Restrooms: For Customers Only?

It's not my fault. It's no ones fault really. Everyone has to go to the bathroom but no one really wants to address the issue for anyone that has made their way down thames street past the Armory building. 

There are no public restrooms from there until you get to King's Ppark a few miles down the road. Anyone that has ever gone into a public store or restaurant just doesn't understand why we don't want you to come in to use our bathroom.

First, it's ours. It's a private place that we keep clean and stocked with fresh supplies for our staff and our customers. Stomping your feet and threatening not to spend a thousand dollars as soon as you're done just doesn't cut it.

Second, water is very expensive in Newport, people that aren't from around here laugh when we tell them how high the water rate is here. They think we must be just making that up. The fact is, water here is through the roof and if anyone thinks that the bottle of water they buy makes up for the three gallons that we get charged for everytime they flush has lost touch.

It's not just you. More than forty people came into my store this weekend just to use the bathroom. They think it's a right under the state government that they can use my restroom. It's not.

The department of Health has stated that I have to have a restroom for my staff only and it has to have a place to wash your hands, soap and paper towels.  That's what I have.  The Newport Fire Department has stated that my restroom can only be used by my staff and not be open to the public because it doesn't have a fire alarm system installed with a light. Try and tell any of that to anyone and they think your making up stories. 

Lower Thames needs toilets. Permanent toilets. I think the best use of space would be the small spot of land that the bank and the police share. The plumbing is already there and I know this because I send people there to use the restroom at the police office all the time. I wonder if they stomp their feet when the police say no.