Restrooms, Convenience and Cost
During my marathon 2500+ mile relocation from southwestern Arizona to north of Baltimore last June, I did a fairly good job timing restroom breaks with meal and/or fuel stops. When you are paying $50-60 to top off your UHaul tank, the least you expect is a visit to their facilities. Still, apparently that expectation doesn't hold true in some areas of the country. When I drove to attend my last aunt's funeral late last summer, I stopped off a few miles short of my aunt's house and entered the convenience store, couldn't see a bathroom. The owner or manager couldn't have cared less (I'm pretty sure that he had to relieve himself during his shift, maybe a restroom in the back); he wasn't that helpful in suggesting an alternatives, indifferently referencing a couple of local fast food restaurants (as if I were a local).The worst case I can recall is on the DC-area Metro system. You won't, of course, find facilities on a train--but not even in the stations. A few years back, my niece's college orchestra was on a concert tour, including an night appearance at a hall several blocks away from Metro station. The blocks were dark all the way to the hall--no chance to stop off to relieve myself on the way to the hall. I had to plead with a reluctant agent at the station for access to an available employee restroom.
A lot of buildings (especially in the DC area) don't want to encourage local residents to use facilities meant for the convenience and safety of their tenants. So as I've gone to innumerable buildings for meetings or interview, I've had to ask for codes or keys. I can't say I've seen that practice at fast food places, but I seldom eat fast food, mostly when I travel or occasionally if I forget to brown bag it to work. I don't usually use a fast food place's facilities, but I've never had an issue with buying something if I wanted to use accommodations meant for the convenience of their customers.
This, of course, is leading to a discussion of the recent Starbucks Philadelphia kerfuffle where two black men, apparently waiting for a friend, refused to buy something and apparently wanted the code for the restroom. They refused to leave.; police finally arrived and gave them 3 chances to leave before finally arresting them. Various "progressives" objected to the arrest arguing they "weren't doing anything"; yeah, that's sort of the point. They were trespassing. I think the police commissioner pointed out they treat trespass complaints on an equal basis; even police officers have similarly been denied "free" access to restrooms.
It's so sad that a movement that once stood for the right to eat at a restaurant has now devolved into a movement to trespass in a restaurant, which makes private property a joke.
The Starbucks CEO quickly threw his own managers under the bus, has apologized to the "victim" trespassers and has called for the reeducation of his staff, no doubt employing members of the affirmative action industrial complex. Now he has the right to enact whatever nonsensical, ineffective, money-wasting policy he wants--including full free public access of store restrooms.
What would I do? It depends on the circumstances. I would probably waive the restroom policy for certain groups of people, like pregnant women or the elderly, people who can't wait in a long line to order, etc. I think you really need to figure out if it's worth the dubious publicity that might result from a lack of empathy and compassion under the circumstances. But the idea that this was a "racist" incident is preposterous. Usually it's the affirmative action industrial complex that tries to argue bias because of a disproportionate proportion of the arrested or convicted. Ockham's razor. Sometimes statistics are just statistics.
