Stores With "No Public Bathroom"

[luvsJack]

So one professor doesn't follow the rules and one does. Either it is a rule or it is not.

No, the same instructor can make a different decision on different students, its all dependent on the student and the situation.

It is a policy. But, exceptions can and are made.

 

[scrapquitler]

LOL!! I thought I was the only person that did this.
I have the most awesome portable toilet that I bought from Babies R Us 14 years ago, and I used the heck out of it.
It came in so handy when we went to carnivals, parades, and anywhere that people use port-a-potties (I hated putting my 3-5 year olds on those things)
It also came in handy when we'd be out running errands, and had no bathroom.
I loved it so much that I saved it so I can use it when I have grandkids (I've never seen another thing like it).
It was one of the best $25 I ever spent

I had one when my kids were little and we used it all the time! It was very handy since we travel a lot in areas where I was unfamiliar with the locations of restrooms (and frankly, the ones I knew of were few and far between).

 

[Dawnlight]

For all you DIY DISers; maybe this is the solution.

 

[wvjules]

^ I saw one of those at a wedding once. lol

 

[sam_gordon]

No, the same instructor can make a different decision on different students, its all dependent on the student and the situation.

It is a policy. But, exceptions can and are made.

Yes, a store (or an employee) can decide to make an exception. However, they shouldn't feel pressured or guilted into doing so. I have no problem asking to use the restroom if there was an emergency. But I'm not going to throw a fit (or even post on the Dis) if I'm told "no".

Each business gets to decide what their policies are and whether exceptions can be made. Each "customer" can decide whether to frequent that store. It's really that simple.

 

[verleniahall]

And just leave the lying there while they wait?

The thing is, if you tried to help, you coudl injure them MORE than they are, and could potentially get sued. Now, since the Dh is military and they are emt/emeregancy management certified, then the dh MUST respond if first on a scene but me - i stay in the car and out of the way. i am not trianed to do ANYTHING (except maybe be in the way or faint from the blood if involved)

lovesjack - you really just have to come around to the idea that some businesses have (and CAN) chosen/choose to NOT let the public use a restroom.

 

[Wendy31]

Here's my point -

Would it be nice if every place had a public restroom? Yes.

Would it be nice if an employee at a location w/o a public restroom made an exception & let you use the employees' private restroom if you asked if you were sick, w/ a child who really had to go, etc.? Yes.

But sometimes situations are not always as nice as we would like for them to be.

We cannot assume that exceptions will always be made for us. We have to take responsibility for ourselves & for our children.

Is it okay to ask if you can use a "not-for-public-use" restroom? Absolutely.

However, if someone asks to use a private restroom facility & he/she is told, "No, I'm sorry," what then gives that person the right to start demanding an exception be made?

Why is it okay to make threats - "If you don't let me use the restroom, then I'm going to be sick all over your floor." "If you don't let my child use your restroom, then he's gonna pee all over your floor."

Why is it okay to say, "If my child did have an accident & the employee handed me cleaning supplies, I'd throw the cleaning supplies back at the employee"?

Why is it okay to continually berate & harangue & guilt someone (whoever - teacher, receptionist, cashier, server...) into giving you your way/what you want?

Is that how you would wish to be treated?

"If I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone."

"You don't have to do it for everyone. Just me. In my special situation."

I don't think that kind of attitude is very fair or kind.

We've all been in emergency situations. It's nice if exceptions are made, but you can't bank your life on exceptions always being made.

(And, yes, I have 3 children. And, yes, I know what "rural" is.)

 

[luvsJack]

Yes, a store (or an employee) can decide to make an exception. However, they shouldn't feel pressured or guilted into doing so. I have no problem asking to use the restroom if there was an emergency. But I'm not going to throw a fit (or even post on the Dis) if I'm told "no".

Each business gets to decide what their policies are and whether exceptions can be made. Each "customer" can decide whether to frequent that store. It's really that simple.

No, I wouldn't pressure anyone , and I wouldn't guilt anyone. More of a "do you have a restroom?" (with my dancing child standing there), employee says "no". "She really has to go, where is the closest one I can get her to". If they make an exception that's great, if they don't and she pees before we get out the door, well, sorry but we are headed out of the store.

I don't throw fits with employees of anyone, if I am going to throw a fit about something, it will be with someone who can actually do something.

 

[Hrhpd]

No, the same instructor can make a different decision on different students, its all dependent on the student and the situation.

It is a policy. But, exceptions can and are made.

But the TA can't make that exception, much like a clerk cannot make an exception the the rules as given to him/her. The owner of the store can make a decision as to whether he wants to risk liability, but a clerk, they have no authority to make that exception.

I am still blown away that you would be so indignant that somebody didn't break the rules for you that you would not clean up after your child. You expect somebody else to clean up the biowaste of your child.

