Do shops have to let customers use their toilets?

mackeire · 12-08-2018 05:49PM #1

A Shop in Gorey, Co Wexford, yesterday wouldn't let a 10 year old paying customer use the bathroom and told him to cross a very busy road to go over to the shopping centre to use their toilets.

The young lad nearly pooed himself, literally.

The young lad and his friend and the friends dad were in the shop getting a few bits when the dad realised that he had left his wallet at home and had to go back and get it. So the lads stayed in the shop while the dad went home.

So do shops have to let customers use their toilets and can they tell children to leave the shop to use other facilities?

12-08-2018 05:50PM

No they don't

whiskeyman · 12-08-2018 05:51PM

Shops, no.
Restaurants or cafes, yes.

iamwhoiam · 12-08-2018 05:51PM

Was it a customers toilet or a staff toilet ?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 12-08-2018 05:51PM

Of course they can refuse access to their toilets if they wish. They're generally not public toilets.

McMurphy · 12-08-2018 05:53PM

mackeire wrote: »

.

So do shops have to let customers use their toilets and can they tell children to leave the shop to use other facilities?

I'd imagine no is the answer here.

Take the small local shop in my nearest village, it's one of those shops where the shopowner has his sitting room connected to the shop by a small door, half the time I go in during the week I feel like I'm interrupting his horse racing viewing or hourly news bulletins.

Anyway I'm sure if I asked him to use his jacks to lay a log he'd probably tell me to shag off.

Mrs OBumble · 12-08-2018 05:55PM

If a partially toilet-trained 10 year old was left alone ( or with a similarly-aged other kid) in my shop, I'd be calling the guards.

mackeire · 12-08-2018 05:57PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If a partially toilet-trained 10 year old was left alone ( or with a similarly-aged other kid) in my shop, I'd be calling the guards.

Why would you call the guards?
They weren't stealing or doing anything wrong.

iamwhoiam · 12-08-2018 05:58PM

mackeire wrote: »

Why would you call the guards?
They weren't stealing or doing anything wrong.

Well was it a staff toilet ?

Samuel T. Cogley · 12-08-2018 05:58PM

Because a ten year old that can't even control their toilet needs was left alone in a shop, idiot.

mackeire · 12-08-2018 05:59PM

iamwhoiam wrote: »

Well was it a staff toilet ?

Not sure, I'll have to go in and check myself.

iamwhoiam · 12-08-2018 06:00PM

mackeire wrote: »

Not sure, I'll have to go in and check myself.

Most likely was because a shop rarely has a customer toilet . If its a staff toilet its for staff and not random boys left in the shop

mackeire · 12-08-2018 06:02PM

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Because a ten year old that can't even control their toilet needs was left alone in a shop, idiot.

Obviously he did control it, there wasn't any mess anywhere.
He was just bursting to go and had to hold it for a good while.

Hope you feel better now trying to slag off a child that you know nothing about on the Internet.

Samuel T. Cogley · 12-08-2018 06:04PM

mackeire wrote: »

Obviously he did control it, there wasn't any mess anywhere.
He was just bursting to go and had to hold it for a good while.

Hope you feel better now trying to slag off a child that you know nothing about on the Internet.

I know his father leaves him alone in shops near a busy road.

Rubberchikken · 12-08-2018 06:04PM

A staff toilet, id imagine no. It would probably be in staff only area so hardly fair/legal/safe to let public/kids in.
Our local aldi staff seem plagued by requests for people to use staff toilet. Staff used to explain that it wasnt allowed. Then i noticed that the staff member asked would have to stand at the outer door and wait for user to finish. This was often the staff member serving this same person or sometimes the only person on a till at the time.
Now they seem to have just given up altogether andc leave the person in, let the outer door close and get back to work.
They've probably just been worn down with the cobstant requests from people who cant hold it.

freshpopcorn · 12-08-2018 06:05PM

Shops don't! Most do even my lcoal Lidl/Aldi allow people use the staff toilet.
But anywhere that sells food do. Even if they just have a coffee machine.
There is one take-away in my town and they close some of the seated away and toilets about an hour before closing. It's run by a woman who's on the business association.
Last Summer I was in their and a woman went in with her young son and ordered a good bit of food and asked could her son use the toilet and the owner refused!

