mchodera wrote:The bathrooms at The Publican are my present favorite - always spotless and no heavy deodorizing smell. I also like the central handwashing station design; since you're washinbg your hands after you've closed the bathroom door, no worries about a wet handle or what to do with the towels...

The Publican bathrooms pose an interesting conundrum. One of the mens' rooms has a sink in the bathroom, while the other does not. I have actually washed my hands in the bathroom and then, upon exiting to see other people in the atrium/central handwashing area, washed my hands again in that public space so as to not be perceived as being unsanitary by those other people. Maybe next time, I'll just announce loudly as I walk out: "Washed my hands back there, in case you were wondering."

Khaopaat wrote:

mchodera wrote:The bathrooms at The Publican are my present favorite - always spotless and no heavy deodorizing smell. I also like the central handwashing station design; since you're washinbg your hands after you've closed the bathroom door, no worries about a wet handle or what to do with the towels...

And the C.O. Bigelow Lime & Coriander soaps & lotions are a nice touch...after trying them there, I now have a bottle of that lotion sitting on my desk at work (it gets very dry in here).

Funny you say that - I haven't been to The Publican yet, but the bathrooms at Avec, which is, as we all know, a relative of The Publican, has my favorite brand of soap and lotions - Molton Brown. C.O. Bigelow is good as well - someone over in that company pays attention to these things, and that pleases me.

aschie30 wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:

mchodera wrote:The bathrooms at The Publican are my present favorite - always spotless and no heavy deodorizing smell. I also like the central handwashing station design; since you're washinbg your hands after you've closed the bathroom door, no worries about a wet handle or what to do with the towels...

And the C.O. Bigelow Lime & Coriander soaps & lotions are a nice touch...after trying them there, I now have a bottle of that lotion sitting on my desk at work (it gets very dry in here).

Funny you say that - I haven't been to The Publican yet, but the bathrooms at Avec, which is, as we all know, a relative of The Publican, has my favorite brand of soap and lotions - Molton Brown. C.O. Bigelow is good as well - someone over in that company pays attention to these things, and that pleases me.

I also remember Schwa having good hand soap. I believe it was sage-something... I remember really enjoying that scent on my hands, though I may be confusing the soap at Schwa with the sage utensils at Moto.

You know, this topic got me thinking about the other side of the equation, too -- folks who destroy bathrooms and don't bother to tidy them up afterwards. I realize that proprietors, especially those with fewer employees, have a tough time managing their restrooms but the task would be made so much easier if customers actually bothered to clean up after themselves. How many times have I walked into a bathroom and thought to myself 'whoever left it this way was a totally inconsiderate pig?' Sadly, too many times to count.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:You know, this topic got me thinking about the other side of the equation, too -- folks who destroy bathrooms and don't bother to tidy them up afterwards. I realize that proprietors, especially those with fewer employees, have a tough time managing their restrooms but the task would be made so much easier if customers actually bothered to clean up after themselves. How many times have I walked into a bathroom and thought to myself 'whoever left it this way was a totally inconsiderate pig?' Sadly, too many times to count.

=R=

Or people who put their feet on movie theater seats ...

Cathy2 wrote:Or people who put their feet on movie theater seats ...

I don't get the people who just leave their bottles/popcorn bags etc. under the seat. If you can carry them in full, why can't you carry them out empty?

Pie Lady wrote:I don't get the people who just leave their bottles/popcorn bags etc. under the seat. If you can carry them in full, why can't you carry them out empty?

The same reason people leave weight plates & dumbbells all over the floor at the gym after they're done using them, and wads of dryer lint & spent dryer sheets on the floor of the laundry room after they take their clothes out...clearly they're expecting their mom to follow them around & pick up after them.

Khaopaat wrote:

Pie Lady wrote:I don't get the people who just leave their bottles/popcorn bags etc. under the seat. If you can carry them in full, why can't you carry them out empty?

The same reason people leave weight plates & dumbbells all over the floor at the gym after they're done using them, and wads of dryer lint & spent dryer sheets on the floor of the laundry room after they take their clothes out...clearly they're expecting their mom to follow them around & pick up after them.

Or a sense of entitlement as if the world is there to serve them.

I counted six abandoned drinks in seat cupholders the other night. I remarked to my friend, who immediately walked back to our seats to collect the empty popcorn container left underneath. I wasn't trying to embarass anyone, simply did not realize "we" had left anything behind.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Or a sense of entitlement as if the world is there to serve them.

