Comments on: This bartender’s got your number http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/ funny (if not necessarily "passive-aggressive") notes from pissed-off people Tue, 21 May 2013 07:55:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Meatbone http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-419716 Meatbone Tue, 04 Sep 2012 02:46:00 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-419716 So, I am the creator of that sign. I am a bartender at Gestalt in San Francisco. It was a slow day and after about 10 people in row used the bathroom without buying anything, I thought I would try a sign and see if I got any different results. It's funny how people feel so embarrassed after they use the bathroom and know they are not going to buy anything. I've seen every trick in the book...fake cell phone calls, asking if we sell some obscure item that they know the answer will be "No"...etc. I have never turned down anyone asking to use the restroom. Our location happens to be in a popular spot for people needing to poo and pee. The point is, that if you are polite and just ask, you almost would never be turned down. It is the pretending to be a customer when really you just have to use the toilet that is interesting. Our establishment happens to have one of the only 1 person-locking door bathrooms in the area, so it is popular for people to use it for other ventures...like drugs. This is an issue when actual customers need to pee and are waiting 20 minutes while some asshole shoots himself up with heroin or is passed out in there. We have had to smash down the door 5 times in the last 3 years because someone was unconscious in there. Also, like many people said, it is like a person is normal and calm when they walk in a bathroom, but as soon as the door locks, they turn into a smashing psychopath. The amount of damage done to our bathroom on a weekly basis is mind-boggling! Anyway, the sign was just meant to be a joke, and was taken down later that day. It was fun watching people pretend to get phone calls on the way out. It just seems ridiculous. Just ask. For the most part, people are friendly and you will get what you want by being polite. So, I am the creator of that sign. I am a bartender at Gestalt in San Francisco. It was a slow day and after about 10 people in row used the bathroom without buying anything, I thought I would try a sign and see if I got any different results. It’s funny how people feel so embarrassed after they use the bathroom and know they are not going to buy anything. I’ve seen every trick in the book…fake cell phone calls, asking if we sell some obscure item that they know the answer will be “No”…etc. I have never turned down anyone asking to use the restroom. Our location happens to be in a popular spot for people needing to poo and pee. The point is, that if you are polite and just ask, you almost would never be turned down. It is the pretending to be a customer when really you just have to use the toilet that is interesting. Our establishment happens to have one of the only 1 person-locking door bathrooms in the area, so it is popular for people to use it for other ventures…like drugs. This is an issue when actual customers need to pee and are waiting 20 minutes while some asshole shoots himself up with heroin or is passed out in there. We have had to smash down the door 5 times in the last 3 years because someone was unconscious in there. Also, like many people said, it is like a person is normal and calm when they walk in a bathroom, but as soon as the door locks, they turn into a smashing psychopath. The amount of damage done to our bathroom on a weekly basis is mind-boggling!
Anyway, the sign was just meant to be a joke, and was taken down later that day. It was fun watching people pretend to get phone calls on the way out. It just seems ridiculous. Just ask. For the most part, people are friendly and you will get what you want by being polite.

]]> By: Vulpis http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415360 Vulpis Sun, 17 Jun 2012 17:31:16 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415360 I think that's part of the whole problem here--if you're being honest and straightforward about it, that's one thing. Sounds like this bartender's getting annoyed at how many people 'pretend' that that wasn't what they were doing. I think that’s part of the whole problem here–if you’re being honest and straightforward about it, that’s one thing. Sounds like this bartender’s getting annoyed at how many people ‘pretend’ that that wasn’t what they were doing.

]]> By: Vulpis http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415359 Vulpis Sun, 17 Jun 2012 17:28:31 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415359 Potergeist, you pretty obviously haven't a clue of what a barman's job *is*, it seems. They need to monitor pretty much everything going on in the place, including if a patron has been in the bathroom an excessive amount of time (there are entirely too many stories about people who'd passed out and/or needed medical attention in the bathroom after getting drunk in a bar). That said, it seems more like this bartender is just annoyed about people being rude in their bar--if they make note of your exit from the restroom in case you intend to come order something, at the very least be polite enough to make eye contact in return and indicate you aren't buying. After all, using the facilities and not bothering to help pay the people who take care of them (emergency or not) is a rude move. :-/ Potergeist, you pretty obviously haven’t a clue of what a barman’s job *is*, it seems. They need to monitor pretty much everything going on in the place, including if a patron has been in the bathroom an excessive amount of time (there are entirely too many stories about people who’d passed out and/or needed medical attention in the bathroom after getting drunk in a bar).

