Stores With "No Public Bathroom"

[nugov2]

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.

But it kinda is the issue. People are saying in some instances they or their child can't possibly hold it any longer and must use it now. If that is the case then should they expect to use an off limits washroom vs the further one and be upset if denied? How does the person telling the clerk their potty dancing child is going to go all over the floor could be right next to a store that will allow it , but people are saying a employee should ignore store policy in emergency situations, but should other place be obligated to do the same if they offer public ones further away, even if that results in an accident for child or adult? Again, I think that some places don't encourage the use of public bathrooms and those store most likely bend in a true emergency, but other places have strict policies in place for valid reasons and shouldn't be cast as the villains because of it.

 

[Kellykins1218]

I'm sorry but boycotting a store because they aren't set-up with a public restroom, and more than likely aren't allowed to let you go in the backroom to use the employee's one, is just stupid.

 

[kamik86]

I live in a fairly small town and most of our gas stations don't have bathrooms. A few of the bigger and newer ones do (like the new one that has a dunkin donuts inside does) but very few in general.

For stores only the bigger ones do there as well (Target, Walmart, home depot, the grocery stores that have a premade food section, etc do) Most of the smaller ones don't. Michaels I think is the only exception I can think of for a smaller store... but they have that craft room with classes so that is probably why.

 

[Kbee]

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

And looks like some don't understand the concept of "No Public Restroom" as well.

When I worked retail there was no way I would have let a child with an emergency back into our restroom. It was a stockroom, there were cleaning supplies and tools in our bathroom. Not to mention that the adult would have to be there also, makes two unauthorized people back there. I was not going to risk my job because some parent thought they'd tough arm their way into the bathroom with the threat of going on the floor in the store. And yes, luvsjack some companies take their liability issues very seriously. I guess that is another concept you don't quite understand.

 

[NewRVLady]

speaking of rural....DH and I just got back from a road trip up to the Berkshires....we stopped at a Connecticut State park _Kent Falls State park -to see a waterfall-next to the road.
Unlike the state parks we had stopped at driving from the south ALL the state parks in CT and MA were closed until mid May-which basically meant all the bathrooms locked....and we were in the middle of NOWHERE.

Went to back of the bathroom building, squatted and peed....had no other choice

 

[kamik86]

speaking of rural....DH and I just got back from a road trip up to the Berkshires....we stopped at a Connecticut State park _Kent Falls State park -to see a waterfall-next to the road.
Unlike the state parks we had stopped at driving from the south ALL the state parks in CT and MA were closed until mid May-which basically meant all the bathrooms locked....and we were in the middle of NOWHERE.

Went to back of the bathroom building, squatted and peed....had no other choice

As someone that lives in the berkshires things like this aren't rare... When camping I have noticed at night that most of the time only women walk to the bathroom men use the trees behind their campsite.

A local beer festival didn't have enough portable bathrooms last year. Those became mostly the woman's bathroom most of the men used the stream in the woods behind the field.

 

[Hrhpd]

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.

So, let me see if I am reading you right.

Your children are so special that you absolutely expect that rules should be broken for them.

You know better than the store's lawyers, insurance agencies and even possibly gov't safety regulations that the store is just using an excuse when they deny your children access to their off limits bathroom. They should not listen to their lawyers, insurance agents and possible gov't safety regulations, because under all circumstances, if your child is doing the pee-pee dance, they should make an exception to a rule they have in place. It is your child after all and you know they are just making excuses when they say no.

You expect a poor clerk to recognize how special your children are and go against the rules of his job, to ignore the lawyers, insurance agents, and safety regulations and make an exception for your children. And if a clerk does not risk their job by making an exception to the rules for your children, then they were a worthless employee anyway and the boss was looking for a way to fire them.

And if a clerk does not put their job at risk and make an exception (because you know the rules are meant to be broken for your children,) and your child does have an accident, you will be indignant and not help clean up the mess your child made.

 

[piccolopat]

...Why on earth would they choose a child vomitting all over the floor than letting them use the bathroom, or peeing or pooping?

