Toilet Attendants - don't mind 'em or can't abide them?

Daqster

Was in the Academy earlier and they had one of these toilet attendant chaps and was wondering how people feel about them as I for one can't abide them. Not the people themselves mind, but just the fact that there is such a thing. Now I am in not under an illusion here and realise of course that these people are doing this job, not out of any great desire to do it, but to make ends meet, and good on them and bless them for it, but.. I just object to the positions' very existence.

As, I know how to use a tap, squirt soap, grab a napkin and I don't need someone to be employed to do these things for me. It makes me uncomfortable as I have to worry about having change when all I want to do is take a piss and if I've eaten a rake of beans, I can't relax and let loose with a sphincter shaking porcelain cracking arse cough, as may be my liking, without worrying if cologne boy outside will hear me.

It's not just in the Academy though, have seen them in Vicar St also.

How do you folks feel about them.

lavelle72

Been in Sydney a good few years and you don't see that kinda carry on here, had forgotten how much of a dose they were

Grayditch

I know one bar who let the lad work in the jacks whenever he wanted and take whatever money he made home. Why? Cause lads didn't smash up the jacks while he was there.

Working in clubs for years now, I get to know the lads that work the toilets. They've been such sounds guys for the most part but from a punter point of view, I don't like the awkwardness at the sink I feel where the suggestion of a tip for something you don't really need is implied.

Rough job. Smelling P&S all night and some of the absolute rubbish I hear people talking to them. Must be all these lads have as an income and if it's a case of hiring them keeps the jacks in one piece, I can see the pros as well as the cons.

Saucy McKetchup

They've helped me out of a few sticky situations

_Redzer_

Grayditch wrote: »

I know one bar who let the lad work in the jacks whenever he wanted and take whatever money he made home. Why? Cause lads didn't smash up the jacks while he was there.

Working in clubs for years now, I get to know the lads that work the toilets. They've been such sounds guys for the most part but from a punter point of view, I don't like the awkwardness at the sink I feel where the suggestion of a tip for something you don't really need is implied.

Rough job. Smelling P&S all night and some of the absolute rubbish I hear people talking to them. Must be all these lads have as an income and if it's a case of hiring them keeps the jacks in one piece, I can see the pros as well as the cons.

I wouldn't tip them tbh. I can piss by my own accord so I don't really get why I should tip them.

That said, I never thought about that point about wrecking the jacks, I'd gladly welcome them everywhere if it meant avoiding the absolute muck some pigs can put them in.

Donaldio

Yeah its a bit annoying i mean for a start who wants to be hanging out in toilet ? Or even who wants some butler guy handing them paper to wipe there hands or whatever im mean wtf ! What if you got a fella into the cubicle with ya to tidy you up a bit ! There was one in the button factory when i was there last one in fibbers aswell else where too now that i think of it...
I dunno what story is with it maybe for guys trying to spruce up for the ladies if its that sort of place but i wouldnt want to be hanging out the jax !
I geuss its ok for them if the a few quid for it but its a bit of a rip off really i think then again my own hygeine is fairly low level

Donaldio

Oh well if they are there to stop toilets getting wreked then that explains it or even stop fights if its venue that wants them there thats fair enough i suppose.

Grayditch

_Redzer_ wrote: »

I wouldn't tip them tbh. I can piss by my own accord so I don't really get why I should tip them.

That said, I never thought about that point about wrecking the jacks, I'd gladly welcome them everywhere if it meant avoiding the absolute muck some pigs can put them in.

That's definitely anyone's right, and it's a weird situation for so many reasons, but yeah, it generally does stop stupid things happening, depending on if the bar/club ever needed that.

keeponhurling

In Netherlands/Belgium there is often a mandatory 50c charge to take a p!ss in pubs.

Be grateful in Ireland they are only looking for tips, which you can refuse to give!

murpho999

keeponhurling wrote: »

In Netherlands/Belgium there is often a mandatory 50c charge to take a p!ss in pubs.

Be grateful in Ireland they are only looking for tips, which you can refuse to give!

Yes I remember that when living in Holland.

Pubs frequently only have two toilets, one male and one female. Poor wash facilities and they never ever have hot warm/water to wash your hands/

Made me appreciate facilities with multiple cubicles in Ireland more.