That said, it seems more like this bartender is just annoyed about people being rude in their bar–if they make note of your exit from the restroom in case you intend to come order something, at the very least be polite enough to make eye contact in return and indicate you aren’t buying. After all, using the facilities and not bothering to help pay the people who take care of them (emergency or not) is a rude move. :-/

]]> By: Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415089 Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:49:56 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415089 We live in an adversarial consumer environment. It's up to businesses to look out for their interests, and likewise up to the rest of us to look after ours. Business has nothing whatsoever to do with fairness; never has, never will. If I need a shit, i'm using your bathroom to do it in and that is pretty much that. If more members of the general public understood that commerce is effectively a tug'o'war between business and the public, banks and corporations might not be running rampant right now. We live in an adversarial consumer environment. It’s up to businesses to look out for their interests, and likewise up to the rest of us to look after ours. Business has nothing whatsoever to do with fairness; never has, never will. If I need a shit, i’m using your bathroom to do it in and that is pretty much that. If more members of the general public understood that commerce is effectively a tug’o'war between business and the public, banks and corporations might not be running rampant right now.

]]> By: Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415088 Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:44:03 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415088 He was a very imaginative man. He was a very imaginative man.

]]> By: Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415087 Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:39:07 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415087 How does it matter to the barman if someone come in to use the toilet without buying anything? That person just wouldn't have come in at all if it weren't for the fact that he/she needed to use the toilet, so the barman has lost nothing. How does it matter to the barman if someone come in to use the toilet without buying anything? That person just wouldn’t have come in at all if it weren’t for the fact that he/she needed to use the toilet, so the barman has lost nothing.

]]> By: class factotum http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415005 class factotum Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:44:02 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415005 I've always looked to McDonald's as a beacon of clean, free toilets when I've been traveling. Lately, Starbucks has entered the pantheon: their toilets are clean and their stores are ubiquitous. Plus I've spend enough money there over the years not to feel guilty for using their facilities. But in Paris, you have to have a code to use their toilet, a code that appears on your receipt. I really didn't see the point of spending $7 (bad exchange rate) to reload and face the same problem again: http://class-factotum.blogspot.com/2010/11/paris-14-le-pipi-or-liberte-egalite.html I’ve always looked to McDonald’s as a beacon of clean, free toilets when I’ve been traveling. Lately, Starbucks has entered the pantheon: their toilets are clean and their stores are ubiquitous. Plus I’ve spend enough money there over the years not to feel guilty for using their facilities. But in Paris, you have to have a code to use their toilet, a code that appears on your receipt. I really didn’t see the point of spending $7 (bad exchange rate) to reload and face the same problem again: http://class-factotum.blogspot.com/2010/11/paris-14-le-pipi-or-liberte-egalite.html

]]> By: Jeffbrown http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-415000 Jeffbrown Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:31:03 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-415000 Ok, pretending that I was a bar owner, I would definitely want my restroom to be used by my customers and my staff. I agree with Adriana that restroom maintenance is another expense to the restaurant/bar and why should they let people who don't use their service to use their restroom. People can disagree all they want but wait until they have their own business, I bet they will not just let anyone use your restroom. More people using the restroom means extra toilet paper & water that will be used and extra cleaning effort to keep it clean which lead to unnecessary expense that should be prevented. Ok, pretending that I was a bar owner, I would definitely want my restroom to be used by my customers and my staff. I agree with Adriana that restroom maintenance is another expense to the restaurant/bar and why should they let people who don’t use their service to use their restroom.

People can disagree all they want but wait until they have their own business, I bet they will not just let anyone use your restroom. More people using the restroom means extra toilet paper & water that will be used and extra cleaning effort to keep it clean which lead to unnecessary expense that should be prevented.

