# No public restroom



## wemoon (Aug 31, 2002)

Here is a letter that I am sending to my editor today, about an incident that happened today. I would be very pleased if others would be willing to send similar letters to their editors. I'm sick of not being able to pee when I need to.

Letter to the editor:

I'm writing in response to an epidemic that is sweeping our nation, and more localized, our city of -----. I was out shopping with my children, ages 3 and 5, when my 3 year old son had to use the bathroom at the local Family Dollar. I was told by the person who was working that we could not use their bathroom. I left my shopping cart of stuff and told them that it was wrong to deny a person the use of a bathroom for a basic human need. I will no longer shop in their store until they open up their restroom for the public.

This has been happening at more and more establishments. I do not understand how anyone can deny a person the right to eliminate when they need too, and especially for a 3 year old child. How am I to explain to my 3 year old, recently toilet trained child, that they have to hold it until we are someplace else? This is a basic human function that no one should have to hold in.

I am calling on all everyone to boycott stores who will not allow the public the use of their restroom. It is not a humane to cut off restroom facilities to your patrons, the very people who keep your business alive.

Thank you for your time and consideration for your newspaper,
Jeni


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

I sure hope they don't say "Have your child go before you leave the house" the way some lame-o's are likely to. It's not reasonable to make a child eliminate when he doesn't have to.

Stores are required to have an employee bathroom. How much trouble can it be to let a customer use it? Especially since it's not very often that people have to go to the bathroom in a store.

I can tell you what I did once when a store denied me use of a restroom, but it's illegal.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

When my son was potty training and a Salvation Army wouldn't let him use the bathroom, he let go right there and peed on their floor. Guess who didn't even help clean it up?
Annette


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## darkpear (Jul 22, 2003)

Some small businesses (like my dp's work) don't allow the public to use their restrooms because any public restroom has to be handicapped accessible, which may require extensive renovations in an older building.

It does seem awfully strange at a Family Dollar though.


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

We should all have a mass pee-in!


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## wemoon (Aug 31, 2002)

The really weird thing is that the Family Dollar USED to allow the public to use their restroom, but now don't! I really just cannot stand it that businesses do this. I can understand not advertising the fact that you have a bathroom if you don't want the general public to use it, but if someone asks? And expresses a great need to do so? Like imagine being in there with diarrhea or something? It is just really wrong.


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## girlzmommy00 (May 15, 2003)

I was refused use of a bathroom in a store when my oldest was 3.

I politely told them that they had a choice....
a) let her use the bathroom they had or
b) clean up what she does on the floor

Interestingly, everyone went for choice A.


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## sleeping queen (Nov 10, 2003)

I'm going to defend the store because at two places I worked I had to clean up after people used the public restroom and you can't imagine the mess some very rude, inconsiderate people leave in a public restroom. I understand what a major pain this is because I have an overactive bladder.


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## darkpear (Jul 22, 2003)

I think it's more a liability issue, since the people cleaning the restrooms aren't (usually) the ones who get to decide whether they're to be open to the public or not.

Honestly, I can see both sides. As a mom with a small child myself I think it sucks when large stores don't have public restrooms, although TBH I can't think of any locally that don't. I have been to places where they won't give you the key to the restroom unless you buy something, and that sucks too. But I can understand why a smaller business would not be willing or able to provide a public restroom, or to make exceptions about letting people use their employee restroom which isn't up to code as a public restroom.

Please don't get me wrong. I think that stores ought to provide public restrooms; I think there ought to be more and better public restrooms in general. But we do live in a rather sue-happy society and it's more complicated than it may at first appear for a business to provide public restrooms.


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## tsfairy (May 19, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *darkpear*
I think it's more a liability issue, since the people cleaning the restrooms aren't (usually) the ones who get to decide whether they're to be open to the public or not.

Unfortunately, in many retail environments, it's the store staff that does ALL the cleaning, including the restrooms. I've had to clean up some nasty bathrooms after customers used them.







:


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## darkpear (Jul 22, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tsfairy*
Unfortunately, in many retail environments, it's the store staff that does ALL the cleaning, including the restrooms. I've had to clean up some nasty bathrooms after customers used them.







:

Yep - I have too (worked at a gas station for a while... I didn't know it was possible to crap on the walls before I had that job) - that was kinda my point, I guess I didn't word it well. It's usually the owners or management who make the call on whether to have public restrooms or not, but it's the grunts who do the cleaning.


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## jeca (Sep 21, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Greaseball*
We should all have a mass pee-in!


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## JessicaS (Nov 18, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *darkpear*
Some small businesses (like my dp's work) don't allow the public to use their restrooms because any public restroom has to be handicapped accessible, which may require extensive renovations in an older building.

It does seem awfully strange at a Family Dollar though.

