For me, it was a typical Saturday – a little bit of shopping with my mom, a little bit of lunch, a little more shopping, etc. As we moved on from store to store after enjoying a lovely lunch, I suddenly realized that the 3 glasses of iced tea I had consumed were beginning to press upon me and they wanted OUT. Thankfully, the store had a public restroom and I was able to avert any serious consequences that may have occurred due to my lack of proper planning. (Thank you Shoe Carnival!)
This little incident really got me thinking – when I was younger, there were very few restrooms for public use. Restrooms were usually located in some dark corner of the stock room and you had to navigate the obstacle course of boxes and other miscellaneous items in order to answer the call of nature. And the best part was that these strictly utilitarian rooms were guarded by the employees like they were protecting the Arc of the Covenant. How do you know that, you ask? Well, when I was 19, I used to be one of those employees – only I didn’t mind letting people use the restroom in our store. It was a rare occurrence and you could tell that the customer wouldn’t be asking unless they too were trying to avert a possibly volatile situation.
So why write about public restrooms? Well, since I find myself on golf courses quite often, I have developed a particular fascination with their facilities, and how female-friendly they are. (Please note: I am not a feminist in particular, but I do feel the need to point out that women (just by the way we are made) have certain needs that should be recognized by businesses if they want our valuable consumer dollars.) And I would also like to give a hearty thank you and nod of appreciation to those locations who have taken this into consideration. Because if I’m not thinking about my powder room needs, I can focus on the task at hand – giving you my hard-earned money.