Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
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It used to be you could get a glass of water at any business and all you had to do was ask. Well now you have to buy the cup and if you want ice that'll be another five to fifteen cents!
If you found yourself in the unfortunate position of needing a restroom (or worse, a child of yours in DIRE need of a restroom--you know hopping around because of the urgency in what my kids call the "pee-pee dance") most places just a few short years ago would let you use their facilites. Now it's "Yeah, you can use the bathroom, but you have to BUY something first. It's like "excuse me while I buy this pack of gum that I don't need while my kid makes a puddle on your floor!"
Well now I've seen it all. New York city is launching their first group of "pay toilets". (see the New York Daily News)Twenty of the new loos are being set up all over Manhattan. A quarter will get you 15 whole minutes. If you go longer than that, a warning voice comes on and you get 3 minutes more. If you don't get out by then, the door will open and all of Manhattan will get to see you adjust your drawers!
The city is actually planning to put advertisements on these pay bathrooms. I wonder which advertisers will sign up? Charmin? Glade air freshener?
What's funnier to me is that New Yorkers don't seem to mind. One guy was quoted in the article (link above) as saying: "If you can ride the subway for $2 and go everywhere, then I guess 25 cents to go to the bathroom isn't too bad." People expect to pay. They plan on it.
It seems to me that if we would just expect people to be courteous and kind once in a while and be that way ourselves we might see some of these free things come back. Could I just get a glass of water when my kid is thirsty and a fountain isn't nearby? No I don't want to buy a bottle of water.
At the rate we're going I'm going to have to start paying people for a smile. :) (That'll be fifty cents.)