Why should any employee risk their job by violating a policy just because you don't agree with it? If your child is sick or about to have an accident, the responsible thing to do once you learn there are no public facilities is to leave the store. That almost certainly would be quicker than arguing with the clerk and then getting back to an inaccessible bathroom and taking care of business. Why on earth would YOU choose to have your child vomit or have a bathroom accident on a store floor instead of waling out the door? As others have said, use your purse or even ask the clerk for a shopping bag to contain the mess. Then leave the premises and then take your child home to deal with the aftermath. YOU are responsible for your child and YOU are responsible for whatever mess occurs.

 

[piccolopat]

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

Actually, yes you can. If things are really that rural and access to a public restroom is in doubt, you can always use pull ups for kids or adult diapers for anyone older. People use them all the time for a variety of reasons.

 

[Luvchefmic]

That about sums it up Hrhpd. There was also the statement that she would throw the cleaning supplies back at the employee ( I forget which page that gem was on and I have to go feed a horse or a would look )

 

[Magic Band Defender]

I'm sorry but boycotting a store because they aren't set-up with a public restroom, and more than likely aren't allowed to let you go in the backroom to use the employee's one, is just stupid.

Why? If a particular merchant doesn't have something you require, why shop there? I have no interest in spending any amount of time in a building without a restroom, or heat in the winter, or a/c in the summer. If the customer is uncomfortable for whatever reason, it's senseless to continue to support that particular establishment.

 

[Hrhpd]

That about sums it up Hrhpd. There was also the statement that she would throw the cleaning supplies back at the employee ( I forget which page that gem was on and I have to go feed a horse or a would look )

I don't get it. I don't see a problem with asking if they can use a bathroom, even politely explaining the emergency. And I do believe that most stores that don't have liability issues would be flexible.

But to insist that stores that have these policies are all making excuses and to say that a clerk that says no is a worthless employee begging to be fired anyway is

If a clerk says "no," rather than throwing accusations and a hissy fit, just deal with it.

 

[declansdad]

 

[declansdad]

OP, does your daughter in law have IBS or celiac disease?

 

[wvjules]

I didn't read in the OP where it was an emergency situation so those arguments are irrelevant to the OP's DIL situation.

 

[Dawnlight]

How on earth did humanity survive without government safety regulations, liability concerns, and store policies that limited uses of bathrooms?

Oh, people used common sense and extended grace when asked to use bathroom facilities.

 

[BadPinkTink]

gosh we are up to 12 pages now... what an achievement

just thought of something

so lets say you bully the store person into bending the rules for you and lets you use the employee restroom, which is not for use by customers, for whatever reason, either a pee dancing projectile vomiting child or an adult who just has to go NOW, cos you know they are special and rules are there to be broken. So you are back there, doing your business and you trip over stock or slip on wet tiles and injure yourself. You naturally will then sue the store, but as the store insurance doesn't cover non employees in employee only areas, the store can't afford to pay the legal costs and ends up going out of business. Your insistence of bending the rules just this once, pretty please with a cherry ontop, has huge consequences for the store.

And if you say, oh no I wouldn't sue, you are just lying because I can guarantee that if you or your child were injured you would most defiantly sue

So just bare that in mind the next time you are refused the use of restroom by a store employee. They are not being mean, they have compassion its just that there may be a very valid reason why and that at the end of the day, keeping a business a float in these recession times means the business comes FIRST, not some over demanding customer

 

[nugov2]

How on earth did humanity survive without government safety regulations, liability concerns, and store policies that limited uses of bathrooms?

Oh, people used common sense and extended grace when asked to use bathroom facilities.

Sadly people who use others services don't always have grace and common sense and started suing people for everything. Now people have to deal with the consequences when places don't want to take on the extra liability. Lot's of things have changed since the good old days and you either take it as it is or go somewhere else. Arguing and threatening is certainly not showing grace or common sense.

 

[Jennasis]

How on earth did humanity survive without government safety regulations, liability concerns, and store policies that limited uses of bathrooms?

Oh, people used common sense and extended grace when asked to use bathroom facilities.

Unlike the alleged "good old days", we live in a litigious world now, and unfortunately precautions have to be taken.

 

[Dawnlight]

Sadly people who use others services don't always have grace and common sense and started suing people for everything. Now people have to deal with the consequences when places don't want to take on the extra liability. Lot's of things have changed since the good old days and you either take it as it is or go somewhere else. Arguing and threatening is certainly not showing grace or common sense.

I agree, it is sad. It's the same sort of thinking that has led us to having to take off our shoes to fly because of one shoe bomber.