It's Only php20.

Last night, we were along EDSA coming from Parañaque when my Grab driver said, “Ma’am, iihi lang ako.” So we stopped at a gasoline station in Estrella, Makati.

The CR door had a digital lock, so he approached the station staff to ask how to use it.

Then the staff told him: ₱20.

TWENTY PESOS. JUST TO USE A TOILET.

My driver hesitated and pleaded, “PWD ako. Baka puwede na lang?” He even said that if he couldn’t use the restroom, he would just pee in a bottle instead.

The staff explained that he couldn’t use the restroom because there were CCTV cameras in the area, and that even using a bottle wasn’t an option. He needed to buy gas first before he could use the toilet.

I remember thinking:

“Dapat mag-gas ka pala para makagamit ng CR?”

So we drove to the next gasoline station just so he could use the restroom. Fortunately, their CR was open.

And it made me wonder: IS THIS WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE SHOULD LOOK LIKE?

What if every gasoline station we stopped at charged ₱20 every time we needed to use the restroom? For someone driving all day, those fees could quickly add up.

And where do we draw the line?

Imagine going to a mall and being told you can’t use the restroom unless you show a receipt proving that you bought something there.

Then imagine every mall restroom having a staff member assigned to check your receipt before you’re allowed inside.

It sounds absurd when you put it that way.

Because a restroom isn’t necessarily a luxury. Sometimes, you simply need one because your body needs one.

I understand that businesses have expenses. 

I understand that establishments have policies. 

And I understand the need to keep restrooms clean and secure.

But perhaps this is still worth discussing.

ARE WE SLOWLY TURNING BASIC NECESSITIES INTO PRIVILEGES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO EARN, PAY FOR, OR QUALIFY FOR?

₱20 may sound small to some people. But for someone earning per ride, every peso has a purpose.

Sometimes, the issue isn’t really the ₱20.

It’s what the ₱20 represents. Mary Ann