Bathroom Attendants in Restaurants

[fifi]

Hmmm... good catch foodie52. I think you are on to something.

I don't really like the attendant thing but I don't really get exercised about it. I just think of it as another person to have to tip that doesn't really do much for me. However, in countries like Mexico, I appreciate that people need jobs and I try to be prepared to tip generously but not obnoxiously so.

[Mayhaw Man]

Maybe I don't eat at enough swanky joints -- the only attendant I've ever encountered was (surprisingly) at the House of Blues in Hollywood.

The House of Blues began doing this in New Orleans from day one (I would be interested to know if they were doing it in Cambridge, which opened a little earlier). New Orleans also has attendants at the Fairgrounds and at the Dome.

I am sure that it is a quaint little throwback to days gone by, when labor was cheaper and you could still make a living running an elevator, but I find it annoying. That is not to say that these guys don't have a perfect right to be plying their trade, just that I am pretty good at not pissing all over my hands and even better at washing them after I pee, and require very little assistance. I also do not like to feel obligated to tip just because I need to take a leak.

Let's face it, that is kind of getting you "coming and going" . Ya gotta tip the bartender and then, after enjoying the bartenders valuable service and the fruits of his or her labor, you then have to tip some guy while you divest yourself of the bartenders work. DOUBLE TAXATION, say I!

Now taking that service to a whole new level ......I like the scene in "History of the World" where Harvey Kormann (sic) says to Mel Brooks after rendering him assistance with taking a leak..."tap?"

"It's good to be the king".

[Fat Guy]

more than a few attendants were actually dispensing toilet paper and other necessities on the way in to the bathroom.

Better than on the way out . . .

[ronnie_suburban]

more than a few attendants were actually dispensing toilet paper and other necessities on the way in to the bathroom.

Better than on the way out . . .

Absolutely

=R=

[elyse]

I was wondering about that too.

[Chad]

i usually grab a cigarette and some gum or mints.

Jeez, if I could get a smoke I'd be a lot less weirded out by bathroom attendants. Imagine what a wonderful world it would be if your attendant could produce a pack of Kool Milds and let you toke up (or at least today's equivalent) while you're in the john of an ostensibly non-smoking place. Their tip jars would be full unto overflowing! Screw a line of blow or other 80s big hair paraphenalia, I'd settle for a fucking cigarette.

Chad

[elyse]

That would be amazing.

[Pan]

In places like Italy and Malaysia, attendants in public bathrooms sit at a table outside the bathroom and I presume they are responsible for keeping the place clean, so they actually do something useful. They don't expect much money, either. But again, these are public bathrooms, not bathrooms in restaurants.

Like most other contributors to this thread, I think having attendants inside a bathroom is inappropriate and insulting. Nor do these attendants clean the bathroom. I can get my own towels, thank you very much. I will give a bathroom attendant a $1 bill once, only because I think it's a pathetic job. But I resent the whole situation. For similarly useful jobs, perhaps they could hire someone to hold the subway doors open and put my hat on my head. And perhaps the people who pack groceries in the supermarket should also be tipped a dollar. Think about it: At least they're doing something useful.

[elyse]

I too do not like attendants. I find them intrusive, an invasion of my privacy, and just sad. I rarely find the bathroom very clean or dry when they're there. For the services provided, which are usually none, it's just going to be a guilt tip, and I don't believe in that.

[fifi]

KatyM... I just reread this thread and it looks like the reactions are overwhelmingly negative. I find that interesting. Rarely does a diverse group such as eGullet members agree so much. The more strongly negative reactions of the guys is really interesting. Can't wait to read your article.

I am hoping you will provide a link when you publish.

[tejon]

My most memorable and least pleasant bathroom attendant experiences took place in the Czech Republic (and in Hungary to a lesser degree) where more than a few attendants were actually dispensing toilet paper and other necessities on the way in to the bathroom.  Needless to say, this configuration required a level of interaction that was notably uncomfortable.  It wasn't just at restaurants either--also at museums and other "attraction" type venues.  If you didn't drop a coin or two on the platter as you entered, you could really find yourself in a pickle.  Luckily, we were traveling with some well-seasoned friends who coached us through it in advance...otherwise it could have gotten very ugly.

=R=

Thank goodness for some forwarning! I had no idea ahead of time, and was in for a huge surprise the first time I used a rest room in Hungary . Learned very quickly to carry forints and spare toilet paper in my purse at all times.

[s'kat]

I came across my first bathroom attendant in the public restroom of a Dutch train station. I was young, and completely taken aback by her presence. Out of embarrassment, I tipped her too much, and never returned to that particular restroom again.

I got used to seeing them there, but was never comfortable with their presence.