 

[luvsJack]

The thing is, if you tried to help, you coudl injure them MORE than they are, and could potentially get sued. Now, since the Dh is military and they are emt/emeregancy management certified, then the dh MUST respond if first on a scene but me - i stay in the car and out of the way. i am not trianed to do ANYTHING (except maybe be in the way or faint from the blood if involved)

lovesjack - you really just have to come around to the idea that some businesses have (and CAN) chosen/choose to NOT let the public use a restroom.

I just meant someone who fell on the sidewalk, not someone fell from the roof or some such. Like fell and now their leg is bleeding. Not life or death.

And I am now truly amazed that anyone would say they would just make a call and let them lay there and bleed. Truly? That is what any of you would do? Not run out and even say "are you ok?" Nothing, just let them lay there? Wow. Such humanity!

They can choose whatever they want. Doesn't change my opinion. Doesn't change what I would do if given the situation.

 

[OurBigTrip]

No, I wouldn't pressure anyone , and I wouldn't guilt anyone. More of a "do you have a restroom?" (with my dancing child standing there), employee says "no". "She really has to go, where is the closest one I can get her to". If they make an exception that's great, if they don't and she pees before we get out the door, well, sorry but we are headed out of the store.

I don't throw fits with employees of anyone, if I am going to throw a fit about something, it will be with someone who can actually do something.

Nice. She pees on the floor, and you leave the mess for someone else to clean up.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Here's my point -

Would it be nice if every place had a public restroom? Yes.

Would it be nice if an employee at a location w/o a public restroom made an exception & let you use the employees' private restroom if you asked if you were sick, w/ a child who really had to go, etc.? Yes.

But sometimes situations are not always as nice as we would like for them to be.

We cannot assume that exceptions will always be made for us. We have to take responsibility for ourselves & for our children.

Is it okay to ask if you can use a "not-for-public-use" restroom? Absolutely.

However, if someone asks to use a private restroom facility & he/she is told, "No, I'm sorry," what then gives that person the right to start demanding an exception be made?

Why is it okay to make threats - "If you don't let me use the restroom, then I'm going to be sick all over your floor." "If you don't let my child use your restroom, then he's gonna pee all over your floor."

Why is it okay to say, "If my child did have an accident & the employee handed me cleaning supplies, I'd throw the cleaning supplies back at the employee"?

Why is it okay to continually berate & harangue & guilt someone (whoever - teacher, receptionist, cashier, server...) into giving you your way/what you want?

Is that how you would wish to be treated?

"If I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone."

"You don't have to do it for everyone. Just me. In my special situation."

I don't think that kind of attitude is very fair or kind.

We've all been in emergency situations. It's nice if exceptions are made, but you can't bank your life on exceptions always being made.

(And, yes, I have 3 children. And, yes, I know what "rural" is.)

 

[Hrhpd]

I said its not an issue HERE. And this thread is about a store in a rural area. If you have ever been in a rural area you would no there likely is not another bathroom further away.

But in a rural store, there may not be another store for a few miles. Or I know close to here there are three little stores grouped together and nothing else nearby. That is a whole diferent situation than a place where you can run next door.

And that is exactly the solution to the OP's question.

To get back on topic, the OP's DIL was upset because she was refused access to a convenience store on a regular route she does. It was not an emergency. The DIL is now boycotting the store because they told her no.

Mi Grandma stated that she thought EVERY store and public place like the vet should allow bathroom access.

If the DIL has a regular route, then she too knows the 3 stores grouped together where she can go to the bathroom. She can make use of those.

 

[Wendy31]

I just meant someone who fell on the sidewalk, not someone fell from the roof or some such. Like fell and now their leg is bleeding. Not life or death.

And I am now truly amazed that anyone would say they would just make a call and let them lay there and bleed. Truly? That is what any of you would do? Not run out and even say "are you ok?" Nothing, just let them lay there? Wow. Such humanity!

They can choose whatever they want. Doesn't change my opinion. Doesn't change what I would do if given the situation.

A great lesson I've learned in life is that not everyone I encounter is going to act like I would in any particular situation.

(Example - My DH would give up his seat on a bus for a lady. Not every man does. I don't get on a full bus expecting every man to jump up & offer me a seat.)

It doesn't matter what I would do.

If I were an employee of a store w/ no public restroom, & you asked me if you could use our private restroom because you were sick or your child really had to go, I'd probably let you - depending on the store's rules, etc.

But that doesn't mean everyone would.

If I were an employee & someone fell right outside of my store & was lying there bleeding, at the very least, I'd go check on the person.

But another person might not.

I can't go around expecting every person to behave or act the way I would or the way I *think* they should. I can't live my life depending on exceptions to be made for me or for my children - even if I would grant those exceptions to someone else.

And it doesn't mean I get to react rudely or unkindly just because the person didn't treat me like I thought they should or give me the exception that I thought was warranted.

 

[Dawnlight]

The point I think some of us are trying to make is that sometimes you need to be smart, not right.