This is true, I work in a small retail shop and while we *do* let people use our bathroom, we don't have a "restroom" sign because our bathroom isn't set up to be handicapped accessible. They would have to widen a couple of doorways for it to be technically a "public restroom".

There seem to be some rules about "public restroom" and requiring them to be accessible to the handicapped. While I can understand this, I am not sure who they plan on having pay for the renovations as many small buisnesses are not able to do so.


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## magnoliablue (Dec 29, 2002)

While I understand the handicap accessible issue, when the employee clearly sees it is a child in need, I cannot believe they would turn the child away. I am so glad this has not happened to my kids..none of them are very good at holding it...and I would not be the one cleaning up after them, be sure of that







..it is true though, that I have been in public restrooms that are absolutely disgusting, it amazes me that a person would leave a place in that way, and really makes me ill at the thought about what their own bathrooms at home look like.


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## sincitymama (Sep 20, 2003)

There can also be issues about allowing customers into the back room where merchandise is stored. People could steal things more easily, or hurt themselves if there's a mess (from organizing or recieving a shipment, say)anywhere. I've worked in smaller retail places and while if there was a kid about to pee on the floor we were allowed to allow it, but an employee had to leave the floor to walk them back there, wait outside, and walk them back, so that the customer was in eyeshot the entire time (except while peeing of course). Try to keep in mind also that while it does suck to not have bathroom access, usually the person you're talking to does not have the authority to bend those rules. If the manager is right there they can make those decisions, but us grunts running the register or stocking the shelves could get in trouble for breaking the rules or overstepping bounds.


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## wemoon (Aug 31, 2002)

I agree with all the comments made about sueing, disgusting people etc. It just saddens me to no end that our society is like this. Businesses can't allow people to perform a basic bodily function because our society has gone to shit.


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## 2tadpoles (Aug 8, 2004)

Every Family Dollar I've ever been in has been in a seedy part of town. In those areas, having a public restroom can often mean that people will come into your place of business ONLY to use the restroom. Owners don't want their stores to become rest areas for the general public.

That being said, I feel for anyone who is refused access to a restroom. The only place that has ever happened to me was in school.


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## merpk (Dec 19, 2001)

Haven't had too many incidents with my children in public/stores yet. We've got a few 'strategic' public restrooms nearby ... our library, the Barnes&Noble a few blocks up, and so on ... but I had a few of them during my pregnancies while not in the immediate neighborhood. Amazing how many businesses won't let a very obviously very pregnant (and very incontinent) person in their bathrooms, either.

Am sympathizing with the employees, though. We once went into a Noodle Kadoodle toy store bathroom, and there were not one, but two poops on the floor. Two.

Am totally understanding that small businesses have a different situation. But a Family Dollar, like a supermarket, or a large chain store (Gap or some such) should be required to have public bathrooms. Or do they already??


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

I completely can see why lots of stores don't have public bathrooms. But what gets to me and when a little kid is doing the potty dance and they don't have the kindness in their hearts to bend the rules. When we at the Salvation Army and they wouldn't let Michael pee, I was so busy giving them a piece of my mind- after all, the was supposedly a Christian organization- would Jesus turn away a child in need?- that he went on the floor. Luckily I just bought him a cheap pair of pants.


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## ladyshah (Apr 5, 2004)

In NY a lot of places do that to avoid homeless people coming in from the streets to use the bathroom (Yes, it sounds elitist on the store's part, because not all homeless people want to cause harm or are crawling with disease.







: ).

Other places just say "Restroom for paying customers only." It's annoying to be walking and be forced to either spend money so your kids can go, or not let them go at all.


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## menudo (May 21, 2002)

Quote:

Every Family Dollar I've ever been in has been in a seedy part of town.
Uhoh! I live near 4 Family Dollars!!!!!!!!!! lol But they do have a no public use rule in all of ours but let DD once and it was gross. The employees smoked in there and it was just nasty...


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## Houdini (Jul 14, 2004)

I always took a potty chair with me in the car when my kids were first learning to go. I got the idea from a friend. It worked out so well on more than one occasion. We mainly used it at the parks, but had it if necessary for other times.


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

I think cities should just provide more public restrooms that are available 24 hours. I think all cities have laws against public urination/defecation but it's mostly homeless people who get arrested for that since they have nowhere to go. There are park bathrooms, but those aren't usually open 24 hours a day, so in the middle of the night they just have to go to the bushes and if they are unlucky someone will see them.

Even the homeless shelters only offer the bathroom to those who are staying in the shelter.









It can even be one of those little crappy portable toilets; just give the people a place to go!


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## hjohnson (Mar 2, 2004)

I wish more towns here in the states were like the city Odessa, Ukraine. Odessa has public restrooms throughout the city that you have to pay a small fee to use but they are nice and clean. The two times I visited there, I never had to worry about trying to find a restroom.