It's the little things you don't notice till you're abroad as they say.

dr strangelove

What, no Atari Jaxuar?

Alf Veedersane

I appreciate how sh*t a job it can be and they are doing it for a few quid so I don't really mind them. But since I have sufficient motor skills to wash and dry my own hands I don't tip.

iDave

None of those poll options suit me. I just plain cant stand them and I don't appreciate what they are doing.

Uriel.

murpho999 wrote: »

Yes I remember that when living in Holland.

Pubs frequently only have two toilets, one male and one female. Poor wash facilities and they never ever have hot warm/water to wash your hands/

Made me appreciate facilities with multiple cubicles in Ireland more.

It's the little things you don't notice till you're abroad as they say.

I always find that amazing about the EU's overriding, long stretching arm, but anyone who has drank in bars in Brussels (the home of the EU), there's a serious lack of quality in terms of facilities, including a number of pubs with no wheelchair access to toilets (i.e. toilets down a winding staircase). It seems the EU chaps don't look out their own windows at the city around them to often.

TheBody

I can't stand them. They turn off the switch to the hand dryers in my local to try and force people to use them. I usually turn it back on and dry my hands as usual. I'm not paying somebody a few yoyo for a sheet of kitchen roll every time I go for a hit and miss.

GLaDOS

I never tip them, don't see why you would unless you're using one of their toiletries or something.

preston johnny

I got into an argument with one once, because he refused to wipe my arse for a Euro. I thought that was their job

Duggy747

“No soap, no hope.”

“No splash, no gash.”

“Wash your fingers for de mingers.”

“No Armani, no punani.”

“No spray, no lay”

“No tissue, no issue.”

“No gum, no cum.”

“No money, no honeyz.”

EyeSight

i hate them. They make me feel uncomfortable and i don't like that they ask for a tip just for giving me some tissue i don't want.

I also find that any bar/club that uses them are tacky. Very common to find them in Dublin

minidazzler

Grayditch wrote: »

I know one bar who let the lad work in the jacks whenever he wanted and take whatever money he made home. Why? Cause lads didn't smash up the jacks while he was there.

Working in clubs for years now, I get to know the lads that work the toilets. They've been such sounds guys for the most part but from a punter point of view, I don't like the awkwardness at the sink I feel where the suggestion of a tip for something you don't really need is implied.

Rough job. Smelling P&S all night and some of the absolute rubbish I hear people talking to them. Must be all these lads have as an income and if it's a case of hiring them keeps the jacks in one piece, I can see the pros as well as the cons.

This is 100% correct.

We have a really popular student night in the club I work, so every week there was a broken toilet door, bowl or seat. Since we got in Toilet Attendants I don't think anything in the toilets have been broken. So 3 months without getting a broken door, isn't so bad.

They are paid by the club on quiet nights when they won't have made much in the way of tips. Not sure if they are on busy nights where they would have made a fair amount.

Personally, I think they're generally sound lads. But hate running into them in quiet places, it's awkward. If it's busy then it's generally grand.

Alf Veedersane

EyeSight wrote: »

i hate them. They make me feel uncomfortable and i don't like that they ask for a tip just for giving me some tissue i don't want.

In all my years I've never actually been asked by one of them for a tip.

Guy:Incognito

TheBody wrote: »

I can't stand them. They turn off the switch to the hand dryers in my local to try and force people to use them. I usually turn it back on and dry my hands as usual. I'm not paying somebody a few yoyo for a sheet of kitchen roll every time I go for a hit and miss.

The guy in vicar street was pulling that crap when I was there a couple of weeks ago. I kept turning it back on to use it.

He muttered something to his mate that was with him when I went in the 3rd time about not botherung too when he made a move towards me to give me soap because I didnt tip him before.

Grayditch

I've never seen that, but that is where it would become a real problem.

Green Giant

No need for them. They're just intimidating and I don't need one at home to go to the loo and then wash/dry my hands.

super_furry

Is it 2003 again?

ectoraige

I have absolutely no need for them. Not only do I know how to wash and dry my hands, but I actually do so whenever I use the toilet - unlike a large majority of men, I must say. I also don't need chewing gum, deodorant, or after-shave. However, I do appreciate that their presence generally makes the toilets a more pleasant place as they deter the extremes of drunken messing. I'll usually throw them a couple of quid at the start of the night and then politely ignore them for the rest of the evening.

