Last weekend I had an awesome time celebrating the life and legacy of the greatest performer of my time, Michael Jackson. My friends and I went to a couple up scale places and they all had bathroom attendants. One even had a supply of hair bows, candy, pads/ tampons, shampoo, lotion, body spray and deodorant. The bathroom attendants of course have a basket for tips. Usually their duties are to keep the sinks dry, keep the items stocked and hand you paper towels.
Now, I was working on a low budget last weekend (well u still am lol), I didn't anticipate the death of the most innovative and groundbreaking performer of my time (Michael Jackson) so I hadn't saved any funds to celebrate him. Here lies the dilemma, I used the bathroom probably five times throughout the night. The first two times I tipped the attendant a dollar both times, but as the cranberry juices (with a hint of vodka) kept my trips to the bathroom frequent I couldn't really afford to keep paying to pee! I felt bad going to the potty and not tipping the woman.
Should bathroom attendants be held to the same tipping standards as waitresses or the Chinese food delivery man? Or should I not have felt bad since the restroom is suppose to be a free service?
Did I mention there is likely never to be another performer like Michael Jackson? Everyone will just follow in his glitter lined footsteps.
Happy Friday Xangans
Comments (36)
ya thats a hard one. i've been to those type places before but since i only frequented it once, i didn't have an issue. idk, i think that if you dirty up the sink, or something then maybe it deserves more than one tip but if not, then tipping once should be sufficient. :)
I went on vacation to Aruba last year and my boyfriend and I had a tour guide that showed up around the whole island. At one point he made a stop where there was a bathroom, but then he told us that it's a quarter to use the bathroom. In front of the bathroom doors there was a little coin back where you were suppose to put the quarter in. Neither my boyfriend or I had a quarter so we just used the bathroom without paying. There was no one there to make us pay either.Â
get me a sequin glove, nao!
um... must have been more than a "hint" of vodka, you seal-breaker. AHEM.
That must have been some night! Pay as you see fit and can afford. It's not like you frequent the place.
wow, ive never had to pay to pee! ive never even been in a place with bathroom servers... i find that kind of awkward haha
I agree, I'd find it awkward to see a bathroom attendent. Heh. I'd probably just tip the one time instead of everytime, but that is mainly because I probably wouldn't make much use of their services. You don't have to tip the janitor who cleans the bowl at any other place, so if I had no use for a pad or squirt of hand lotion, I'd probably just tip to acknowledge their existence--and the fact that they'd probably rather be ANYWHERE else at that moment...
~V
@SimplyNita - Wow, that is an actual pay-for bathroom, strange!
@AnchorsAwayx - Yea, my first time I was like "why is there someone in here? this is strange" lol
@TheMarriedFreshman - I had actually thought about that, its like, the person who normally cleans the sink doesn't get tipped, I dunno! lol
I think what you did was fine.
Happy Friday to you.
Unless you were using tons and tons of the free stuff, I don't think you should have to tip every time!
I think tipping once for use is fine and you wouldn't have to tip the rest of the night. You don't tip a server every time they come to your table.
ahaha well...at least you did not NOT tip them at all. some people are frugal that way.
and oh yes viva MJ!
alky.
I think one tip per evening of random urination is more than generous.
I was stranded at a bus stop once in Georgia and I actually had to purchase a token to open the door to the public restroom...and then pay to enter a bathroom stall. I swallowed my fear of germs and general ick and crawled beneath the bathroom stall door. To heck with paying to use a bathroom!
@MidwesternShenanigansXL - WOW, thats so crazy, I can't believe they made you pay for the toilet! I guess in situations like that where they know its the only place (indoors) you can go, they can try anything.
This is the first I ever heard of a bathroom attendant. I have no idea what the tipping etiquette would be.
In France and Belgium, I almost always had to pay 40 euro-cents to use the public restrooms. There were attendants guarding the door, and I had to pay them every time I entered. However, I've never been to a fancy place in the U.S. where you are expected to pay the restroom attendants a tip. I think what you ended up doing was just fine.
I think what you did was fine. As long as you pay them once or twice then I think that's good enough.
You should check out Europe. In some "up scale" places, it's no longer just a tip... you're required to pay a Euro or so every time you want to go pee. I remember in Romania, at the beach, there were bathrooms... with a lady sitting in front of them, under an umbrella, with a box of money and the keys to the bathroom.
It's pretty crazy.
I don't know why there's any such thing as a bathroom attendant. Bathroom is for bizness, not chat and pleasantries.
Remember in the 90's when places like Carl's Jr. and grocery stores had the locks on the outside of the door and you had to put in a quarter or two to pee?! I would have tipped once and continued to use the bathroom as needed (she should have remembered your face after the ump tenth time ) lol. I don't think you should have to pay. a tip is just that...
notrequired but a gesture to show gratitude.
@SerenaDante - wow!
@Jubilantlaughter - good point.
I went to burger king once, and you had to pay to use the John...
Michael Jackson was so universal, I went to a Salvadorian and Mexican party, he was all the hub ub.@milubbles - Yea, the two I went to were great parties, he's got enough music to entertain for days!
Hahaha! That's a good one about paying to pee. I have never seen a bathroom attendant before and we don't have tipping in Australia. I don't really know! It was a shock that MJ died, wasn't it.
-Heidi