For example; when I drive I see so many people who don't understand the difference between yield and merge. I'm trucking along the highway at speed limit (as I'm sure everyone here does, too, as everyone here is a rule follower, no exceptions allowed EVER) and lo and behold, some person entering the on ramp, instead of yielding (go if clear, slow or stop if necessary) are merging, so I need to brake to accommodate their breaking the rule of the road. I could just keep on going, disregarding them entirely, and say to myself that I'm right and I'm following policy/law, but I would be stupid, as I am also putting myself - in addition to the other driver- at risk for collision. I'd rather be smart, in this case, than right.

Same goes for bathroom usage. I would not make demands or demean a person, but I do question the idea that more people can't discern between being smart (and kind) and being right.

 

[sam_gordon]

No, I wouldn't pressure anyone , and I wouldn't guilt anyone. More of a "do you have a restroom?" (with my dancing child standing there), employee says "no". "She really has to go, where is the closest one I can get her to". If they make an exception that's great, if they don't and she pees before we get out the door, well, sorry but we are headed out of the store.

I don't throw fits with employees of anyone, if I am going to throw a fit about something, it will be with someone who can actually do something.

And in the amount of time it took you to try to convince the clerk to allow something s/he already said "no" to, you would have been out of the store. Even if she had said "yes" the second time you asked, if your child couldn't hold it until you got out of the store, she's not going to hold it until you get to the bathroom.

 

[galaxygirl76]

Where I'm from(I'm Dutch) you have to pay to use bathrooms in stores if they even had public restrooms, and also in some fast food restaurants. I remember that a few years before I moved to the US McD's started charging for use of their rest rooms because I always hopped in there to go whenever I was out shopping in a city because it was one of the few that were free(I usually also ate there). When I was a kid there would be a lady sitting near the entrance with a plate where you put the money on, that lady was in charge of keeping things clean in there. You learn in a hurry to always carry change around. Coming to the US really opened my eyes to how wonderful it is to have public restrooms available at quite a bit of places.

 

[OurBigTrip]

And in the amount of time it took you to try to convince the clerk to allow something s/he already said "no" to, you would have been out of the store. Even if she had said "yes" the second time you asked, if your child couldn't hold it until you got out of the store, she's not going to hold it until you get to the bathroom.

Yeah, but by arguing about it, she can leave a mess for the poor clerk to clean up.

 

[kamik86]

The point I think some of us are trying to make is that sometimes you need to be smart, not right.

For example; when I drive I see so many people who don't understand the difference between yield and merge. I'm trucking along the highway at speed limit (as I'm sure everyone here does, too, as everyone here is a rule follower, no exceptions allowed EVER) and lo and behold, some person entering the on ramp, instead of yielding (go if clear, slow or stop if necessary) are merging, so I need to brake to accommodate their breaking the rule of the road. I could just keep on going, disregarding them entirely, and say to myself that I'm right and I'm following policy/law, but I would be stupid, as I am also putting myself - in addition to the other driver- at risk for collision. I'd rather be smart, in this case, than right.

Same goes for bathroom usage. I would not make demands or demean a person, but I do question the idea that more people can't discern between being smart (and kind) and being right.

I guess the question of what is smart is different for different people. I would say that if breaking a policy at your work has any chance to wind up with you being fired its smart to not break that policy unless the situation is worth losing your job TO YOU.

There are some situations that are against company policies at places I have worked that WOULD be worth risking losing my job over. For example I worked at a place where policy stated you stayed not just until the end of your shift or got management permission to leave. I can think of a few circumstances that I would be leaving whether management gave me permission or not. (Say my husband or parents were in a serious accident)

However someone child or not peeing themselves or puking on the floor. Wouldn't be worth losing my job over. Even if I ended up having to clean it up.

If I was actually medically trained to help someone that was seriously injured helping them would be worth possibly losing my job as the guilt if something worse happened that I could have stopped would be much worse... but for someone that as the poster said wasn't serious but they were just bleeding... nope not worth it. Frankly I have fallen in parking lots and caused myself to bleed... including the parking lot of my work and never expected anyone to come help me. I fell it hurt I got up and took care of myself.

 

[nugov2]

No, I wouldn't pressure anyone , and I wouldn't guilt anyone. More of a "do you have a restroom?" (with my dancing child standing there), employee says "no". "She really has to go, where is the closest one I can get her to". If they make an exception that's great, if they don't and she pees before we get out the door, well, sorry but we are headed out of the store.

I don't throw fits with employees of anyone, if I am going to throw a fit about something, it will be with someone who can actually do something.

Why wouldn't you help clean it up? Why would you punish the employee? Again back to my disney reference, if your child was sick or an immediate potty emergency came up too far from a public bathroom and a CM wouldn't let you use the employee one right there would you be upset with them? If your child's bodily fluids spewed out because of it would you do something or just walk away because it was there fault for not granting you access to the employee area? If it isn't unreasonable for them to deny you why is is unreasonable for someone else? Either way not trying to help clean up is disgusting.