[Thlom]

I'm always a bit taken back when visiting the toilet at clubs and some restaurants when I'm in the UK as there's a gentleman sitting by the sink handing out towels and stuff. Very strange and utterly useless. Not sure if he's paid by the club or lives of tip, but it makes me really uncomfortable. I just want to take a piss and wash my hands, not have an awkward conversation with a towel handler.

[richev]

I've always understood that this person's actual job was making sure that no-one was taking drugs in / vandalizing / doing anything illegal in the bathrooms.

They're there so the owner of the club/restaurant can relax, not you.

[rkuykendall-com]

If this were true, there wouldn't be so much emphases on tipping.

Right now, I feel like this guy is useless and I don't want to give him money and I feel bad about that, like by not paying him I'm calling him useless.

If it were for the owner, and that was clear, I'd feel great because I was making his job easier by not causing any trouble or mess, and on top of that, hey thanks for the towel!

[IkmoIkmo]

Public bathrooms don't clean themselves like private bathrooms. Particularly in high-volume places (large restaurants, pubs) it can get nasty very quickly. Think sex, drugs, throwing up, people passing out or going to sleep or just acting stupid with feces. Definitely not a useless job.

But it is one of those weird things that survives long past the point of sense, they should just be paid a wage and be employed rather than work on this weird charity-basis. It's a bit akin to waiters in the US working on tips, whereas the rest of the world just pays them a normal wage. The clubs bank on guys with 10 beers in em to both be drunk enough and close to bursting enough to pay for the service.

[Spooky23]

I did that gig at a county fair one season. You’re there to deter people from pissing on the floor and plundering the place. People behave bizarrely in certain situations.

The highlight of that experience was the drunk lady who stole a toilet lid in the men’s room.

[listentojohan]

He or she is just living off of the tips, and of the selling of perfume and mints.

[ytwySXpMbS]

I've never seen this in my life in the UK. There is a guy watching over the people in the toilets in the clubs near me, but you don't talk to him and he doesn't hand you anything. Even if he did hand you something, you don't have to have a conversation with him.

[Balero]

Really? Just about every club I've ever been in has this. Selling chewing gum, after shave ("no spray, no lay" etc). But they are there mainly to make sure people aren't doing drugs, or fall asleep on the toilet.

[tim333]

There are quite a few in London. Here's an article about them http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7335315.stm. I think they are mostly to stop people doing coke in the cubicles.

[ghaff]

OTOH last time I was in St.Pancras there was a guy collecting the fees to use the washroom and keeping things tidied up. People in the US would be outraged to pay for using a bathroom under those circumstances.

Japan can be even worse. I’ve seen it at hotel seven when you’re eating at the hotel restaurant.

[gaius]

OTOH last time I was in St.Pancras there was a guy collecting the fees to use the washroom

The toilets at St Pancras are free and always have been. He was just some random guy you gave money to!

[ghaff]

Maybe was another a London station. Recall there being a turnstile.

[dasmoth]

King’s Cross is right next door and had turnstiles last time I was there.