Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Costa Coffee denies woman from using toilets because she didn't buy drink

Home> News

Updated 15:18 29 Mar 2023 GMT+1Published 15:07 29 Mar 2023 GMT+1

Costa Coffee denies woman from using toilets because she didn't buy drink

She believes going to the toilet is a basic human right.

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

A woman in Bournemouth claims she was not allowed to use the toilet at a Costa Coffee branch because she didn't buy a drink or a snack.

Amanda Harris was on her way to PC World on March 22 and decided to nip to the bathroom at a Costa en route.

"My thought process was like, 'Fabulous, I'll go to Costa, I’ll have a wee, grab a coffee and then walk across with my coffee into PC World to do what I needed to do'," Amanda explained.

She was then apparently told that the code for the bathroom was at the bottom of a receipt.

Advert

Because Amanda was not a paying customer, a barista at the Mallard Road Retail Park branch refused to give her a code to use the loo.

A woman has claimed she wasn't allowed to use the toilets in a Costa Coffee branch because she didn't purchase anything.
Bournemouth Echo/BNPS

"He looked at me kind of a little bit blankly and, because I use humour to defend myself, I said what do you expect me to do – hold the coffee while I go to the toilet?" Amanda explained.

The barista told Amanda she could leave her beverage or snack on the counter while she visited the lavatory.

Amanda said that going to the toilet is a basic 'human right' and that as a 'lady-of-a-certain age', she gets 'cross-legged' when in need of the loo.

Advert

Amanda ended up using the toilet at a nearby Smyths store.

After being approached by LADbible, a spokesperson from Costa Coffee said: “Costa Coffee believes in creating warm and welcoming environments in our stores, including offering customers access to toilets.

Amanda Harris says going to the toilet is a basic 'human right'.
Bournemouth Echo/BNPS

"Our toilets, including those with locks on the door, are primarily for our paying customers, however, we do appreciate that there are times and situations whereby team members should use their discretion and make an exception for non-paying customers.

"This is especially true with children and pregnant women.”

Advert

Costa then added that they have since spoken with the customer and are happy to say they 'have resolved their complaint'.

The situation follows on from a similar-ish incident earlier this year when an Australian tourist visiting the UK was left baffled at the prospect of having to pay to use a public toilet.

Unfortunately, us Brits are familiar with the idea of forking out 20p, 30p or even 50p to use a public loo - stations and town centres being the most common places with pay-gates.

The cost of public toilets varies across the globe.
@shearingshed/TikTok

However, Australian TikToker Shearer, who was visiting Edinburgh, was shocked when he came across the sight after travelling to the UK from the US.

Advert

"You're telling me you have to pay - with your credit card - to go to the toilet now? And if you don't it beeps like that? That's ridiculous," he said.

"30p? No thanks, I'll just urinate in the street, thank you very much."

Featured Image Credit: BournemouthEcho/BNPS / Kumar Sriskandan / Alamy Stock Photo

Topics: Food And Drink, UK News

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
5 hours ago
  • 4 hours ago

    Man, 92, found guilty of murder of woman nearly 60 years ago in UK's 'longest cold case'

    75-year-old Louisa Dunne was murdered in her Bristol home in 1967

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    'Marriage destroyer' holiday hotspot where Brits 'can't stop cheating' revealed

    Time to cancel those flights

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Brit ranked no.733 in world won't receive £99k prize money despite shock first round win at Wimbledon

    Oliver Tarvet won't see the money because of a sporting rule

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Police in frantic search for victim's head after reality star girlfriend charged with murder

    Police believe he was killed nearly two weeks ago now

    News
  • Schoolgirl, 13, dies after suspected allergic reaction to Costa Coffee drink
  • Mum of teenage girl who tragically died after drinking Costa drink says one thing keeps her up at night
  • Man awarded £38.5 million from Starbucks after drink spilled on him
  • Woman died with 'blood oozing from eyes' one day after being told she didn't have disease