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The story
Convenience store workers past and present swapped opinions on 5ch about customers who pop in just to use the bathroom and leave without buying anything. Some called it a nuisance, warning that “you could technically be sued for trespassing,” while others pushed back, saying “I worked there for five and a half years and it was never really a problem.” The debate widened further when some argued that customers who buy a single token item out of guilt for using the bathroom are actually more annoying — leaving the thread stuck on an exasperated “so which is it?!” Posters also noted that policies differ between busy downtown stores and suburban ones, and that some stores are closing their restrooms entirely because staff shortages mean they can’t keep them clean.
What people said
Depending on how the owner wants to play it, you could actually get sued for trespassing, so watch out — it's a huge nuisance.
I've been taking a dump at the same convenience store for five and a half years and nobody's ever complained.
Well yeah, part-timers don't care about sales figures.
Just leave without buying anything, seriously.
Yeah, sounds like it.
Same here, honestly.
It drove me nuts when people bought a pack of gum just as a token gesture.
Paying a measly 100 yen (about a dollar) as a "forgive me" offering doesn't cut it.
If you're gonna buy something, buy at least 1,000 yen worth.
Yeah, and it's annoying when they come to the register while you're in the middle of stocking shelves too.
Do you really think every convenience store worker thinks exactly the same way?
Who cares if someone uses the bathroom?
It makes cleaning the bathroom harder.
In the suburbs pretty much every store lets you use it.
In busy downtown areas they close it because it leads to trouble.
That's just my impression, anyway.
Pachinko parlors are perfect targets for this kind of thing though.
They're not really in a position to loudly complain about being used as a public restroom.
Apparently pachinko parlors actually benefit from looking busy with foot traffic, so letting people use the bathroom is a sort of unspoken rule they're fine with.
Guess that means station bathrooms aren't really free either, huh.
When I asked what you're supposed to do, I was told that, kind of like Japanese convenience stores, there are shops selling snacks and odds and ends, and you're supposed to buy something there before using the bathroom.
It's basically the bar (café) culture — order a coffee, then use the bathroom.
Lol, weak mentality.
The mentality of a guy replying to his own post?
Coming from a single-post throwaway ID, that's really convincing.
ATMs are a service the store explicitly provides, so anyone using one is a customer.
Not understanding even that much of a difference — that's on you, man.
I genuinely don't get what situation would make someone rush in for one.
When you suddenly need to take a dump while driving, a convenience store looks like a beacon of hope.
Probably when you're out and about and suddenly need to go?
at a store with a sign saying "bathroom-only use not permitted,"
I asked anyway not expecting much — and they let me use it. Still grateful for that.
Well yeah, better than having someone soil themselves in the store.
You didn't seriously just leave without buying anything after that, right? Right?
No, actually I want them to stay.
Nothing's more of a blessing than customers not coming near the store.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
The “bathroom-only use” issue at convenience stores has long been a recurring topic on the front lines of customer service, and the ambiguity stems from the fact that whether a store can refuse entry or restroom use is left up to each individual store’s own policy. The term “trespassing” came up in the thread, but this is just one claim made by a few posters with work experience — it’s worth noting the thread never actually verified under what conditions that would apply. Opinions split over which is more annoying: customers who only use the bathroom, or customers who buy a single token item out of a sense of obligation after using it — even posters with hands-on experience couldn’t agree. Posters also pointed out that restroom-access policies differ between busy downtown areas and the suburbs, and that some stores are closing their restrooms altogether because staff shortages mean they can’t keep up with cleaning — suggesting this is less a simple matter of customer manners and more a tangled issue involving store staffing problems as well.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “Convenience store worker: ‘A convenience store isn’t a public restroom! If you just need a toilet, go to a station or a park!’“
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