Starbucks Has Decided To Kill Off Its Open-Toilet Policy

Starbucks has decided to bid adieu to its open bathroom policy, meaning if you want to use the can, cough up three bucks for a short Pike Place.

According to NPR, the coffee giant enacted an open-door bathroom policy after a highly publicized incident in which two black men at a Philadelphia location who hadn't purchased anything and were waiting for a business meeting were arrested.

I can't for the life of me understand what that incident had to do with bathrooms, but that's how it happened, and that led to years worth of anyone and everyone being able to wander in and unload a full bladder, whether it was full of coffee from Starbucks, Dunkin', or anywhere else (personally, when it comes to grabbing a coffee I go to McD's for hot, Wendy's for cold).

But Starbucks' new CEO Brian Niccol has decided to put an end to this policy to turn around some recent lackluster performance.

I mean, it makes sense, a good way to give the company a boost in sales is by enacting a pee tax.

This is a tough one. On one hand, I realize that this rule has the added benefit of keeping homeless and/or crazy folks from setting up shop in the commode.

As someone who feels guilty going in and using the bathroom without buying something, I like this.

Starbucks has decided to do away with its open-toilet policy. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

However…

I can't help but feel like I've doomed myself to fall victim to this policy. I don't want to end up driving across a median and into a Starbucks parking lot, running inside, and heading straight for the bathroom, only for the pink-haired barista to say, "Sir, the bathroom is for paying customers only."

I try to buy a cheap coffee or a banana or whatever only to realize that in my haste I've left my wallet and phone in the car, leaving me without a way to pay.

What a disaster…

But, hey, they can do what they want with their toilets, and frankly, it's nice to see what was a reactionary policy to some bad press in the first place go the way of the dodo.

The new policy will come back later this month and will require a three-hour training session for employees.