It could be a little bit generational. When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, movie theaters (it's my recollection) expected (in fact, wanted) you to leave your empty cups and popcorn bags, etc., on the floor--they didn't provide big trash cans right outside the theater for you to dispose of your own stuff, as they do today. A staff of ushers or whatever came in after each showing and cleaned up. When things changed, and theaters started putting the big receptacles outside the theaters for customers to dispose of their own refuse, it took some of us a while to realize that the rules had changed. I now "police my own area" as I should, but there was an interim period in which I didn't know I was supposed to. Some others might still have not caught on.

And what about the feet on the seat?

Cathy2 wrote:And what about the feet on the seat?

My personal theory is that some people are completely oblivious to the fact that other people inhabit the world around them. It's not that they don't care that their feet are resting on the back of your head; it's that it never even occurred to them that your head might be there.

Just today (well, yesterday technically) on my way to my floor at work, the elevator stopped & the doors opened. A lady stepped part-way into the elevator and continued talking to whoever she was talking to in the elevator lobby before the doors opened. I did the not-at-all-subtle throat clear, and she turned her head, saw four displeased people in the elevator, and said, "OH!" as if she was surprised to see us standing there. It seemed like it didn't even occur to her that there could be other people in the elevator, or that she was holding anyone up by keeping the doors open but not getting in.

To bring it back to restaurant bathrooms & Ronnie's point about inconsiderate people destroying formerly-clean bathrooms: I honestly believe that, when these people drop paper towel on the floor, splash water all over the counter, or miss the urinal entirely, as soon as the item/mess leaves their field of vision, it ceases to exist to them. They're oblivious to everything outside of their sphere of existence.

Believe it or not, this is me giving these slobs the benefit of the doubt

Khaopaat wrote:To bring it back to restaurant bathrooms & Ronnie's point about inconsiderate people destroying formerly-clean bathrooms: I honestly believe that, when these people drop paper towel on the floor, splash water all over the counter, or miss the urinal entirely, as soon as the item/mess leaves their field of vision, it ceases to exist to them. They're oblivious to everything outside of their sphere of existence.

Believe it or not, this is me giving these slobs the benefit of the doubt

The same probably applies to the people one is driving behind who blithely toss a fast food wrapper or soda can out the window and onto the street, as if the City of Chicago were their own personal trash can. That makes me crazy. You want to ask, "Don't you realize the rest of us live here, too?," but if you're right, Khaopaat, they actually don't.

riddlemay wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:Or a sense of entitlement as if the world is there to serve them.

It could be a little bit generational. When I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, movie theaters (it's my recollection) expected (in fact, wanted) you to leave your empty cups and popcorn bags, etc., on the floor--they didn't provide big trash cans right outside the theater for you to dispose of your own stuff, as they do today. A staff of ushers or whatever came in after each showing and cleaned up. When things changed, and theaters started putting the big receptacles outside the theaters for customers to dispose of their own refuse, it took some of us a while to realize that the rules had changed. I now "police my own area" as I should, but there was an interim period in which I didn't know I was supposed to. Some others might still have not caught on.

Even when I was a kid in the '80s, you weren't expected to bus your food containers back to the front and throw them out. You left your garbage on the floor and it was cleaned up as a service. After all, back in those days, the theaters were cleaned in between each show. This was the way it was done up through my teenage years. It wasn't until my early '20s and the advent of the mega, megaplex where you were expected to bring your garbage with you out of the the theater. Historically, our movie theaters and the experience inherent in going to the movies was much more service oriented and fancy. At the same time, the theaters were a lot cleaner because they staffed people to clean the theater. In reality, the reason why we're now expected to clean up after ourselves is because theaters no longer hire people to do that, so they push those costs and responsibilities off to you, the theatergoer. (Sometimes you'll now see someone coming into the theater in between with a broom, but that's the extent of the cleaning.) These days, you pay $10+ to get in the door for the privilege of having to wait in line 20+ minutes prior to the movie to get a seat because they've overbooked shows, of being charged astronomical prices for popcorn and soda, and of watching the movie in a filthy environment with sticky floors. Some of the reasons why I rarely go to the movies these days. (That and the movies generally stink.)

As for people putting their feet on the seats, I have no explanation for that behavior.

aschie "entering my curmudgeonly years" 30

The upthread comments on people not cleaning up after themselves is just one more example of the decline of civility as some of us knew it. When I was growing up in the 1940s, our parents taught us to be respectful of others and to treat other people as we wanted to be treated, i.e . The Golden Rule.

One difference between then and now is that growing up in a Chicago neighborhood, one tended to know lots of people. For example, the shop owners were your neighbors and your neighbors tended to go to the local house of worship. How many of our neighbors do we know now?

That's all changed. It's now "everyone for themselves" and "it's not my problem." Too bad. I wonder if my generation is somewhat at fault because many of us became so wrap up our themselves that we didn't impart strong values to our kids. I know that Grandma Bobbi and I tried and our kids turned out pretty good. So where does the fault actually lie?

