I really wish I had a picture to share with you but I just couldn't work up the boldness to take a picture. I even tried to sneak a shot using the camera function on my cell phone but I just knew the guy sitting behind the sign would see through what I was doing. I couldn't bare the thought of him thinking, "Look at that idiot taking a picture of my sign."
"WHAT SIGN?" I bet you're wondering. And "WHAT GUY?" And "WHAT does this all have to do with 'Free to Pee?'" I'm coming to that.
You know how shopping centers almost always have a public restroom? Well, today Elly had to go so badly that I had no choice but to take her to the public restroom in a shopping center, a place that I, generally, do my best to avoid. Lest you think this shopping center is like those that I posted photos of back in August, it is not. This place is far below the caliber of those shopping centers; in other words, the stores are nothing like Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc.
Back to the story... We walk up to the restroom to find a man sitting behind a counter/desk outside the entries to both male and female restrooms. On the front of his desk is a professional-looking sign that said something like:
20 Cents Per Toilet Entry
Present a toilet pass or
kindly pay 20 cents to use the toilet.
Present a toilet pass or
kindly pay 20 cents to use the toilet.
So I paid the guy 40 cents (since GG decided she needed to go, too) and he let us in. I guess I should be happy I got a "buy 2 get 1 free" deal but there is something about paying to use a not-very-clean restroom that just doesn't make me happy. Hmmm... wonder why.
And just to make the story even better, Elly refused to use the toilet because it was not up to her standards of cleanliness. I can't really blame her but I still tried to convince her as I loudly proclaimed, "I just paid 40 cents for you to go to the bathroom so you had better go now!" She didn't. Oh well. Live and learn. I am at least thankful that it was only 40 cents.
And just to make the story even better, Elly refused to use the toilet because it was not up to her standards of cleanliness. I can't really blame her but I still tried to convince her as I loudly proclaimed, "I just paid 40 cents for you to go to the bathroom so you had better go now!" She didn't. Oh well. Live and learn. I am at least thankful that it was only 40 cents.
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oh my! I could sympathize with Elly, and yet I know that familiar frustration, when you just want your offspring to do what they said they needed to do...
ReplyDeletewas it the kind you need to crouch??
I think next time you need to take the picture! He'll just think you are a crazy American tourist!
When we were in Taiwan, I bought a coke in a glass bottle (the bottle was what I wanted, it said coke in Chinese) anyway, the man charged us extra for the bottle, he was about to pour my coke into a plastic bag so I could drink it from the bag, and he was going to keep the bottle!
Keep the stories coming, I'm sure you've got lots!!
give my love to Elly and GG, Amie misses them.
Ha! No it was one of the sqatty toilets (as the girls and I call them).
ReplyDeleteIsn't that funny how they drink out of plastic bags? I have to say it is rather ingenious.
I'll try to keep stories coming. It's a bummer cuz I'll think of things that might be interesting to blog about but then I forget. I need to carry a little notepad around with me. Well... I doubt I'd actually use it. :-(
The girls miss Amie, too! I don't know if it's as much as I miss you, though.
Free to pee! Hilarious! It's so funny to find out what seems normal bathroom conditions in other countries. When we were in France they have bathrooms with no doors and just a hole in the floor and footprints next to it so you can hover over and do your business. I thought it was the most disgusting thing ever. I can relate to Elly being reluctant!
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