Public restrooms

When you go out shopping or wandering around town and realize you have to use the restroom, yet none of the places offer a public restroom. They have one, but you cannot use it. Ever wonder why?

Let me explain.

This past weekend, I cleaned our public restrooms constantly. I don't mean I ran through and picked up toilet paper off the floor - which I do all day long. I mean, I flushed pounds of large, massive feces, I scrubbed (with elbow grease) large, massive poop off the TOPS and the SIDES of the toilets.

TWICE

And this was only in women's restroom. In the men's, someone took a ginormous dump in the urinal. Guess what, that doesn't flush. It has to be scooped out.

Nice. Real nice.

Do the people who do not flush, who pee on the toilet seat and don't wipe it down (it's your pee people) or the people who poop ON the toilet, who leave the toilet seat cover on top of the seat after flushing -- do these people ever wonder WHO cleans this up? Or do they even care?

Well, that my folks are the little people who work there. Those people who make minimum wage. And when those people refuse to clean the bathrooms, then the managers who make management minimum wage and work six days a week - then they clean it.

Every time you use a public restroom keep in mind it is a courtesy and not a necessity. Stores do not have to let the public use their bathrooms. And because of that, in our morning meeting, I have resolutely voted to lock our restrooms. I hate to do it because I was that kid (and still am) that get out in public and have to use the bathroom, but at least I clean up after myself. I check the toilet before I leave the bathroom - did it flush, is the seat cover flushed, do I need to take a piece of toilet paper and wipe down the toilet. Yes, I do this. I also wash my hands and use the paper towel to open the door because ONE in SIX people do not wash their hands. Ew.

Another quick note on this nasty subject, if you see someone defacing the bathrooms, please bring it to someone's attention because that may very well be the last time you ever get to use that particular restroom.