To be cross at Costa coffee not letting me go to the loo?

[Treatedlikeamaid]

I think of all the money I’ve spent in Costa and just now I nipped into a branch, it was empty. I asked if I could use the loo and the young man serving told me not if I wasn’t going to buy anything. I mean..it was empty! I’ve spent 100s in there over the years. ! I’m a lady of a certain age when we need the loo, we need the loo! I’m irrationally angry and then got all embarrassed and tearful. Not pleasant at all. It wouldn’t have cost Costa anything to show a bit of consideration. Humph!

Honestly I wouldn’t ask. If you were going in there to have a drink you’d still need to go to the loo first when you’re on your own.

cologne4711

Only if she drank it. And so? If she bought something she would have been able to use the toilet. Instead, she cried.

In several of our local coffee shops the loos (normally just one in each shop, which is a disabled loo but for use of all customers) are either locked by keycode or Radar key, so you can't just walk in, you have to go to the counter and ask for the code, or for the loo to be opened (and would be asked to make a purchase).

So it's not as easy as just walking in. Unless you have a radar key.

Totally unreasonable of them OP. I have a particularly hatred of cafes that use access to toilets as a sort of weapon. Access to a toilet is a medical need, one that is even more pressing if you have a disability or are menstruating.
Somewhere having facilities for customers is using toilets as a weapon. The cost for cleaning and maintenance is paid for by the customers.

I particularly hate boys refusing access to women. How dare they.
It's not a case of boy refusing a woman.
It's a case of toilets being a facility for customers.

I can never understand the people who think this is ok. Have you never been desperate for the loo?

Yes of course I have. And I buy a bloody biscuit if I’m using a private loo. That’s what it is. It’s for the convenience of their customers. It’s not for people who aren’t customers. What do you fail to understand?

Assuming you’re not being sarcastic, your hyperbolic language is embarrassing you.

I always use the loo first before ordering a coffee. Because the alternative would be that I juggle taking my coffee into the loo with me, or else leave my coffee unattended on an empty table where it may get cleared away or something.

I would think this must be standard practice and they'll be used to it. So next time, just march in and use the loo (spend a minute gazing appraisingly at the menu board first if you feel you need to be extra convincing). Then come out and buy something if you feel guilty, or just swan off. What are they going to do, make you put the pee back in or something?!

Totally unreasonable of them OP. I have a particularly hatred of cafes that use access to toilets as a sort of weapon.

Oh dear God.

My house has a toilet. If the OP wants to use it and I say no, am I weaponising my toilet?

It's for current customers. If you weren't buying anything at the time you weren't one.

If I were that desperate that I was getting upset, I would have just bought a bottle of water or something and used the loo.

I buy a coffee or a small botlle of water and then use the toilet, you´re a customer then.

Sometimes it is better to seek forgiveness than ask approval.

Providing toilets costs money, water, cleaning products, hand dryer. Just buy something if you want to use their toilets.

YABU. Our local Starbucks had to get a keypad protected toilet that they change the password of every week because randomers kept walking in and using it. Bit of a PITA but stops them getting messy

One, they're a multinational corporation and not a friendly local coffee shop and two, food/drink places generally do expect you to buy something if you're going to use the bogs, especially at the moment because of all the hygiene rules. You can just buy a biscuit or something.

I have IBS and understand the need to find a loo NOW. In your circumstances I would have bought something from Costa, even just a bar of chocolate to take away. It's something I've actually done a few times.

Given all the Covid worry at the moment they're probably having to clean them a lot more often so restricting their use to just the paying customers does make total sense.

@knittingaddict

I have IBS and understand the need to find a loo NOW. In your circumstances I would have bought something from Costa, even just a bar of chocolate to take away. It's something I've actually done a few times.

When there’s a massive queue and you need now though it’s difficult.

They're not a public toilet, they're a private establishment. And it costs money to have a customer toilet - toilet paper, soap, cleaning products, electric, maintenance when things go wrong, someone to come and empty/replace the sanitary bin, someone to clean it regularly...

It's much easier to have a blanket policy of "customers only". If you were that desperate, you could have bought something.

YABU

why ask if you’re not going to accept their answer?

Hospitality businesses have been hit so hard by restrictions over the last seven months, and as you said they were empty. Would it have killed you to buy a coffee or something?

Your attitude is horrible.

You need to style it out

Walk in, straight past the coffee area and head straight to the loo.

Don't ask permission, it just gives them a reason to say no.

I particularly hate boys refusing access to women. How dare they.

🤦🏻‍♀️

No wonder people piss in the street in U.K. There are no public toilets anywhere in London, places like Costa and Pret give you a code on your receipt, so you have to buy something. There are some public loos near us, which closed in the 1990s and they helpfully direct you to some more that are four miles away (and which have now closed as well). Why not charge, say, 50p, and let people use the loo? At least everywhere won’t smell of piss then.

@Campervan69

I never ask. Just walk confidently to the loo. Use it. Come out. Leave. Always worked for me. What they gonna do?

I do the same.

And sometimes, if I’ve time, I do buy something.

@2020iscancelled
Next time just walk in and use it, if you are approached then say yes I am meeting a friend in 10 minutes thanks
Then when done say thanks, I’ll just wait outside for them as they don’t know the area well

What, and then when they're looking the other way, leg it?!
YABU, OP.
I know it sucks but they're not a public toilet.

You have an entitled attitude. Customers only' is quite a common set up. Why do you think you're different from everyone else who seems to manage ok with the rules?