Starbucks closing bathrooms to the public

[Cat-a-Tonic]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/new-york-city-starbucks-c_n_1097188.html

I saw this article and it kind of shocked me. Some Starbucks locations are closing their restrooms to the public and making them employee-only. The article says it's just happening in New York for now, but I'm guessing that other areas might follow suit. What do you guys think of this? I think it's awful - makes me glad I have one of those "can't wait" bathroom cards, but still - what would happen if you couldn't wait and didn't have one of those cards? Fortunately I don't do coffee and am not a Starbucks person (went there once in an airport, got hot chocolate, it was overpriced and not very good). I don't think it's right to cut off the bathrooms to everyone. I think even for healthy people coffee tends to make them have to pee, right? What do you guys think?

 

[Porkpie84]

I live in the UK and worked at Starbucks part time for three years whilst doing my degree. I cannot imagine refusing customers access to the toilet. For a company that is part of the hospitality industry it doesnt make for a welcoming atmosphere! I'm glad I didnt have to do that whilst I worked there. I would have been embarrassed, and being a crohnie I wouldnt have been best pleased. Customers will have Crohn's also - toilets should be accessible always!

Becky x

 

[robbo87]

I hope it's something that doesn't catch on. I do also have a cant wait card, Although I have never yet needed to use it, and would feel quite embarrassed about having to do so.

Where I live it is getting harder to find public toilets and many places similar to starbucks and subway are keeping their toilets locked because of certain sections of society misusing them.

 

[DustyKat]

I hate seeing this sort of thing.

Going to the toilet is a basic human need, whether it be wee or poo, and even more so for those with diseases like IBD. Even aside from that if you asked, most people they would much prefer to not use a toilet for their bowels whilst out so when you do to it must be NECESSARY!

Shame on Starbucks.
Dusty. xxx

 

[xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx]

I thought they had to allow the public to use toilets legally?
Maybe that is just in the UK? Or maybe I'm wrong?

 

[chrisnsteph1022]

I thought it was a US law, too. If you serve food/drinks, you have to have a restroom available.

 

[littlefreebird]

a company can still refuse the 'cant wait' bathroom cards.

when i was a student i worked part time for Next. we were not allowed to grant members of the public access to the toilets, one time a woman showed me her card, i explained to the manager the situation and the manager still said no. i felt so bad and had to tell the woman 'for health and safety' i wasn't allowed to let her walk up our staff stairs and use our toilets. having crohn's myself i felt terrible. only worked for Next for another month before i left.

 

[Rebecca85]

That's slightly different, because of having to walk through a staff only area, the insurance would be void (eg if they tripped, or something fell off a shelf on them). When I worked in a shop, I was told it could be a sackable offence to let a customer through. The one time someone was obviously in great need, I did let her through, but basically got her to agree in front of a colleague (witness) that a) she wouldn't tell my boss! and b) it was at her own risk.

 

[KWalker]

How do you get these "cant wait" cards? There's been so many times I'm in a store and they won't let me use their bathroom. It gets scary sometimes

 

[ThanksP]

Starbuck's is saying this is false. They are not closing their bathrooms. http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/133958248.html

It really is a shame

I just had a daft thought! I live in the UK but I've heard that in America they educate high school kids on the difficulties and challenges of having a baby by giving them an egg on a plastic doll. Maybe we should feed the people who are making these stupid rules a tin of beans filled with laxatives and then deny them access to the toilets! haha I'm sure they'd have much more Crohn's awareness and understanding then!

Yes I do have a sick sense of humour but being silly keeps me smiling

Becky xx

This is off topic but...An egg on a plastic doll? Never heard of it. I had an egg for a day in High school (almost 20 years ago) but it was more of an example as to how fragile life can be. It was given in my optional "home economics" class. It wasn't used to educate students on "the difficulties and challenges" of having a kid.






.

 

[Porkpie84]

Kwalker - NACC give u one of those cards when you become a member. Generally you have to pay but for some membership is free

Thanks - I seen it on some documentary somewhere. It's stored somewhere in my memory. I remember thinking it was a good idea your right in saying that it is meant to show the fragility of life - particularly in newborn babies. Sure I've heard of eggs, bags of flour, dolls being used etc. It may not be done anymore - I don't know since I live in the UK. Just me being silly by challenges guess I meant of carrying, looking after etc. Wrote that message in a rush so didn't think too much about my wording

Becky x

 

[tiloah]

a company can still refuse the 'cant wait' bathroom cards.

when i was a student i worked part time for Next. we were not allowed to grant members of the public access to the toilets, one time a woman showed me her card, i explained to the manager the situation and the manager still said no. i felt so bad and had to tell the woman 'for health and safety' i wasn't allowed to let her walk up our staff stairs and use our toilets. having crohn's myself i felt terrible. only worked for Next for another month before i left.

In the United States, certain states have laws stating that if you have a medical condition (including Crohn's, possibly including IBS) and they have three or more employees, they cannot refuse you asking to use the bathroom. Here it's called "Allie's law." It's only in a few states so far. Too bad it's not more common. Or that people aren't just more generous/understanding so a law is unnecessary.

 

[rygon]

Also its not against an UK health and safety law to allow companies to give access to any toilet, its just a cop out for them to stop the members of the public gaining access to the back of the stores. If they wanted to they could.

What happens if a delivery driver, or HS&E inspector (or even a policeman) wanted to go to the back of the store (or wherever the toilet is), would they still not be allowed there as they arent employed by the company (although all could have access there if wanted). Its just easier for the company to say no.

