AIBU to pissed off I was charged for hot water?

[AprilDHarvey]

I've recently started taking my own lunch to university in a bid to save money and in the cafeteria there's a machine that gives out boiling water. I used it today to make one of those mug shots and when I went to leave one of the employees (rude at the best of times) screamed at me it costs 20p for hot water.
I was so taken aback and embarrassed that I didn't question it but is it just me that thinks it's totally outrageous to charge for hot water our of a self-service machine? I know 20p isn't a lot of money.

[DisneyDiva87]

I suddenly feel privileged, at our uni our hot water is free!

I don't think you are being unreasonable but at the same time I think it is fair enough although I would be filling up a flask to make the most of my 20p rather than having to pay 20p per mug because I'm stingy like that.

[MrsSteptoe]

You wouldn't pay for a glass of tap water would you.
No, but normally you wouldn't expect to get a glass of tap water unless you were eating from the menu and paying for it. The OP's taking her own food.

[HortonWho]

Oh yes let's not forget the cost of insurance should a customer burn herself with the hot water and sue establishment for not maintaining the machine properly

I've yet to see a restaurant/canteen have a hot water machine that isn't there as part of a paid item (hot water for instant products, tea, coffee, chocolate drinks being sold)

Should places also charge you to use their microwave, if you want to warm up a bottle for the baby? Or provide you with tap water? Associated costs, you know.

Ridicilous to charge - will put the customer off and deter other purchases.

[ArgyMargy]

Are you doing business studies OP? Would that be a good idea?

[FATEdestiny]

My Starbucks provides a large cup of hot water free of charge :-)

My friend likes weak tea and so always asks for one English Tea and one cup of hot water - she then uses the teabag to make two drinks.

[WoodleyPixie]

at my uni you weren't even allowed to eat packed lunch in the cafeteria, you had to have brought food from there to eat there. They even got huffy if you had brought a drink and ate your packed lunch there.

[ctjoy103]

How did you think the water was heated up

[AprilDHarvey]

"Should you be at university?"
I met the requirements to get in and consistently get good grades, based on that I would have to say yes. Thanks for asking!

[MrsSteptoe]

Ridicilous to charge - will put the customer off and deter other purchases.
But she's not making any other purchases. They couldn't care less if they put her off from making her own food that she's brought using their facilities.

[Katarzyna79]

are you serious tap water is free in restaurants that will serve it. some tend to say theyre not allowed to but my local pizza hut always gives us free tap water. I think its unreasonable but that's the way of the world sadly.

ive been given flask refills of hot water to heat baby milk up for free I cant see the difference here.

[Queenie73]

When I ran a cafe years ago, people wanting to eat their packed lunches without buying anything were my pet hate. But it's not like you stamped on anyone's puppy and the woman was very rude to yell at you.

[StitchesInTime]

Was there any signs or price lists advertising the 20p charge for the hot water?

If there isn't, then I can understand why you'd (mistakenly) think that the hot water was free. The charge itself is reasonable though for reasons given above.

[MrsSteptoe]

I can see a considerable difference between using facilities to prepare hot food for an adult who's not paying anything to the running costs of the place, and providing hot water so that you can heat up baby milk. You can't carry around baby milk at the right temperature (unless you're bfing, obvs). Whereas as adults, we can carry and eat cold food if we don't want to buy from outlets while we're out and about.

[MrsSteptoe]

Incidentally, OP, I'm absolutely not having a go at you. I agree that it's reasonable to charge 20p for hot water for people making their own food, but you've twigged about the electricity, fair do's. Like most MN threads, this one's got its own life now.

[specialsubject]

OP has now worked out that electricity and many other things aren't free. Calm down. Most students don't know this at first!!

[Katarzyna79]

Steptoe yes you can with a flask. I had a flask of hot water but it wasn't enough to heat it, after sitting in the water it wasn't hot enough. Now the lady could have said sorry we cant give you hot water for free id have no choice but to pay up, after all they don't give a toss about my baby as cute as I make think she is it's just another number to them nothing else.

its b.s to charge for hot water, but if you need it no choice but to pay

[ephemeralfairy]

Oh yes let's not forget the cost of insurance should a customer burn herself with the hot water and sue establishment for not maintaining the machine properly

My old flatmate tried that at uni. It was hilarious. She said 'they should make you aware that the water is so hot!!' Love, if the water's hot enough to brew yer pissy fruit tea then it's hot enough to burn you!!

[ManneryTowers]

YANBU to not like being 'screamed' at.
YABU to think hot water is free. and for drinking mug shots. Really not brain food

[AprilDHarvey]

Thanks to those who can understand why it wouldn't occur to me I'd have to pay and have explaine in a reasonable manner why I do. I completely understand why I have to pay now and will keep this in mind in future, where I worked we didn't charge for hot water regardless of what it was for so I suppose that contributed to the confusion as well. I think the people who are belittling me by mockingly questioning my intelligence and whether or not I should be in university are plain nasty. Come on, is there any need for personal digs like that?

For the record, there was no sign. It was an innocent mistake, it's not like I was trying to steal water

[Katarzyna79]

queenie you should have said they need to buy at least a drink or something in order to eat their lunch there? Or you could have said sorry no outside food which is what most cafes and restaurants do? its reasonable you are a business you need paying customers sitting on your seats?

[MackerelOfFact]

It was 20p when I was at university 10 years ago so I think you got yourself a bargain!

[Ballnumnums]

Actually you are not BVU. Water is a basic human right. I would imagine that there is a free water dispenser (otherwise known as a tap with mains water!) for you to grab some cold water from. This would be a given in any office, uni, even in a public restaurant you would not be charged for tap water .... normally. It is the hot water that is the question.

I think 20p is a bit over the top even with electrics taken into account. You are at Uni so every penny counts. Imho 10p would cover the cost adequately. It is a bit mean to charge for a mugfull of hot water. I used to get that free when I needed it in restaurants to heat up my babies' lunch when having a coffee.

Best invest in a flask and take your own hot water.

[Queenie73]

queenie you should have said they need to buy at least a drink or something in order to eat their lunch there? Or you could have said sorry no outside food which is what most cafes and restaurants do? its reasonable you are a business you need paying customers sitting on your seats?
Yeah, I worked that out at the time, but thanks for the help.

[specialsubject]

the water that comes out of the tap isn't free!!!

many things are a basic human right. The only one that is free is air.