I know I have to tip when I ride in a taxi, when I eat in a restaurant, and when I leave a hotel room. But… in the restroom? Apparently, tips and bathrooms are not mutually exclusive.
During one of our nights in Las Vegas, we had dinner at Tao, the trendy Asian-fusion restaurant where no matter how hip you are, you are never hip enough. When I snuck to the restroom to wash my hands, I was faced with a sink lined with perfume, breath mints, lotions, hairspray, etc. And off to the side stood the bathroom attendant, a lady pumping handwash onto your palms and offering up paper towels the moment you turn off the faucet.
In the middle of the counter, there are two glass jars with dollar bills. So imagine my discomfort when I realized that I have NO cash on me, anywhere. I was so embarassed that the second time I went to the restroom I just washed my hands and wiped them on my jeans instead of taking a paper towel. This is the first time I have seen a bathroom attendant (I had thought that they were the stuff of urban legends, conjured up to frighten cashless restaurant patrons), and I have no idea what the correct etiquette would be.
On the one hand, I don’t think I should have to fork over money just because I go to the restroom. On the other hand, it is pretty awkward when there is a human being handing you towels and a tip jar standing RIGHT there. I wish bathroom attendants weren’t necessary - actually, I wish that restaurants would pay them a minimum wage so that I don’t have to feel bad about not having a dollar to tip. The restaurant can roll up the higher cost into the price of the meal – I would be much more comfortable with that arrangement.
Have you frequented places with bathroom attendants? When & how much do you tip?
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That's just silly. You should be able to go to the bathroom without forking over money. Plus, it's kind of awkward having to go pee and somebody standing out there listening, haha.
Whenever I go to the bar or out with friends, there's always a bathroom attendant, but I always feel bad because I hardly ever bring cash. I hate having to pay anyways, but usually me and my friends just throw $1 in for all of us.
I've seen bathroom attendants in a few restaurants and really don't understand them. I don't tip them since it's usually unexpected; you go to the restroom to wash your hands or take care of yourself and there's someone there to hand you a towel. I think it's a very strange practice.
I have been to several restrooms with bathroom attendents, and I usually tip $1- (if I have cash on me, I usually always have a little cash) if you can afford a meal at a restaurant where there is a bathroom attendent, you can afford to tip a dollar or two. If you don't have cash, just take a hand towel but don't take a bunch of mints or use their lotion or hairspray. It is awkward if you don't have cash, but no need to stress over it. I figure they are trying to provide a service, I can spare a dollar, that's just my opinion.
I usually don't tip and try to get my own towel. So awkward and so unnecessary.
I've seen a few, but have never felt pressured to tip (or had any money on me). It's awkward… definitely don't enjoy it
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In Cuba, I've discovered that sometimes the airport bathrooms don't have toilet paper, except for what the bathroom attendant has and gives out. I always feel obligated to tip / don't mind tipping if I'm on the way home, but once I had a stopover and we had to leave the plane while they cleaned it for the return trip home, and I desperately had to use the bathroom – I had no cash on me (my fiance was standing at the cash exchange line), and certainly no pesos, and I felt guilty for not tipping, but I didn't really have a choice.
I doubt they expect to get a tip from every person that comes through the door. You're probably one of many who didn't tip. I agree, I get kind of annoyed by the practice but if I do tip, I'll make sure to take something so that I feel like I got at least a little something out of it.
I've been to a number of bars and restaurants with bathroom attendants. I'll usually tip a few dollars upfront so I don't have to do it the rest of the night (especially if I'm in a bar, drinking. I use the bathroom. A lot. I'd rather just take care of the tipping in the beginning)
I am a bathhroom attendent. I provide a unique service. Making sure that women don't walk out of the bathroom with toilet tissue on the bottom of their heels. How goofy can that get? I also make sure that I have things like bandaids on hand and things that on a spare of the moment a person may not posses like a tampon, a safty pin, nail glue for a broken nail, curling iron etc etc. Sometimes the bathroom attendent can comein handy, when u need Tums, asperin or dentil floss. I dont see why people are complaining about a little ole tip. It just might be putting some single parent's child through college. so lighten up. Bath room attendents deserve the tip. Also it is the bathhroom attendent that is typically there when the vomit comes flowing along with all the bathroom drama you can imagine….. ya gotta look at the whole picture. The attendent works closely with security and maintenance
I've tipped $1 sometimes. But for the most part, I don't carry my purse to the bathroom anyway. I wish places didn't have bathroom attendants – it's awkward and unnecessary IMO.