Sleeper12 · 12-08-2018 06:05PM

Paying customer or not they d have to let anyone use their toilets.

Most places will let the odd person use the toilet but if you have a steady stream (pardon the pun) of people want to use the toilet it's simpler to say no.

dobman88 · 12-08-2018 06:06PM

mackeire wrote: »

A Shop in Gorey, Co Wexford, yesterday wouldn't let a 10 year old paying customer use the bathroom and told him to cross a very busy road to go over to the shopping centre to use their toilets.

The young lad nearly pooed himself, literally.

The young lad and his friend and the friends dad were in the shop getting a few bits when the dad realised that he had left his wallet at home and had to go back and get it. So the lads stayed in the shop while the dad went home.

So do shops have to let customers use their toilets and can they tell children to leave the shop to use other facilities?

How was the 10 year old a paying customer if he had no money?

Would the 10 year old normally pay for stuff when he's out with his friend and his Dad?

Riddle101 · 12-08-2018 06:07PM

If it was a staff toilet I don't think so. However I think exceptions should be made. If the 10 year kid was bursting to go then I would have let him if I was the manager. Just doesn't seem right to turn away someone in need like that and risk s*itting themselves.

mackeire · 12-08-2018 06:07PM

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

I know his father leaves him alone in shops near a busy road.

His father wasn't there, his friends father was.
The friends father went home (about a mile away) to get his wallet and let them stay there and pick out what wanted.
Not exactly the crime of the century as they were told not to leave the shop.

Dempsey · 12-08-2018 06:07PM

They dont have to but they should

What sort of country are we turning into when we dont let people use a fcuking toilet

CeilingFly · 12-08-2018 06:08PM

No, and one of the reason is insurance scammers and FILTHY people.

We used to allow customers use toilets until one "claimed" she slipped and whilst we have not had a claim arrive, we could still get one.

The other issue is utterly filthy and disgusting people who have no qualms about sh1tting and pissing on your floor.

So, whilst we may allow a small child use it in an emergency, unfortunately several filthy customers and a possible insurance scammer, means we don't as a rule of thumb permit customer use toilets in our stores.

Try_harder · 12-08-2018 06:09PM

he'll be on the cover of the papers tomorrow!

iamwhoiam · 12-08-2018 06:09PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Paying customer or not they d have to let anyone use their toilets.

Most places will let the odd person use the toilet but if you have a steady stream (pardon the pun) of people want to use the toilet it's simpler to say no.

So a shop has to let a person who is in the shop use their staff toilet ? Do you know of any law that says that ?

ct5amr2ig1nfhp · 12-08-2018 06:09PM

Why do you assume he's partially toilet trained and/or cannot control their toilet needs? He's ten not 2 or 3. What does that even mean 'partially toilet trained'? You're either toilet trained or you're not.

And why would you call the guards FFS? I presume you're being sarcastic.

The young lad needed to go the loo. I've needed to go and been refused while out and about.

How do you know the kid nearly pooped himself btw? Did you ask him? I presume he just needed to use the loo urgently.

WoollyRedHat · 12-08-2018 06:10PM

Why didn't the dad bring kids back with him?

iamwhoiam · 12-08-2018 06:11PM

Dempsey wrote: »

They dont have to but they should

What sort of country are we turning into when we dont let people use a fcuking toilet

So by the same token should any work place allow the public use the staff toilet ?

Try_harder · 12-08-2018 06:11PM

Why did the father leave them in the shop?

Sleeper12 · 12-08-2018 06:13PM

iamwhoiam wrote:

So a shop has to let a person who is in the shop use their staff toilet ? Do you know of any law that says that ?

Sorry. My predict text said d instead of don't. Shops definitely do not have to let customers or non customers use their toilets

Try_harder · 12-08-2018 06:15PM

Surely the child knew he needed to go when the dad guy was leaving, why didn't he tell him then?

mackeire · 12-08-2018 06:15PM

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

Why didn't the dad bring kids back with him?

Because they're 10 and able to stay somewhere safe for a few minutes on their own.

Do shops have to let customers use their toilets?

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