The bathroom attendant
 

So, what is the protocol for using any of the products that a bathroom attendant provides? Recently found myself in one where the guy had a selection of gum, cigarettes, floss, mouthwash, cologne, etc...

I usually prefer to that there be ~no~ bathroom attendant, but this time I caught myself staring at the counter.

Assuming a left a tip, would I be entitled to get a spritz of cologne? Would I just do it myself? And does the amount of the tip play a part in what I can partake of?

Thanks.

(and the usual apologies if this has been covered before...I did try a search)

The best thing about these attendants are the range of "freshen up" related songs/rhymes they know - most perhaps too crude for the forums.

I don't normally use any of their products because I am capable of putting the soap on my own hands without needing to sponsor some bathroom lurker to do it for me, but on the times I have been caught, I thought 50p was a fair donation.

I must admit I bridle a bit at the presence of these people, who are providing a service that I don't want and then (seemingly) being paid for having provided it. I don't therefore usually use their services if I can avoid it, since I am more than capable of, for example, putting the soap on my own hands, turning on a tap, and extracting a towel from wherever the towels are stored. (Indeed, I would prefer to do so.) I don't avail myself of the "offerings" like cologne either. But I suppose if I did I'd feel obliged to leave a gratuity, even though I presume that money would go the attendant whereas the cologne etc is presumably supplied by the company that employs the attendant.

I generally agree. I'll tip $1 or so over the course of an evening, but I definitely don't tip each time I use the facilities.

+1

If anything, I'll avoid them so I don't have to pay them at all.....

I avoid them, don't use any thing they have & no tip.

I avoid them as well. I feel uncomfortable and guilty whenever they give me paper towels to dry my hands because I feel like I have to tip them. I can get them myself. :)

I don't use their services and I don't tip them. I will actually walk around them standing next to me holding a paper towel to grab one from the dispenser. If they've emptied all the towels from the dispenser, I'll use theirs and not tip them.

Some things are worth tipping for; this isn't one of them.

I appreciate all the input and agree with everyone so far. I don't tip the bathroom attendants and don't use there services if I can help it (but the recent guy actually turned on the water and held the soap dispenser in his hand...not much I could do to avoid that).

But I'm interested in hearing from people who do use the "services" provided. Is okay to pick up the cologne and spritz yourself? Do I just grab a stick of gum?

Thanks.

I kind of like it, it makes me feel far richer and more successful (if only for a moment) than I actually am :D Plus, being able to throw on a little extra cologne never hurts. When I'm traveling, I'm expecting to tip a lot so I'm ok with dropping in a buck or two over the course of the evening.

Mmmmmm, bathroom gum.

I generally assume that BAs are there out of economic necessity; not because they see the position as a wise career move. Honest work but not the most pleasant surroundings. As such, I will always tip. Paradoxically, perhaps, I will tip relatively more in poorer countries than in "developed" ones.

It's my understanding that, at least in Chicago, most of these attendants are self-employed and, aside from the paper towels, purchase the items available in the rest room.

That's why I hate attendants. I'm capable of getting the soap and water myself. I don't tip them and sorta feel guilty for not doing so, but it's just getting ridiculous. It's bad enough they're standing there watching you take a leak.

Now, if the bathroom attendant is a good looking female, and she wants to hold it for me, I'll tip her a few bucks ;)

I hate the idea of bathroom attendants. Unless they are there to clean the toilets, then I will tip them well to keep a sparkling clean bathroom.
But no way I tip them because I do not want encourage an intrusion into my bathroom visits. If you take a dump, I am sure they are monitoring you to get an idea when to be ready to come out and wash your hands so they can get a tip. I find that really annoying to have that kind of presence watching over you even if there is nothing creepy from their side. It is just a presence that should not be there in the restroom.

The theory for bathroom attendants in some circles is supposedly to discourage drug use or some other hanky panky in the bathrooms.

Ok, I must be living the wrong lifestyle. Where exactly are these B.A's? Last time I saw one was in Las Vegas...don't seen much of them around my neck of the woods, and my most common travel destination is is Japan, so even if they existed there a tip would be out of the question.

Where are they? Pretentious restaurants and, especially, pretentious bars that double as ersatz nightclubs, in my experience.

There's also one in the Charlotte airport (CLT). I think he's in the D concourse, maybe E.

Wow! Now that's the sort of place I've never seen one!

Yup, I always see them whenever I have a layover at CLT. Apparently they're hired by the airport and their purpose is to make sure that bathroom is clean and to regulate the traffic.

Actually, you'll find bathroom attendants in lots of bars in Central London (particularly Soho), both gay and straight, and certainly not pretentious places. I was of the impression that really they're there to make sure that people use the cubicles to neither (a) get off with each other or (b) do drugs.

