Old gas stations bathrooms on the outside?

[JHZR2]

Probably because they used to make money from fuel, not cigarettes, soda and junk food.

Now they slow the pumps to allow for longer loiter time (so I'm told).

 

[BalticBob]

fast food places are the worst, everyone goes there!

good alternate places for clean restroom stops while traveling:
most small towns have a .........
hospital, just walk in like you are visiting a patient
lumber / hardware stores
any major retail store...Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, AZ, NAPA, O'Reilly (and you can pick up auto supplies on the way out!)
most any Dollar General type store

 

[Silk]

No bathrooms at New Zealand service stations, if you need a bath you go home for one. Toilets however....They were always outside and unlocked, no need to ask for a key. These days they are staff only.

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: Silk
No bathrooms at New Zealand service stations, if you need a bath you go home for one. Toilets however....They were always outside and unlocked, no need to ask for a key. These days they are staff only.
In the U.S. we call the toilet room "bathrooms" for some reason.

 

[L_Sludger]

All these plebs stopping to use the bathrooms. Real fancy people get bottle service. Right at their seat!

 

[user52165]

Originally Posted By: BalticBob
fast food places are the worst, everyone goes there!

good alternate places for clean restroom stops while traveling:
most small towns have a .........
hospital, just walk in like you are visiting a patient
lumber / hardware stores
any major retail store...Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, AZ, NAPA, O'Reilly (and you can pick up auto supplies on the way out!)
most any Dollar General type store


"AZ, NAPA, O'Reilly"

Really? Been buying auto parts for MANY years and have never seen one for customers there.

 

[Silk]

Quote:
Nick1994 In the U.S. we call the toilet room "bathrooms" for some reason.


After the long drop, we moved the toilet into the bathroom, then the toilet got it's own little room...and we call that the toilet. Is a toilet in the bathroom still common in the US ?

 

[userfriendly]

I must admit that I've peeled thick paint off public restrooms that have brought grown men to tears.
Courtesy flush? You don't deserve one.... this is pay-back time.

 

[Silk]

Tales from the toilets...

Of course the service station toilets were also the toilets for the service station staff, and the mechanics...that's why they were never locked. One day I'm in the Mens, and there were some people outside the door, so I didn't come out. I hear someone say ''Are you **** ****?'' 'Yeah' ''You are under arrest'' So they took away our pump attendant, and left his dog behind.

At another place I lived close enough to walk to work. So I would have a leak in the Mens before I walked home at the end of the day. One day I open the door, and here's some glue sniffer collapsed on the floor with his pants around his knees. So I give him a couple of good hard kicks and set off home. Halfway home and I suddenly get the thought..."Hey, the kid could be in real trouble, maybe he's even dead!'' No cell phones back then and when I got home I rung the boss and told him about the glue sniffer in the toilet. He's already found him, gave him another couple of good kicks, dragged him out and booted him down the road.

 

[PimTac]

Back in the old days when families went on road trips for vacations, service station bathrooms were in high demand. A family of six could pull in for gas and everyone took their turn. I remember waiting in line sometimes as two or three other families had the same idea. In those days, restrooms were not readily available as they are today.

 

[edwardh1]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
In my experience, those bathrooms are always disgusting.

As aquariuscsm said, only large chain gas station bathrooms for me, only if I really have to go.


it used to be almost a travelers rule, in my family at least, that you could always count on McDonald's to have clean restrooms.
unfortunately that's not always the case anymore...


agree the mc donalds always keep the cash registers working but can't keep the restrooms clean, because the owners dont work there anymore (they own 4 stores)
the european way of having an attendant and leaving a quarter may be better

 

[Shannow]

My gap year was at a Shell Service Station in Canberra.

It had long gone to self service, and the advice from the company was that it was for the health of us, not standing there breathing in benzine fumes for 8+ hours a day...It was pretty typical, highest selling station in Canberra, and had a shop of auto accessories (fan belts, plugs, plug leads, and additives/sealants)...and a video rental.

Toilets were outside, shared with staff, mechanics, and public. Unlocked weekdays, supposed to be locked...LOL, with a big bit of flattened PVC pipe as a keyring at 5PM weekdays (open to 10PM) and all weekend.

My job every morning after the boss got in to relieve me on the console was toilet duty. Almost invariably the women's was always the worst...everything that you can imagine written on the wall with everything that you can imagine.

Monday's in spite of the lock-up rule was always bad.

One Monday, the mens had a hand basin clogged full of vomit (coathangers help with that), a syringe, and multiple pieces of al foil in the urinal, and a coupe of used prophylactics and what looked like dried glue sitting atop the closed toilet seat.

I did my job, and cleaned it, and IIRC got the rest of the day off because it sickened my manager...that was in the '80s, the major fear factor days of AIDS, and was pretty freaky...

 

[BigD1]

Originally Posted By: earlyre
it used to be almost a travelers rule, in my family at least, that you could always count on McDonald's to have clean restrooms.
unfortunately that's not always the case anymore...


That was before they started selling enema burgers.

 

[SeaJay]

I don't remember which one of the "Friday" movies (Friday, Next Friday (2000) or Friday After Next (2002).) where the older relative visited the outside bathroom outside a Taco joint where one of the characters was banging to ge in. He advised them after leaving that they shouldn't go in there for a day or two.

I think that sums it up pretty well.

 

[gman2304]

I always think of the Steve Martin movie 'The Jerk' when I see an old school outside toilet. They had the key attached to a car wheel.

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: Silk
No bathrooms at New Zealand service stations, if you need a bath you go home for one. Toilets however....

In this context, the word "toilet" to North America ears sounds crude and gauche.

Our terms "restroom", "bathroom", and "washroom" are euphemisms that date from a day when such things were supposed to be discreet and mentioned only if absolutely necessary.

The term "washroom" was formerly used in the US north-east, but is now confined to Canada only.

 

[Andrew1972]

I love expectations of clean bathrooms that are free.

The exterior door was smart on gas stations as it saves valuable space in foot print of building. Having interior doors shrinks usable interior space.