ensures bathrooms are in place and meet health standards.

"There are no Florida laws that give DBPR jurisdiction to regulate the use of an establishment's restrooms," DBPR spokesperson Chelsea Eagle said.

Lee County attorney Ben Yormak told me as long as business owners equally enforce the policy, they have the right to insist restrooms are for customers only. For example, you can't discriminate based on race."

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/25446355...ant-bathrooms-for-customers-only#.VUbgWHB_nIU

 

[nugov2]

Just to clarify, I never said anything about a potty training child or one in pull ups. A 6 year old can have emergencies and actually so can a 60 year old.

If I was standing there asking about a bathroom for a dancing kid, the clerk says no and the kid has an accident before I can get out the store, the clerk really doesn't want to hand me cleaning supplies.

Rules and policies are not written in blood. Exceptions can be made.

And if any one says their kids never had an accident or suddenly got sick in public you are either lying or looking back with rose colored glasses.

This whole bit about cleaning supplies and stock is excuses. I have been in stores with a bathroom for customer use that was in the stock room and had cleaning supplies.

And again if someone is fired for letting a customet use a restroom in an emergency, the boss was looking for a reason. Or he/she doesn't know the first thing about customer service.

Not every store is located where thwre are other options.

I have had plenty of accidents with my kids in public mostly of the puking nature and one of the potty nature. My youngest projectile vomits a lot. I try my best to read the signs and always handle the situation myself and would never expect a store clerk be responsible even if they denied me bathroom services. I do think most places would be accommodating unless there were truly legitimate reasons and assuming that reason is not valid is unreasonable. Most people with bathroom issues are proactive and people with small children would probably benefit from that as well. Of course there will always be a situation that springs up in our life, but I am doubtful it would happen without other options around or where you don't have a few minutes to find some place else to run in. If a bathroom issue is that urgent and you are in a store with this policy you are unlikely to make it in time anyway because of the extra time spent getting permission.

 

[nugov2]

Not all stores are located in a place where quick options are available.

At Disney the restrooms are located all over the park, you can take off running to one. Not the same as a little store sitting by itself or connected to three other stores with no customer bathroom.

What if the closest bathroom in disney was a CM only one behind the scenes and you asked to use it and they denied you access and pointed you to one a few minutes away. Are they being cruel or following protocol, because there are bathrooms for employees behind the scenes for employees only that in some instances are closer than the public ones.

 

[mommasita]

This isn't only limited to stores, although it is in this thread..

When you fly you can not use you can not use the washrooms while the seat belt sign is on, on some flights I have been on the turbulence has been so bad we couldn't use the washrooms for over an hour.. Not ideal, but I had to explain to my younger children (at the time)...

I just asked my daughter who recently started working at Chapters ( a book store in the mall).. They have a small washroom, and they were told if they allow anyone to use it they will be fired, as it located at the back, after the stockroom.. So while a lot are judging people who say no, keep in mind a lot are young kids just starting out, only following the rules..

 

[aaarcher86]

Not all stores are located in a place where quick options are available.

At Disney the restrooms are located all over the park, you can take off running to one. Not the same as a little store sitting by itself or connected to three other stores with no customer bathroom.

Then don't go to them if you have potty issues. I don't get why it matters.

I mentioned the barf because I've been in public with barfing, and some people here (maybe even you) seem to think people who are siding with the business have never been in a bodily fluid emergency. The popcorn incident wasn't at Disney. They're just examples of me taking care of my own **** and not expecting some kind of accommodation from strangers.

 

[UConnLovesDisney]

Not sure why this thread inspired me to come out of lurkdom but I thought I might offer my own personal experience so here I go…

I recently worked in a bank, a very small branch that had no public restrooms. We had an employee restroom that was located in a back area inaccessible to customers and kept locked at all times. Under no circumstances were we to let anyone but employees use this restroom.

Common sense would tell me that a financial institution that holds 10’s of thousands of $$ on premises would frown on customers in restricted areas. Yet customers yelled at us countless times for denying them access. And not just yelling, but name-calling, threatening to close accounts, report me etc.

In order for me to let someone use our restroom I would have to come out from behind the bulletproof glass and lead the individual to an area where we wouldn’t be visible. That is a HUGE security risk.

And yes I could 100% be fired for this. And no, not because my boss was looking for a “reason.” I could be the best teller that branch ever saw but I would be gone in an instant.

It’s not worth it to risk my job and the safety of my co-workers and customers because someone didn’t plan their bathroom breaks. If that makes me a horrible person so be it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If my child had an accident because I did nothing to prevent it or had not taken the child to the bathroom in a long stretch of time, sure I would clean it up.