I myself had one time where I was refused the use of a bathroom. I am 9 months pregnant and my DH, DS, and I were at Carowinds Amusement Park here in Charlotte. They have a baby care center complete with two high chairs, mini fridge, two screened rocking chairs for nursing, a changing area, and two restrooms for children that are a bit older. Throughout this whole pregnancy, any time we went in to change our son's diaper, they were more than willing to let me use one of the restrooms. Two weeks ago, we changed our son and me being 9 months pregnant, really had to go so I asked if I could use the restroom. The employee takes one look at me and gave me the snarky reply of "The restroom is for young children only!" Excuse me! The baby care center wasn't busy at all. What about the parents that bring their children in to use the restroom. Are you going to storm in there and prevent the parent from using the toilet? I gave her an ugly look and stalked out of there to find another restroom for me to use.


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## CerridwenLorelei (Aug 28, 2002)

Only ONE place has a public restroom on their square. All other places state "no public restroom -public restrooms are located at the fire station"
Which at one point was too far for me to walk being several blocks away ..luckily I wasn't far from the ONE eatery/store that had one
I am fortunate I carry card due to my IC that if I am denied they can be in trouble under the disabilities act...
I think Greaseball has it that there should be more available
heck I am willing to pay taxes for that !!!!


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## menudo (May 21, 2002)

Once while preggo (but not yet showing) I had to pee baddddd! We were in a not so nice unfamilair neighborhhod and noone would let me pee, so I ran into a police station and saw an open bathroom. Just went in. N ofreakin'lie Ilook down and there is a bag (small) of cocain on the floor. I was so scared. I ran out of there-after pee-ing of course!


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## wemoon (Aug 31, 2002)

Here is an article I saw today: http://www.nbc5.com/health/3663327/detail.html


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## 2tadpoles (Aug 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *bebesho2*
Uhoh! I live near 4 Family Dollars!!!!!!!!!! lol

Oops! Sorry.









Really, though.... I never heard of Family Dollar until I left home. I don't think there are any nearby here, either. But I've been in Family Dollar in Wisconsin, Virginia, DC, and Ohio, and they were all in the 'hood. The one in DC even had closed-circuit cameras and bars on the windows.

I know, I know... it's anecdotal.


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## sunnmama (Jul 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Houdini*
I always took a potty chair with me in the car when my kids were first learning to go. I got the idea from a friend. It worked out so well on more than one occasion. We mainly used it at the parks, but had it if necessary for other times.

Yes, we did this too--but mostly because dd refused to use anything but that chair :LOL We carried it for months, and then transitioned to just the removable seat....I thought she'd never sit on a public potty :LOL

Anyway, I can understand having an official stance of "employee restroom only", largely because many of these restrooms are ill-placed (have to walk thru the stock room, for instance, which would be unsafe for customer traffic). But, for decency's sake, if someone is uncomfortable enough to ask to use the employee bathroom, make an exception! Wouldn't common sense tell us this? Something tells me that lawsuits might be an issue.....(meaning, walking customers thru areas that are not officially "safe" for customers).


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## eclipse (Mar 13, 2003)

can you believe i was a *picture People* of all places and they wouldn't let my son use their restroom?!?!


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

I just read that article.







I hope that manager guy had to clean up all the diarrhea!

I think every pregnant woman should have one of those cards. I remember getting a horrible kidney infection after being told to hold it.


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## CerridwenLorelei (Aug 28, 2002)

I think every pregnant woman should have one of those cards"

no no no

I wouldn't wish IC on anyone ( ok maybe exdh jk) esp a pregnant woman


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

No, I meant pg women should have a card that gets them access to restrooms, not that they should have that horrible disease! :LOL


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## CerridwenLorelei (Aug 28, 2002)

and mimics Homer
DOH!
Duh I should have caught that just slow today ..


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## girlzmommy00 (May 15, 2003)

Quote:

But a Family Dollar, like a supermarket, or a large chain store (Gap or some such) should be required to have public bathrooms. Or do they already??
I used to work at the Gap. It was a free standing store (not in an indoor mall) and we did have a public bathroom. We also got a lot of bathroom traffic since we were one of the only stores with a public bathroom.
It was in my dept so I was also responsible for the bathroom. Thankfully after having 3 children, bathrooms don't bother me much but those people really pushed the limits. The worst was the person who tried to flush a disposable diaper in the toilet. We had to call a plumber. Though that was a bathroom used by employees as well and they weren't any neater in the bathroom. The only other problem was that people would use the bathroom to steal items. I had to watch that they weren't bringing anything in with them.

In the local town area, where stores are and a few parks, there is no public bathoom anywhere. There is a hospital and I've often taken the girls to the ER to use the bathroom. I explain to the person at the desk what I'm doing and just go in. Hey, that is an emergency!


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