I used to work as a loungeboy years back and one New Years' Eve I was asked to just stay in the toilets with a mop for the night to stop the toilets turning into something out of Apocalypse Now. I was annoyed as it's generally the best night for tips so they agreed to pay me extra to make up for it. I brought an ash-tray in with a few coins in it and just left it by the sinks. I made over £150 that night, which was even more than the girls with their short skirts made that night, only time a lad made more in tips than the girls while I worked there. I hardly even had to mop up as everybody managed to control their aim too.

Recently though I was out in a nightclub and on the first visit to the toilets the lad there started forcing paper towel into my hands, and then sprayed me without aftershave without asking. I was well pissed off, especially as I don't like the majority of aftershaves and this one was particularly rank. I could imagine him being decked by some lout for doing that. I'm also bemused at "hygienic" paper towels being handled by somebody else.

Links234

I used to think it was only men's rooms that had attendants, but nope, went to a gig in the button factory and sure enough, they're in the ladies too. had this in the UK as well, super uncomfortable! :eek:

EyeSight

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

In all my years I've never actually been asked by one of them for a tip.

Happened to me in Diceys twice. Both times i said no but it was awkward.

I get that if you use their aftershaves or whatever you should tip but i never use them

guppy

In the night club beside Stephens Green (can't remember the name) after id washed my hands and left, the female toilet attendant ran after me, grabbed me and told me "you need to pay". I turned around and told her that considering there was no toilet roll in the cublicles she could go f herself.
Yep, I'm a right classy burd me!

salacious crumb

When it originally started it pissed me off, but now I just ignore them.

The last time I actually had any interaction with one was about ten years ago in a night club in Ashbourne. Washed my hands, took the paper, threw in a euro, had a spray of lynx, went to pick up some aftershave and was told that was another euro, told him to go f*ck himself.

Grayditch

guppy wrote: »

In the night club beside Stephens Green (can't remember the name) after id washed my hands and left, the female toilet attendant ran after me, grabbed me and told me "you need to pay". I turned around and told her that considering there was no toilet roll in the cublicles she could go f herself.
Yep, I'm a right classy burd me!

Dandelion, and I think you should make a complaint. I've never seen an attendant actually ask for money, but I can't imagine management being ok with that.

Herb Powell

Never seen them in Ireland, but they're very common in Germany. Not just pubs, in shopping centres and stuff as well.

Never give them anything, it annoys the living daylights out of me that they are even there in the first place. Pure money-grabbing ****.

guppy

Grayditch wrote: »

Dandelion, and I think you should make a complaint. I've never seen an attendant actually ask for money, but I can't imagine management being ok with that.

No, it was the one the other end, william street area. I really should have at the time as she was so aggressive, but its really some time ago now, I can't imagine she still works there.

anncoates

guppy wrote: »

In the night club beside Stephens Green (can't remember the name) after id washed my hands and left, the female toilet attendant ran after me, grabbed me and told me "you need to pay". I turned around and told her that considering there was no toilet roll in the cublicles she could go f herself.
Yep, I'm a right classy burd me!

Would have told her to fcuk off.

blue note

Think_then_talk

Once they are not to the determinant of hygiene standards. (ie) No paper/soap unless you pay.
We had a family event in the Arlington hotel great meal & entertainment .
However the loo's had no soap in the holders,toilet roll holders & hand towel holders all empty.
They had a person selling splashes/soap this person also had control of a large roll of paper.
Lucky we had two rooms booked upstairs but thinking of all the unwashed hands around us....:eek:

minidazzler

guppy wrote: »

In the night club beside Stephens Green (can't remember the name) after id washed my hands and left, the female toilet attendant ran after me, grabbed me and told me "you need to pay". I turned around and told her that considering there was no toilet roll in the cublicles she could go f herself.
Yep, I'm a right classy burd me!

If something like that happens again I'd talk to the manager straight away if I was sober enough...... the club pay for toilet roll most likely so if the attendant is taking it out they are fcuking with so much that they shouldn't be.

If too drunk, email the next day explaining it. Managers of nightclubs, depsite popular opinion..... listen.

