This Conversation Has Gone Down The Toilet

I work in a fast food restaurant. Our restrooms are currently unavailable to the public due to the ongoing health crisis. We’ve reorganized our store in a way so that a table is blocking the hallway to the restrooms, but there is a small gap between the table and the wall where someone could sneak past. However, only employees are allowed back there and most people have the common sense to realize that they probably shouldn’t sneak past.

Most people.

One day, a woman comes into the store and walks past the front desk, ignoring all of us. I assume she had a pick-up order, which we keep on shelves near the table at the back. But instead, she walks past the pickups and attempts to sneak past to go to the bathrooms.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but that area is for employees only.”

She stops and looks at me with a look that makes me think she might be a grade school teacher.

Customer #1: “Where do you expect me to go to the bathroom, then?”

Me: “I’m sorry, but our bathrooms are closed for the time being. However, there is a gas station down the road with very nice bathrooms—”

Customer #1: “You expect me to drive all the way down there? Just let me use yours!”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, I can’t.”

She throws her arms up in frustration.

Customer #1: “Where am I supposed to go to the bathroom, then?”

Me: “Not here.”

The customer leaves the store without buying anything, gets in her car, and drives toward the gas station I pointed out. The next day, a man and a woman come in and order, and the man then sneaks past the table when my back is turned. Once he’s gone to the bathroom, he comes back out and his wife attempts to do the same.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but our bathrooms are closed at the moment.”

Customer #2: *Confused* “But my husband just went in there!”

Me: “Yes, I noticed that, but he wasn’t supposed to.”

Customer #2: *Annoyed* “You should have a sign up!”

Me: “I will definitely talk to my manager about that.”

They got their food and left. I guess I assumed that if you have to sneak past a table to get to something, you probably shouldn’t be going there.