]]> By: Poltergeist http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414829 Poltergeist Sun, 03 Jun 2012 18:08:55 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414829 The bartender should be busy tending the bar and not be worrying about who has and hasn't used the bathroom. Me using the bathroom and not paying for anything and me using the bathroom somewhere else have the same outcome for the bartender. It's just that one of them might prevent me from crapping myself. You all are thinking way too deeply into this. It's really quite humorous watching people attempt to rationalize bathroom Naziism. If someone says they have to go, let them go. Life goes on. The bartender should be busy tending the bar and not be worrying about who has and hasn’t used the bathroom.
Me using the bathroom and not paying for anything and me using the bathroom somewhere else have the same outcome for the bartender. It’s just that one of them might prevent me from crapping myself.
You all are thinking way too deeply into this. It’s really quite humorous watching people attempt to rationalize bathroom Naziism. If someone says they have to go, let them go. Life goes on.

]]> By: Alex http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414826 Alex Sun, 03 Jun 2012 06:12:10 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414826 The point of the note is not that you *have* to buy something to use the restroom, but that you shouldn't pretend like the bartender doesn't know you just came in to use the restroom and are not going to buy anything. His wage is dependent on your tips, so to him, if someone comes in and doesn't buy anything, it matters. The point of the note is not that you *have* to buy something to use the restroom, but that you shouldn’t pretend like the bartender doesn’t know you just came in to use the restroom and are not going to buy anything. His wage is dependent on your tips, so to him, if someone comes in and doesn’t buy anything, it matters.

]]> By: Sheilaton http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414742 Sheilaton Thu, 31 May 2012 00:46:29 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414742 I guess their goal isn't to get eye contact. Maybe they want to let people know that using restrooms without being a customer is frowned upon, specially if such people doesn't ask "please?" or say "thanks" afterwards. Certainly they can't be sure if someone is faking a phone call to avoid the bartender, but sometimes it's just very noticeable. I guess their goal isn’t to get eye contact. Maybe they want to let people know that using restrooms without being a customer is frowned upon, specially if such people doesn’t ask “please?” or say “thanks” afterwards. Certainly they can’t be sure if someone is faking a phone call to avoid the bartender, but sometimes it’s just very noticeable.

]]> By: Tileyfa http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414724 Tileyfa Wed, 30 May 2012 19:04:41 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414724 It doesn't bother me, or most people in Kansas from the way everyone else seems to act here, if you travel from one town to another, gas stations & McDonalds are the places to make your pit-stops. I think gas stations make up for the bathroom visits with the random impulse buying of some of the people stopping in. It doesn’t bother me, or most people in Kansas from the way everyone else seems to act here, if you travel from one town to another, gas stations & McDonalds are the places to make your pit-stops. I think gas stations make up for the bathroom visits with the random impulse buying of some of the people stopping in.

]]> By: rtuko http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414671 rtuko Tue, 29 May 2012 23:37:06 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414671 If you're in a bar in which the bartender has the leisure to scrutinize every person using the bathroom, there's something wrong with the bar. If you’re in a bar in which the bartender has the leisure to scrutinize every person using the bathroom, there’s something wrong with the bar.

]]> By: Snoofy http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2012/05/27/cell-phone-fake-out/comment-page-1/#comment-414663 Snoofy Tue, 29 May 2012 17:38:15 +0000 http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/?p=21564#comment-414663 Restaurant bathrooms are not a courtesy for customers, at least not in the U.S. It's the law. Anyplace that serves food on site has to have a bathroom available and it must be handicap accessible too. When it gets dicey is when there is no publicly available toilet - such as in a small shop - and the public insists on using it anyway. And then mucks it up. Restaurant bathrooms are not a courtesy for customers, at least not in the U.S. It’s the law. Anyplace that serves food on site has to have a bathroom available and it must be handicap accessible too.

When it gets dicey is when there is no publicly available toilet – such as in a small shop – and the public insists on using it anyway. And then mucks it up.

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