Bathroom attendants

I had my first run in with one in a bar. I thought they were like gas station attendents, outdated. Holy crap, they still exist. And I just can't figure out why.

They're so creepy. They just sit in a corner of the bathroom and stare at you do your business. Then they silently hand you soap and a towel while you wash your hands. And there's a tip jar to make you feel obligated to give him at least a dollar, for something I was perfectly capable of doing for free.

Seriously, why do places still have them? All they do is creep me out and make me want to hold it until I get home. Is that the place's attempt at saving on plumbing/water?

I don't know about where you are, but I know that one of the reasons I've heard for them is that they cut down on illicit behavior (like drug use) in bathrooms.

They also keep folks acting straight such as no rape in the restrooms, no muggings, that kind of thing.

I refuse to ever tip them; they are doing for me things I would rather do for myself were they not there preventing me from doing so.

I'd prefer an explicit restroom security guard, but I guess the tip jar (& unwanted-by-me services such as the grooming products they always have) allows venues to get that service for no cost to them.

I have only seen them in non-US places that charge you for using the bathroom*

I think I'd appreciate bathroom attendants if said bathroom had golden toilets that spray upwards and do the job for you. And maybe some catering too. And the AC was designed in such a way that the bathrooms have a constant pine scent.

...yeah.

I think they have those down the freeway. A little place called In Your Dreams.

Well it sounded better in my head...

I have never seen one of these. This is really a thing? Huh.

I have a giant book of etiquette for teenagers called How Rude, and it has a few sentences about restroom attendants in the section about tipping; it calls them 'those people whose job is to listen to you pee'. That was the only way I knew they existed (even if the book was published 15 years ago). I couldn't think of any place that would actually have them, though.

^^ I have. They are not common and they are not found in low-cost places.

You mean the rest of you don't have solid gold toilets?

No, us peons have to make do with gold plated toilets instead.

And we have to wipe with 5 dollar bills rather than 20.

As for the topic, I saw a couple at a state fair. One of them was an old black guy, and I felt so bad for him I gave him five bucks. And then immediately felt guilty for mild agism and racism.

So yeah, screw bathroom attendants.

It's supposed to be a symbol of how luxurious the place is. I'm pretty sure places that still have them mostly have mints, colognes, combs and whatever for them to give you if you ask. Because opulence.

And I really wish bidets were more common. It's a much cleaner, easier method of cleaning yourself. I have never personally met one, but someday I'll have my own home and will install a bidet and a urinal in my bathroom.

I think it's Oregon that has such a strong gas station attendant union that not only do they still exist, but it's illegal to pump your own. Even around here in Indiana, there's at least one minor chain that has a couple of attended pumps.

Actually that's New Jersey. Not counting trips to New Jersey, in the past 20 years I've only been to one gas station that still had gas station attendants. It was in some small hick town. As for bathroom atendants I only remember eating at one place that had them, but then for me I consider Ponderosa a fancy restaurant.

It's both Oregon and New Jersey, actually.

I thought it was two states...

Wow so they watch you use the toilet?

Not exactly. They tend to watch the door, and if you use a stall they're no more watching you than anyone else in the bathroom would be.

Oh ok.

Bathroom attendants always make it so awkward to go to the bathroom since I usually don't expect them and when they do pop up they end up expecting a tip. This ends with me quickly walking out as soon as I finish drying my hands in hopes they don't call me out.

Before clicking on this thread, I was completely unaware of this concept.

I asked my mom where you'd find a restroom attendant, and she immediately said that she hated them, because when she encountered one last, every time they did an action for her, they made her pay them a dollar. It's been decades since she's seen one, though, and she thinks they're starting to die out- in women's restrooms, at least -because most women don't bring purses, let alone cash with them to fancy restaurants.

edited 3rd Oct '12 3:53:11 PM by CrystalGlacia

The ones in Egypt at historic sites charge you for toilet paper.