In gas stations, is it considered poor etiquette to use the bathroom before buying something?

42 comments

1. It used to be. Haven’t seen anyone care in decades. To the point where I no longer even think about it. 

2. If I’m stopping at a gas station on a road trip, the bathroom is always my first stop before I buy my stuff.

3. I wouldn’t give this a second of thought. Maybe they were having a bad day. I don’t have the energy to worry about the grievances of everyone.

4. That guy was a jerk. I’ve used bathrooms in has stations countless times without buying anything at all and no one ever cared.

5. I’d rather use the bathroom and then buy something than buy something and have to bring it in with me lol.

6. Nah. People purposely plan trips around which gas station usually has the cleanest restrooms.

   I’ve done it. I’m not ashamed. Nobody has ever mentioned anything to me.

   I used to have a coworker who refused to poop at work, and she’d always go to the nearby Sheetz to do it. Never bought a thing. Lol

7. I don’t think so. It’s usually the other way around, because who wants to enter a bathroom with some food item that you may not have paid for yet. I’ve never had a complaint

8. I don’t think so. I don’t even always buy something.

9. In gas stations, they sometimes expect you to buy something, but I’m not going to carry my goods into the bathroom with my so I’d buy afterward and he was incredibly rude. I’ve never been confronted like that but some have said customers only. If it’s the kind of gas station where the door is unlocked or the key is out in the open, I don’t feel bad if I don’t buy anything. Some chains are also better at this, any one set up as a truck stop like Flying J, Maverik, Flyers usually has large open bathrooms.

10. No. In fact, taking merchandise into the bathroom is a bad idea. It is normally considered a prelude to shoplifting.

    I’d have informed him that I was planning on buying something, but due to his rudeness, I would no longer purchase anything from him.

    I would have probably used much ruder language, however…

11. I’ve not bought anything at all at gas stations I frequent on a regular basis. I don’t really care what people think of me i guess.

12. I would do it and not lose sleep over it. When you gotta go you gotta go. 

13. No, not rude to use the restroom first. I do it all the time — using the restroom first, then buying something. No one has said anything or given me a dirty look.

    It’s a bit tacky to use the restroom then walk back out without buying anything, but if it’s a gas station, it’s possible one is buying gas before or after using the restroom, and that constitutes a purchase.

    He was being rude, though, for assuming you weren’t going to buy something. So it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

14. Looking at the comments, why are people so weird about buying stuff before using the bathroom? You don’t HAVE to take it in the restroom with you. 

    You can pay for a soda and leave it with the cashier, or put it back in the fridge/never get it from the fountain and just say, “Hey, I’m gonna go use the restroom and then I’ll come back and grab that soda. Is that cool?” Very rarely would anyone raise an objection.

15. i’ve been to 44 states, never had that issue. you met a jackass that day

16. For some reason I’ve always thought so but when I’m on a road trip I’m often pretty desperate to go by the time I’m at a gas station. I just go. When you gotta go, just go

17. I often use the bathroom without buying anything inside. How does he know you didn’t get gas?

18. In my opinion, quite often you’ve already bought gas outside. It’s not something I’d worry about

19. No, everybody waits until they’ve gone to the bathroom before they buy anything that guy was just being an asshole

20. No

21. Not if it’s a Buc-ees! Lol

22. Pee first, buy second.

23. Hitting the restroom *before* you buy something is usually okay, but doing it *without* buying anything is rude, especially for little privately owned shops. Very common, but rude, and that’s what the shop keeper was afraid you were going to do. If I had to guess that happens to him way too often, and he got sick of it.

24. Naw that guy was just a jerk to be honest, most places that have a policy like that will lock the bathroom or have it with a code and you need to ask for the key or something if the bathroom is unlocked then you should be totally allowed to go in there use it and leave

25. You didn’t do anyrhing wrong! Guy sounds like an asshole.

26. I’ve never had an issue using the bathroom at a gas station and buying something after or not at all. 🤷🏻‍♀️

27. You did nothing wrong! That’s what public bathrooms are for!

28. No, that’s pretty normal. Though many gas stations these days lock the restroom and give the key to customers when asked.

29. If I’m stopping at a gas station to go toilet it’s likely an emergency, likely turtling/prairie dogging it. Let me drop the Browns off at the Superbowl and then I’ll buy something.

30. It isn’t imo but some places have signs indicating that you have to buy something to use the bathroom. I usually buy a Cheerwine or some chips anyway so i guess it doesn’t matter. The ones in my experience that have signs also have an attached restaurant. No you didn’t violate any unwritten rule and the employee may have had a bad day (work in retail and have had days like that)

31. If someone said that to me I’d just say “well I’m not going to buy anything now” and just leave.

    I do typically buy stuff if I’m using the restroom, but you don’t have to.

32. Heck. I’ve used bathrooms at gas stations without even buying something. 

    The real pro tip is to find a hotel (not a motel) and use the lobby bathroom. Just walk-in like you belong and no one will second guess if. 

33. If they are rude to me I wont buy shit.

34. The unwritten rule is buy something if you use the bathroom, but i’ve never seen someone get testy about it when I didn’t. Getting testy about buying it after is just weird, of course you buy it after.

35. Bathroom first, always.

36. You just ran into an asshat

    Gas stations are where everyone stops when on road trips. I’ve been on many road trips and have used many of gas station bathrooms without buying anything. No employee ever cared.

37. If someone asked me that I would stop, and tell him I was planning to buy something but now i guess not. Most gas stations today are huge chains rather than franchises so less sympathy for a chain than some mom & pop station.

38. I’d say if it’s a small family run gas station and you’re not getting fuel then it would be polite to buy a snack or drink since you used their bathroom and water that they paid for, but honestly most people likely don’t care what you do as long as you don’t steal anything.

    Edit: was your experience on exit 11 in Trenton Goergia by chance? I stopped at a gas station on that exit a few years ago and had a very similar experience with the clerk.

39. The unwritten rule, or at least the polite thing, is to buy something there, but usually that’s done after you use the restroom or if traveling with multiple people, while some of them are the restroom (and they can go back to the car with whatever you bought when you go). Buying gas there also counts.

40. Some places have a policy where you have to buy something to use the bathroom, which I think is shitty.

41. North Georgia …. Was it a small town? Small gas station?

    In the Midwest, the highway/interstate gas stations expect you to come in and only use the bathroom. Some places like Love’s will greet you and say goodbye, with a smile, after seeing you not buy anything. This is why they put the bathrooms at the end of the store. It’s like a casino hotel in Vegas, all of the facilities and bathrooms are available to everyone. They WANT you to come in. And then they hope the products and food smells will entice you to buy something. Many gas stations around here literally advertise how clean their bathrooms are.

    Also, many people buy gas outside and use the bathroom. This dude was a creep and probably watched you not buy gas too. He’s also maybe desperate as many of us are having a hard time getting by. Or maybe just a dick. I would have been so pissed if he said that to me.

    I’ve road traveled a lot, as well as my family. This is standard for highway or popular gas stations. Anything goes if you’re out in the sticks or somewhere more off the beaten path. I’ve never had an issue with over 100 different gas stations, some of which I’ve used nearly 100 times. This also applies to 80% of the McDonald’s I’ve been to. We’d have 6 people going in just to use the bathroom. Some of them told us we needed to buy something and we ended up stopping there still many times after and just buying a soda or 2 and some fries. Only because they had the cleanest bathrooms in that town and it was quick to get in and out.

    Sorry you met some rude piece of work. I’d avoid that place just like any other store that has horrible customer service.

42. I’ve used the bathroom without giving the courtesy browse. The older you get, the less fucks about appearance you give.