Paying to use the bathroom is common in Europe. Everywhere you go, there is someone you need to pay. Either that, or you have to deposit a couple coins in order to open the door/gate to get in! Towards the end of my time there I actually found I gravitated towards the paid ones if there was an option available, because it meant the bathroom was clean and supplies (toilet paper) were checked and stocked frequently.
As for a place in the US doing it… I see it as a cash grab. I've been to a couple bars here in Canada that have them, but you have the option of saying no and avoiding them.
in Florida they are really common at fairgrounds etc. They seem to have a purpose to help keep people moving on, keep kids out of trouble etc as well as providing the additional services.
I'm assuming these wouldn't be issues at the restaurant in question, however.
I tip a buck a day for each restroom visited.
Yes, I have been to restroom's that have had bathroom attendants. There have been times where I had a few dollars to show my "thanks" for handing me a paper towel. There have been times where I didn't have any money on me and I hoped that my "thank you" and smile would be enough. In the beginning, when I first encountered this, it made me feel a little awkward, especially when I would take the paper towel but didn't leave a tip. But now, if I have it, I have it. If I don't, I don't.
Ugh. This is my own personal bugaboo, along with paying for a phone service that I don't use to get the bundled internet (they aren't able to separate them for me here in NZ). I've run into this in many night clubs and it always makes me feel guilty that this person has to hang out in the bathroom and deal with drunk women all night to make a living. But, seriously…pay someone to do something that I prefer to do myself? NO THANK YOU. It is really awkward–also unhygienic, because money is notoriously dirty. So I'm supposed to wash my hands and immediately dirty them by fishing out a dollar from my wallet? So someone can pump soap into my hand and hand me a paper towel? I say a genuine thank you, but they get nothing more from me.
Somehow I usually finagle it so that I get the soap and towel all by myself, while the attendant is distracted by other customers.
I have run into the toilet paper hander-out lady, as well, but that is much rarer, thank goodness!
I definitely find it awkward. I never want to tip a dollar just for that – plus, I just find it kind of weird. I think the weirdest thing is when you go to the bathroom at a club and there's someone in there selling condoms, breathmints or even candy. I mean…I don't go to the bathroom to buy that stuff but I still feel weird telling them no thanks on my way out, after they just handed me a paper towel.
Yeah I’ve encountered this quite a bit in bars/clubs/restaurants in NYC, at weddings and everywhere in Europe.
I personally don’t think you should have to tip. I can pump my own soap and grab my own hand towel. If I need a mint and use their lotions or perfumes then I guess then you can tip for the convenience and luxury.
I very rarely carry cash with me so I don’t tip.
I had to laugh when I saw this post title and laughed even harder upon reading the post. If you want really uncomfortable head over here to Thailand where there are always bathroom attendants, they are not always of the same sex and occasionally they will come over and start to massage your shoulders while you are still relieving yourself. Fun stuff indeed!
After just getting off a few flights not that long ago, I've been wondering a lot about flight attendants and what the job includes. Just about every flight before landing, I noticed flight attendants stepping into the bathroom for a short time and walking back out. It was only a few seconds so it wasn't to "go" to the bathroom, what are they doing in there to prepare for landing?
Working in the tipping industry myself, I always carry cash on me. In fact I feel naked without cash. In regards to tipping a bathroom attendent, I also feel awkward about it. The service they provide is negligible IMHO. However, I do feel sorry for those who have to clean the restroom and I would rather tip them or pay a dollar to use a clean restroom.
Surpised you hit TAO, there are so many newer venues out there these days. Then again being so old now I can't keep up with what's hip and happening nowadays.
Awkward. Also, when they want you to pay for their services? Hello I am 15 years old, if you want me to pay stay away! Then they get angry when you don't have money when you're 15 and on vacation with parents..
I'm coming across bathroom attendants more and more these days and I find it incredibly awkward. The idea that I'm expected to tip someone for handing me a towel annoys me, but I feel so odd about just walking out that I end up tipping them anyway. I don't see the point of having them there.
This is one of my pet peeves—I can't STAND bathroom attendants. I never tip them, but then again I never take anything from them except a paper towel or soap. I see this at bars all the time and I think it's ridiculous—I can get my own soap and paper towel, so I'm not going to do anything to "encourage" their business. I don't know why it bothers me so much, I have no problem tipping other people for their services.
Did you know that our luxury restroom trailers have attendants? #Believeitornot
Bathroom Attendants also make sure you have a clean place to take care of your business. Imagine going to a bar or club and it looks and smells just like a port a potty or gas station. I clean restrooms for a living and women are so nasty they pee, poop and wipe their blood on the toilet, walls and floors imagine having to go to the restroom and sitting in that.