Best,
GP Bob

HI,

Two more things on movie theaters ...

I remember in the early 70's reading Gene Siskel regularly attended movies with his feet elevated to avoid the rats running around. Thankfully I have never encountered a rat in any movie theater. The very thought makes my skin crawl.

A few years ago, the last seats in the movie theater had a couple's feet on them. We took them, because leaving was the alternative. They were quite displeased and kicked the seat through the entire movie. They were very aware we were there and simply felt they entitled to four seats when they paid for two.

***

My favorite restaurant bathroom experience was at Schwa. I had just returned from the bathroom, when my friend went immediately thereafter. When she returned, there was a funny look on her face.

"Did you wash your hands?"
"Yes."
"Did you dry them?"
"Yes."
"Where did you put the towel?"
"In the bathroom's waste can."
"It wasn't there when I was there."

In the minute between visits, Schwa had already freshened up the bathroom. Now that is service.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:My favorite restaurant bathroom experience was at Schwa. I had just returned from the bathroom, when my friend went immediately thereafter. When she returned, there was a funny look on her face.

"Did you wash your hands?"
"Yes."
"Did you dry them?"
"Yes."
"Where did you put the towel?"
"In the bathroom's waste can."
"It wasn't there when I was there."

In the minute between visits, Schwa had already freshened up the bathroom. Now that is service.

Regards,

I had a similar experience at Tru. I thought it was kind of creepy to be followed to the bathroom by a staff person who waited outside the door until I was done so he could "freshen up" as soon as I left. I'm sure he thought he was being discrete, but...no.

My personal theory is that some people are completely oblivious to the fact that other people inhabit the world around them. It's not that they don't care that their feet are resting on the back of your head; it's that it never even occurred to them that your head might be there.

People are self-centered. It's only going to get worse.

There is an iPhone app where you can enter the restaurant/bar and people will rate the bathrooms. Yeah, it's rediculous but hey.....

sorry don't know the name, a friend has it

stevez wrote:I had a similar experience at Tru. I thought it was kind of creepy to be followed to the bathroom by a staff person who waited outside the door until I was done so he could "freshen up" as soon as I left. I'm sure he thought he was being discrete, but...no.

I don't know if the person in charge of the bathrooms at Alinea actually stood outside the door, but when he went to open the bathroom door for me on my way in, he had to kind of step into the bathroom to hold the door open. For half a second, I thought he was going to stay in there with me! Not a big deal in retrospect, but I could probably make it into the bathroom without any help.

happy_stomach wrote:

stevez wrote:I had a similar experience at Tru. I thought it was kind of creepy to be followed to the bathroom by a staff person who waited outside the door until I was done so he could "freshen up" as soon as I left. I'm sure he thought he was being discrete, but...no.

...when he went to open the bathroom door for me on my way in, he had to kind of step into the bathroom to hold the door open.

Why did he have to let you in?

Pie Lady wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:

stevez wrote:I had a similar experience at Tru. I thought it was kind of creepy to be followed to the bathroom by a staff person who waited outside the door until I was done so he could "freshen up" as soon as I left. I'm sure he thought he was being discrete, but...no.

...when he went to open the bathroom door for me on my way in, he had to kind of step into the bathroom to hold the door open.

Why did he have to let you in?

I think the door was big and heavy-seeming. Because I always wonder about these things, I wonder if men get the door opened for them, too.

happy_stomach wrote:I think the door was big and heavy-seeming. Because I always wonder about these things, I wonder if men get the door opened for them, too.

We do. Or at least I have both times I've gone. I think it's weird.

Khaopaat wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:I think the door was big and heavy-seeming. Because I always wonder about these things, I wonder if men get the door opened for them, too.

We do. Or at least I have both times I've gone. I think it's weird.

I appreciate the consistency.

happy_stomach wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:

happy_stomach wrote:I think the door was big and heavy-seeming. Because I always wonder about these things, I wonder if men get the door opened for them, too.

We do. Or at least I have both times I've gone. I think it's weird.

I appreciate the consistency.

The doors in and around those upstairs bathrooms at Alinea can feel somewhat counter-intuitive at times (push, pull? hmm...can't remember), so maybe they feel an extra responsibility to help out.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:The doors in and around those upstairs bathrooms at Alinea can feel somewhat counter-intuitive at times (push, pull? hmm...can't remember), so maybe they feel an extra responsibility to help out.

=R=

Those doors drive me nuts. I always push/pull when I´m supposed to pull/push. In fariness though, I usually don´t visit the bathroom at Alinea until I´m well into the wine pairings.