SHOVELLER

Cant add much more than what has been said already. Its a farce to expect to tip anyone for what you are more than capable of doing yourself.

This was an idea imported from the states but tipping is part of the culture because they have customer service.

I know for some times are hard but how demeaning is to be stuck in a bog all night enduring drunken racist comments from drunks.

Tombi!

Depends.
I know in at least in one place in Dublin they don't actually technically get paid.
So all they make is whatever they get in "tips". Given that they bought the aftershave, etc all, seems like a fecking terrible "job".

On the other hand, if they were getting the minimum wage and whatnot, I wouldn't really mind it at all.

It bothers me at times with the amount of abuse (mostly verbal) they'll take on any given night, though. Paid or unpaid, it's still pretty bad.

Tombi!

BTW, just finished reading through all the thread.
As far as I know, you're not required to pay for anything (obviously if you try to take up their aftershave, it's common sense you should throw a euro down first).

As for the toilet roll business... the place I tend to go to does have the attendant holding it but once you ask for it, you get it.
The reason I was told was that drunk people can be fast to cause problems.

Granted, I was never actually asked for money, ever, in that particular place so I dunno what it's like in other places but anytime me or a friend has had "issues" with an attended, I'd either ask the manager about it and if nothing good came from it, I wouldn't go back there.
The place I go has the toilet attendants being very friendly and nice towards pretty much anyone so I'm happy enough there.

Garzard

For me they're a complete pain in the arse on a night out. Can understand their purpose to an extent such as to make a few quid for themselves but it's uncomfortable to have them there while I'm doing my business and even more irritating the way they fall over themselves to assist you in the most basic tasks like washing / drying your hands and expect tips for it. I just do my best to ignore and not tip them.

That said, I wouldn't mind in the least if they instead set up outside the jacks. Only when they're inside do I have an issue with them.

3hn2givr7mx1sc

When I'm drunk I usually spend about 20 minutes talking absolute shíte to them.
They were everywhere in Santa Ponsa in August. Had to pay one cúnt €2.50 to give me the toilet roll in one place.

efb

I'm disabled...leg disabled

6781

Thankfully I'm able to have a dump or a piss on my own and wash my hands without assistance so don't see the point in them. I try my best to avoid them and never tip. I think they would be better employed behind the understaffed bar.

Oprahs_Vagina

What 2 euro to have someone stare at you from the side while you wash your hands ? I can reach the toilet roll on my own thanks.

awec

When I was in Magaluf they always sang the same song to you when you came in.

"Freshen up for the punani, punani, punani" x 2
"I love pussaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy"

To the tune of mary had a little lamb.

anncoates

They're a minor irritant because of the guilt trip aspect but I've never had a bad experience with them. Would usually give them a euro or two once and that's it.

Its amusing to see pissed right-on types in deep conversation with the jacks attendant assuming they've come direct from some guerilla-infested war zone and the attendant lad is saying back oh yeah, it was so awful, brother (read: throw a fiver in there for a blast of Lynx you gullible student cunt).

moxin

I know one bloke(a non-drinker) who refused on the night ever to go to the toilets due to the *insert profanity* of the attendant down there as he was extremely uncomfortable in their presence. He must have had some bladder to hold all those cokes :pac:

April O Neill II

Brutal Deluxe wrote: »

Depends.
I know in at least in one place in Dublin they don't actually technically get paid.

But they're completely unnecessary, so sorry to sound brutal, but I don't really care. In fact, I assumed they didn't get paid, why would an employer pay for that?

Tombi!

April O Neill II wrote: »

But they're completely unnecessary, so sorry to sound brutal, but I don't really care. In fact, I assumed they didn't get paid, why would an employer pay for that?

The main reason was/is to stop people running amok in the toilets.
The one place I go to had an issue with people doing coke in the toilets. So having someone who was in there watching stuff, it deterred them.

Daqster

anncoates wrote: »

Its amusing to see pissed right-on types in deep conversation with the jacks attendant assuming they've come direct from some guerilla-infested war zone and the attendant lad is saying back oh yeah, it was so awful, brother (read: throw a fiver in there for a blast of Lynx you gullible student cunt).

I read that as if this guy was saying it