 

[Mountaingem]

That is so cruel! If they do implement it, my husband and I will no longer spend our money there. It's a basic human necessity, it really makes me angry to hear of this!

 

[muppet]

I'm pretty sure it's a law in my state that any place that sells ready-to-eat food has to also provide bathrooms.

 

[Mountaingem]

I don't know whether it's a law in California or not, but seriously, do we NEED a law to say you can use a bathroom when you need to???? What has happened to society if people's basic human needs need legislation? Rant over.

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Kwalker: If you're in the US, you can order a "can't wait" card here:
http://www.myibd.org/RestroomMedAlert/index.php

ThanksP: Thanks for that link, glad to hear Starbucks is backtracking and now saying that they're not closing their bathrooms after all. I would imagine they got a lot of backlash for trying to do it in the first place and maybe that changed their mind, not to mention like others have said that it's possibly against the law to not have public bathrooms if you serve food.

Nic: According to that link I passed along to Kwalker about the "can't wait" card, at the bottom of the page it says that Ally's law is only currently in effect in 12 states. Fortunately my state is one of them. That's a good feeling for me, but it sucks that there's still 38 states without this law.

 

[tiloah]

I don't know whether it's a law in California or not, but seriously, do we NEED a law to say you can use a bathroom when you need to???? What has happened to society if people's basic human needs need legislation? Rant over.

The short answer is yes, we do. I think "basic human needs" started needing legislation as soon as the guys making the rules became very distantly attached. In other words when businesses became corporations and excessively bureaucratic.

You start getting stupid rules like "family members can't work together." I worked at a theater where twins had managed for almost two decades, and when Loews took it over, they said one of them had to leave because of the corporate rules (they both just quit). It's ridiculous! But that's where things like "employees only" bathrooms come in, with no wiggle room. The peons have to follow the rules or get fired, and the gap between the peons and the guys making the rule is cold and unfeeling (can't decide on a case by case basis).

/rant

 

[muppet]

To be fair, as a shop owner you don't want a parade of vagrants in to use your "open to the public" bathroom, either.

Now, this isn't a comment on the plight of the homeless, who I think don't have enough services or enough help, but there's a reason that these "employees only" rules arise and it's not just bureaucratic nonsense.

What the happy medium is, I don't know. Maybe cards like the above.

 

[tiloah]

According to myibd.org:

"This law, currently in effect in only 12 states (Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Connecticut) requires retailers to make their employee only toilets available to IBD patients. Legislation to enact Ally’s Law is pending in other states."

 

[muppet]

According to myibd.org:

"This law, currently in effect in only 12 states (Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Connecticut) requires retailers to make their employee only toilets available to IBD patients. Legislation to enact Ally’s Law is pending in other states."

News to me. I wonder what I need to do, get a card from my doctor and Sarah's doctor? I'll have to look into it.

 

[tiloah]

To be fair, as a shop owner you don't want a parade of vagrants in to use your "open to the public" bathroom, either.

Now, this isn't a comment on the plight of the homeless, who I think don't have enough services or enough help, but there's a reason that these "employees only" rules arise and it's not just bureaucratic nonsense.

What the happy medium is, I don't know. Maybe cards like the above.

Well yea, there's always that. But that's not what I was ranting about. I'm ranting specifically about when somebody presents to an establishment desperately needing the bathroom and the employees act like their hands are tied.

I feel like small business owners who don't want the homeless or drug addicts using the bathroom in their shop and thus make it a policy would also be capable of making an exception on a case by case basis. Corporate policies like the one Starbucks was allegedly about to implement don't have room for that.

 

[tiloah]

News to me. I wonder what I need to do, get a card from my doctor and Sarah's doctor? I'll have to look into it.

I don't think you even need the card, I think that's just to make it seem more official. Legally I think they can't deny you bathroom access if there are three or more employees in the store and you have IBD (in one of those states) and you can let them know you'll take action if they don't comply.

I have personally never played that "card" but I've definitely considered it at times. Honestly if it comes to that point it the thought depresses me so much that I don't think I would have the will to do it.

 

[ThanksP]

Corporate policies like the one Starbucks is about to implement don't have room for that.

Starbuck's has said this rumor is false. They are not closing off their bathrooms to the public in NYC.

 

[kyi]

o no i do hope they dont the starbucks where im from in on my toilet map (yes i have a map in my head of all the toilets in my city centre) pfft i will not be having it, i dont have i a i cant wait card, i don t even know were to get one from?

 

[Crohn's 35]

I never go to starbucks, they have one here but it is attached to a library and they are not closing it... but no loss , I dont like the coffee anyways.

 

[kyi]

i dont drink coffee either but il borrow the loo =)

 

[tiloah]

Starbuck's has said this rumor is false. They are not closing off their bathrooms to the public in NYC.

Well that's good news at least. I missed that sentence in your post earlier (was distracted by egg dollls or something). Wonder where the Huffington Post got their misinformation.

 

[hangingon]

hey all, i manage a starbucks and have for the last 9 years. we are not closing our bathrooms to the public. we love our customers and want them to return and use our bathrooms.

 

[LindaS]

Actually, according to the article referenced above, even though Starbucks said they are not closing the bathrooms, the paper found several locations with limited or no public access to the bathrooms. In NYC, according to the article, any restaurant with 20 or more seats must provide facilities, but Starbucks has less than that.

My question is, how can a company that makes money off of selling a beverage that is a duieretic close off access to bathrooms? It seems there have been issues in NYC Starbucks with the bathrooms, but really, to close them seems to be alienating their customers.

 

[tiloah]

While they may be alienating their customers, it doesn't sound like their business is suffering.