Primarily Petroliana Shop Talk Forums Shop Talk Petroliana Forums General Petroliana Discussion Service Station Restrooms

We have one "old" service station we ritually stop going and coming from vacation. It has gas, friendly attendants, clean restrooms and the most important to my 5 yr old daughter, orange pushup ice creams. Today while there, my daughter daughter ask me why the restroom was in the back. Upon leaving my wife ask me why old service stations had the restrooms entering from the outside. I did not have an answer for either. I'm sure there was a logical reason. Does anyone know the reason.
Thanks
Jamie

One reason I have heard is that way people didn't have to walk through the shop (where the guys were working) in order to go to the restroom. More privacy. Also, the deisgn of many of the building could centrally locate the plumbing/pipes./etc. I spoke to a former Texaco Rep in his 80s and he said that if they couldn't get both barthrooms onthe side they would put the Ladies' outside for privacy.

Restrooms are in the back of newer gas stations so that customers have to pass all the products and will be more likely to purchase something.

Restrooms are inside the back of newer stations because people kept stealing the toilets !
Of course if you want a bag of chips and a pop on your way out it will be more convienent.

In the south we had three restrooms. Colored was always in the back.
There are still a few of the station buildings here in town but they have been converted into other things.

Maybe the smell too, no fans in the old days.