/Good thing medical expenses are tax deductible...

@Shivver: I wish there really were a "medical detector".

I'm willing to bet that he also charges $25 if you cancel your appointment with less than a week's notice (24 hours I can understand...)?

Point #4 — all by itself — could be used to justify never allowing customers in, rendering the new law useless.

I must congratulate my legislators once again on a job well done ... you guys have managed to spend time on and pass a law that basically changes absolutely nothing. Way to go!

" three or more employees of the retail establishment are working"

Um, I can't recall the last time a small retailer I visited had 3 or more employees working. Many are lucky to have one running the register and perhaps another stocking shelves.

I see this law will cause 2/3 of small businesses to still not provide restrooms to those with medical problems. Add to that the ones who's bathrooms are in remote areas of the store not safe for customers to get to.

I feel bad for the people who have bowel disorders, but shouldn't it be the responsibility of the person to prepare themselves for the possibility that they could crap themselves at any moment? It seems easier to wear an adult diaper than force through legislation which in most cases is not going to assist you in getting to the bathroom before you crap yourself.

So basically, nothing changed. The public still will not have access to public bathrooms in Connecticut. Why even bother to make this law.

@discounteggroll:
equality?? No one can be forced to let you use their employee restroom. This law gives sick people the authority to force companies to allow them to use their employee restroom.

The non sick people out there will still have to find somewhere else to crap.

@StanTheManDean:
Risks are identified by the company.
Any retail establishment would never have a risk that would violate that law otherwise people could not work there without personal protective equipment or other controls.

Now when it comes to any place that would require personal protective equipment (safety googles, steel toes, non slip shoes, certain protective clothing, etc) then they would not have to let you go into their bathroom.

@catastrophegirl:
$20 for a letter after you already paid??? WTF
Are they charging to write down your perscriptions now?

I hope the law requires the unwanted user clean the restroom when done.

When these emergencies happen from health reasons the people can literally explode. The sad part is when these people destroy a bathroom they quickly leave instead of cleaning it up.

Why is it that Consumerist posters always think that just because someone works for a wage, they are illiterate or stupid?

Nasty, but you know they will think about it.

My fiancee has one of the qualifying health issues. He's been denied access many times, and yes, he has used a bucket in the parking lot of the places that deny him, as there is NO WAY for him to go a few stores down when he has to go. He's never complained, as he's worked retail and he gets it that people are going to say no. But if this law stops him from the shame of having to use a bucket 1 out of 5 times, well that's great.

@catastrophegirl:

I have bad asthma and couldn't imagine if someone took out just the small bottle inside of my inhaler and just tossed it in that bin and it doesn't even touch my mouth - but it does send out a spray lol. Thinking about something you insert inside yourself makes me shiver!

Ick. Just being in an airport makes me feel germy. Travelling just sucks :-P

@Shivver:

She flew out of somewhere in NY. I don't know which though, sorry. All I know is that she was upset about it. I have no idea where she had it positioned or anything. It was just very frustrating for her.

It's going to take many incidents like that for people to understand this is a serious thing.

I disagree. It creates an awareness for companies to train employees on this issue. Whereas in the past, most employees would automatically say NO for fear of reprisal from their employer, now most employees will say YES.

And yeah, employees fear doing just about anything they're not told to do because that's the typical kind of retail environment for most workers.

That's my take...

@StanTheManDean:

This is a farking "appeasement" law. Makes the government look good without actually doing anything.

The customer requesting access to the employee restroom presents written evidence, issued by a licensed health care provider, that documents that the customer suffers from an eligible medical condition;

Oh good farking Bull Seit.

Little kids after a day of shopping mall food?

Mommies with food poisoning after eating shopping mall food?

(2) A public restroom is not immediately accessible to the customer;

Who says? How close is accessible? Is the public restroom across the commons at the shopping mall, a distance of 312 yards, considered close enough?

(3) At the time that the request for access to the employee restroom is made, three or more employees of the retail establishment are working;

Working where? What about a grocery store with 2 employees in the front and 6 in the stock room? Is that more than 3 or just 2 employees?

and

(4) The employee restroom is located in an area of the retail establishment that does not present an obvious risk to the health or safety of the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment

Risk? Who decides risk? Visiting your local tire store and there is this nasty sign about risk and customers in the work area. Guess where the restroom is located at my local tire store? Yep, in the work area. Are we going to let insurance companies decide the risk?

@catastrophegirl:

I have a good friend who never had much of a problem except once in AMERICA. We travelled throughout Europe (my friends and I) and she went to a million countries on her year abroad. It was only coming back to England after Christmas that caused issues. She was asked to take it out completely and put it on the belt. They didn't even understand it - even with the doctor's note. Being without it wouldn't kill her (for a few minutes),so she had to do it in front of everyone, so she had to do it.

I suppose you'd expect a retailer to close and lock their front door so they can escort a (probably non) customer to the rest room in the back of the store?

not all doctor's offices may be willing to write something like this. or if they are like two of my five doctors, they might charge for it. a letter like this from my primary care physician is $20.

A person has to show proof?? I suppose that goes in the same slot in the wallet as the car insurance ID.

I worked at a RadioShack where the restroom was directly across from our Electronics cage. I had a guy swear to me on his life that he was gonna have a bowel movement on our floor if I didn't let him use our restroom. I let him use it, but didn't tell him I was gonna wait right outside out of view. The toilet never flushed and I watched him walk over to the cage and start stuffing digital cameras in his pants.

He left with mall security, and I never let anybody use our bathroom again.

@Difdi: An exposed light bulb should be enough

@JRules: I'd add "2" to that since they often say there's a McDonalds down the road

So this law does nothing then since numbers 3 and 4 are the main reasons that people are denied...