Flushing Troubles

This is not a moan episode about loo trouble. Not for me personally anyway. But potentially for those that might have thought of taking a load off whilst wandering in a country where a Barista was brewing feet from you.

I refer to the Starbucks policy of open bathrooms for all. As a brand they certainly milk their customers on what is a basic caffeinated beverage but then again it implies certain conveniences even when you are not in the mood to caffeinate.

Access to clean toilets worldwide where they have stores open. Now this policy was amended in the past where only paying customers would be allowed the use of the throne. But stateside politics led to policy amendments (race relations playing a part) to where they were again open to balance of fluids anytime to anyone.

Enter the pandemic and margin compression with expensive resources to staff each location some of which spent some time tending to the fallout in the restrooms. Now I know not exactly what or why but returning CEO Howie Schultz has decided enough is enough.

How far can he go to please Wall Street when his shops are getting dumped by some nut who is high on substances beyond caffeine? Cleaning restrooms with needles and other human waste not deposited correctly is not a task his team is willing to take on to be a brand of choice for other paying customers. Mental health is a serious issue and his ask of the public servants to put money where their mouth is seems reasonable.

Just look at what is happening to cities like San Francisco and Portland - they are turning into one big toilet palooza. Whackos of varying kinds are taking literal liberties to excrete wherever, whenever the urge should strike. Lot of them are officially off their rockers due in part to use of narcotics or just an imbalance in the cerebellum somewhere. Given how we are not all Buddhist it implies that the non whacked public is not a fan of this nonsense.

So the policy at least by this coffee chain to now close their restroom doors to people that may be simply looking for an option to leak (without buying a Star beverage with few bucks).

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