When I was younger, I used to feel a lot more uncomfortable about not leaving a tip, but as I've become older and slightly grumpier, I've got no problem using soap and paper towels, even if they are supplied by the attendant, and not leaving a tip. Every licenced facility in the UK is required by law to supply a toilet, soap, running water, and a means of drying one's hands. It's not like they're doing me any favours; they're obeying the law.

The last one I saw as at B.B. Kings in Nashville. Hardly high class!

Obviously, based on several of the posts above, I was being unduly cynical (if that's the word). :eek:

I guess I don't get out enough. I have never encountered a bathroom attendant, even on my Vegas trips. In fact, I had never heard of them until I read this thread.

Last year we decided to try a cruise. The ship was lovely, as were its bathrooms, and there was an attendant in the men’s room near the dining room. No tips were expected in that situation; but the men’s room attendant was a woman! It made Mr. bv quite uncomfortable. Guys - would that bother you? Or is Mr. bv just (charmingly) old-fashioned?

I'm pleased you don't find them in the toilets at work.

A question that needs to be answered is whether anyone does not wash their hands after using the facilities purely to avoid confrontation??? Shamefully I have been known to do this. However, if their is a frosty pint waiting in the bar area, their is normally enough condensation on the glass to give them the quick once over lol.

I would cope, but I would think it odd, and possibly even inappropriate. What is the point of it, I wonder. And, quite clearly, there is no way that it would be countenanced in reverse (i.e. a male attendant in a women's public lavatory)...

I agree... it has to be awkward for all involved. I tip to be kind (usually $1 or less depending on what I have in my pocket) and always try to engage them in some conversation.

That's debatable! :D

I’m capable of getting the soap and water myself too, I’m capable of parking my own car, I’m capable of cooking my own meals…

This is a service like any other, you can use it or not. Personally I have always believed this is a great service, (specially the amenities). I always accept the opening of faucet and handing a paper towel part from the BA. I would consider it rude on my behave not to accept it. You see, this guy has not been as lucky as myself (or he has not been able to understand how to improve his luck) and he is making an effort to give a service. So rejecting the courtesy of opening the faucet and handing the paper towel is like rejecting him as a human being, I like to think I’m better that that, If I decide to tip him or not is irrelevant, I would always thank him straight in the eye; Thank you, I appreciate that… And If I leave or not a tip is irrelevant.

Now, what I consider a great service is been able to leave a tip and take a mint, or eye drops (no, I don’t have fear of infection..) , or comb my hear (no fear of lice either), and if needed, have a shoeshine… Hell, those are all things that I value for the strategic moment. I’ve even had a tie cleaned up after a meal accident…

So its like any other thing, if it’s a guy that is into the service business, he will have the things you could need and if you need them, I’m sure you will gladly leave a buck for a 10 cent mint if you need to clear your breath, been tacky with those 90 cents could cost you hundreds if you blew it just for a bad breath…


Of course, I’ve been in bathrooms where the guy is just an opportunist, and has no real “service”. From those, I will accept their courtesy and sincerely thank them, but maybe I wouldn’t tip them.


But going back to the OP’s question; yes, you are entitled to use/take whatever you consider of value in that situation and you should have the correspondent gratitude… (Don’t be tacky, come on, he’s making a living from the shithouse…)

I have no problem with someone fastidiously keeping the restroom clean - I really appreciate that, but feel uncomfortable when they're standing there 'lurking', particularly if I'm the only one in there. I become very self conscious. If you're in the restroom one way or another you should be busy going about your business :D

I have been to several countries where a female cleaning staff is in the men's room going about their business while I was going about mine....

Didn't make me uncomfortable at all.

Yes, it makes me uncomfortable to know that someone is paying attention to me using the toilet, especially if it is just us in the lavatory together.

I prefer to do my own freshening up. But once on a dinner cruise in Bangkok I had a surprise in the restroom. Went to the bathroom to use the urinal and as I did my business the attendant walked up behind me and started to massage my shoulders. Talk about pee shy.

And then there' the surprise in Germany of see woman attendants in men's bathrooms.

Good Lord, talk about a personal-space invasion.

Crikey :eek:

I think if i'd been using the urinal and suddenly felt someone massaging my shoulders, not knowing who it was and not expecting it, a natural reflex action may have been for me to elbow whoever it was -NEVER heard that before.

Do that to someone in a bathroom in London and you'll be before the Magistrate the next morning

I have had an animus to lavatory attendants ever since I arrived at FCO "bursting", as they say.

The wizened old crone refused to let me into her non-gingerbread cottage until I had handed over whatever amount it was she was demanding.

I had no small Euro change, but I refused to take "no" for an answer. When Ladysmith had been relieved I gave her a tip - but in British small change.

After doing my job, I take a couple of breath mints and thank the guy for handling me a paper towel and tip just only smile. I tip $5 for my first trip to public bathroom.