Stateside, I've only encountered them in nightclubs or similar atmospheres. My favourites would definately be the drag queens. They don't turn on faucets or hand you towels, but they'll fix up your makeup and primp your hair faster than you can say 'Judy Garland'.

[Kim WB]

In Nanning China, at a department store, the attendants are available to buy toilet paper from. This is handy after you squat down over the trough that runs through the middle of the room, cheek to cheek,so to say, with your neighbor. Oh, and a bit of advice..there IS a reason why no one is squatting down at the far end near the drain, dear.

Edited November 4, 2003 by Kim WB (log)

[Fat Guy]

it looks like the reactions are overwhelmingly negative

Will anybody speak up and say that he or she sees a bathroom attendant and says, "Oh, I'm so glad this bathroom has an attendant!"

It doesn't seem likely. At the same time, I wonder if there isn't a psychological mechanism that denies bathroom attendants credit for what they do. After all, when I go into a really horrible bathroom, I never find myself saying, "If only they had an attendant here, it wouldn't be so horrible." Yet that's probably the case: you never see a horrible bathroom with an attendant, at least not in the USA (in Egypt, I saw a few, and if we're lucky at some point Ellen can tell the story of when the evil Egyptian bathroom attendant spit on her).

If bathroom attendants were judged by their absence, rather than their presence, we might have a different perception of the whole matter.

[alacarte]

I'd love to hear what the bathroom attendants have to say.

Personally, I think bathroom attendants are one of the most archaic job functions left. What service are they supposed to provide, exactly? Am I not capable of selecting my own hand towel and dispensing my own hand soap? Does tipping make the dirty business of evacuation somehow more gracious and genteel? I don't think so.

Some restaurants seem to think that attendants add a "touch of class." I disagree. Excellent example: the restroom at Rue 56 here in NY. The ladies' room has two stalls, and barely enough space to squeeze in toward the sink, especially at peak hours when women are queued up to empty their bladders. The door to the ladies' room remains open at all times because there is not enough room for the restaurant patrons and the entirely unnecessary attendant. In this case, a modicum of extra standing room would go a long way toward improving the "restroom experience."

The only good part of the restroom attendant experience is that she encourages all visitors to take a piece of candy as they exit the restroom. (But how many of us need encouragement to do that?)

Finally, I'd like to see attendants posted in the employee restrooms at restaurants, to police all employees involved in food prep to wash their hands after using the toilet, every time. Now that would be an improvement.

[Cusina]

Anyone see Urinetown?

This thread is reminding me of it.

Pay to pee, people, pay to pee.

[tryska]

I only see them at clubs down here - and i dig bathroom attendants.

[alacarte]

The only place attendants ever seem to fit is Bergdorf's restroom.

But they also have a couch, a full-size gilt-edged mirror, and a tray of perfumes.

[elyse]

in Egypt, I saw a few, and if we're lucky at some point Ellen can tell the story of when the evil Egyptian bathroom attendant spit on her).

You actually got me to gasp.

[bloviatrix]

Finally, I'd like to see attendants posted in the employee restrooms at restaurants, to police all employees involved in food prep to wash their hands after using the toilet, every time. Now that would be an improvement.

I'd like to further the idea and have bathroom attendants enforce handwashing for everyone.

[elyse]

I just have to say, I can not imagine ANY reason to take anything that you are going to put in your mouth from a toilet. It's been in toilet air for hours! Ewww. Unless I just puked, and REALLY needed something, but that hasn't come up recently. Still, the thought of eating toilet food would make me vomit alone.

I think attendants were useful back in the day when you'd pop buttons, or cry like a female, or muss yourself or whatever. Men needed lint and dandruff swept from their back and shoulders. It was a different world when this stuff was going on, but it's pretty much dead now. Any other ideas for why this may have been a useful perk?

[maggiethecat]

Screw a line of blow or other 80s big hair paraphenalia, I'd settle for a fucking cigarette.

Me too.

I haven't seen a washroom attendant in a restaurant for a few years, but I admit to being rather charmed by the lovely young lady in the restroom attached to the parking facility! of the West Hollywood Mall in LA. Of course, this particular garage also features a chandelier and a huge floral arrangement at its entrace.

[tryska]

well in clubs it's always good that they wipe down seats and make sure the toilet is clean and neat to use.

plus someone's there to attend to the amateurs who lose their bearing and make things unpleasant for the rest of us.

club washroom attendants always get a dollar or 2 from me. depending on what they are dealing with that night.

Edited November 4, 2003 by tryska (log)

[elyse]

I have seen too many wet seats and floors with attendants.

[Rachel Perlow]

I only like the ones in Broadway theatres ladies rooms. I think of them more like prison matrons anyway. They keep the line moving. "One just opened up over here ladies, next!" Gets you back to your seat in time during intermission.