If my child suddenly had to go right away and I asked and then the accident happened on the way out, nope. I will take care of my kid. In that scenario, the accident could have been prevented by the clerk.

I had a response, but finished reading the thread first. See posts from mommasita and UConnLovesDisney (page 11 right now) for actual employer policies and the resulting punishment for making any exception.

In states like Florida, that's illegal:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes...ng=&URL=0500-0599/0509/Sections/0509.221.html
(2)(a) Each public lodging establishment and each public food service establishment shall maintain public bathroom facilities in accordance with the Florida Building Code as approved by the local building authority. The division shall establish by rule categories of establishments not subject to the bathroom requirement of this paragraph. Such rules may not alter the exemption provided for theme parks in paragraph (b).

Public food service establishment = restaurant, not convenience store.

They can, but I've not seen it. Every place I've been that they serve food in Florida, they have a restroom open to the public. It really stood out to me when we went to Massachusetts and went to a pretty big shopping center that also had a coffee shop, but they told us there was no public restroom. So we left and didn't return.

Which shopping center? The coffee shop may not have had one, but the shopping center would have.

 

[starlionblue]

Ha! You should come to Europe some time. Hardly any stores, or even restaurants have public bathrooms. I have small children, and we have learned to go before we leave the house and dehydrate ourselves to avoid going to the public pay toilets (absolutely disgusting) that only the homeless are brave enough to use.

Um, so what countries were you in? I've been to Germany, England, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy and all the pay toilets were in decent shape (no excrement on the floor/toilet or overwhelming smell). Only once did I see a bathroom as bad as the ones in my city (it was a public bathroom by the autobahn in Germany). Of all the countries, Germany tended to have the worst bathrooms and Switzerland the best with England somewhere in the middle. But only one was particularly bad/smelly.

 

[luvsJack]

Telling a clerk that you're going to let your kid pee or poop in their store if they don't let you in the bathroom is bullying.

Paying attention as in if your kid is still potty training, it's prudent to either stop at the restroom frequently or if you don't want to do that, use Pull-Ups.

I never said I would tell them that.

I never mentioned a child who is potty training. I actually specifically said I wasn't talking about a child who is potty training. Believe me I have potty trained enough kids to know how its done.

 

[firecracker725]

Um, so what countries were you in? I've been to Germany, England, Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy and all the pay toilets were in decent shape (no excrement on the floor/toilet or overwhelming smell). Only once did I see a bathroom as bad as the ones in my city (it was a public bathroom by the autobahn in Germany). Of all the countries, Germany tended to have the worst bathrooms and Switzerland the best with England somewhere in the middle. But only one was particularly bad/smelly.

I live in France and not in a touristy area.

 

[JanaDee]

I don't think some of you have any idea what rural means.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I had to come see how this thread is up to 11 pages

 

[luvsJack]

What if the closest bathroom in disney was a CM only one behind the scenes and you asked to use it and they denied you access and pointed you to one a few minutes away. Are they being cruel or following protocol, because there are bathrooms for employees behind the scenes for employees only that in some instances are closer than the public ones.

Disney, a mall and other places that have public restrooms vs some employee only restrooms are not the same thing.

An airplane that doesn't let you get up while the seatbelt light is on is not the same thing.

A bank or type of business that you go in for 5 minutes is not the same thing. Although I have witnessed a loan officer come out of their office and escort a distressed mom and dancing kid to the restroom

A self standing store or group of small stores without customer bathrooms are well aware if there is another one close by. And if an employer doesn't give their staff enough credit to recognize someone in an emergency bathroom situation, I can't imagine why they hired them in the first place. Policies are still not written in blood. Why on earth would they choose a child vomitting all over the floor than letting them use the bathroom, or peeing or pooping?

Actually, this isn't even an issue here. Most places have them. Those that don't will allow someone in a bad situation to use what they do have. Of course I can't say its 100% of places but have either witnessed them allowing someone or been allowed to take my own child enough that I can say most of the places I have shopped do.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Like I said, she is a "rural" mail delivery person. She delivers mail out in the country areas. There are very, very few places of business on any of her routes (she's a substitute and works in many different towns in our area, plus works in the post offices as well) and she probably wouldn't knock on someone's door, that she is delivering mail to, to ask if she can use their bathroom.

Duh. That's what the front lawn is for.

 

[luvsJack]

I don't think some of you have any idea what rural means.

And don't understand that you cannot plan for an emergency bathroom need.