We have seen discrimination in malls because of clothing. But have you ever heard of a person not being allowed inside a washroom because they couldn’t produce a bill? This takes ‘discrimination’ to a different level.
A user on Reddit (deskKey9633) took to Reddit’s r/bangalore subreddit to share a disappointing story. The user alleged that on a visit to Bengaluru’s Phoenix Marketcity, they weren’t allowed inside a VIP washroom on the ground floor because they couldn’t show a shopping bill worth Rs 1000.
“The ground floor restroom is now designated as a ‘VIP’ restroom, guarded by a female security officer. She insisted that I show a shopping bill (later I found out from another person who faced a similar situation that even if one has a bill, it must amount to a minimum of ₹1000) to use this restroom. I was shocked and confused—why should I need a bill to use a restroom?” the user questioned.
When the user told the female security officer that they didn’t have a bill, she directed them towards the upper floor’s washroom. The problem with the other washrooms was that they weren’t well maintained.
“With so many people being redirected, the toilets were poorly maintained and many flushes weren’t working. This made me wonder: why are the other restrooms not kept to the same standard?” the user further asked.
But there’s a larger question to ask here: what happens in case of an emergency? What about people with disabilities – are there provisions to exempt them from the rules? Why aren’t the other washrooms, as the user alleges, equally well-maintained? Or do non-VIP people not deserve clean washrooms?
“I’ve never encountered such a policy in any other mall in Bangalore or in any other city, and if this is a new trend, it’s deeply troubling and contributes to an unnecessary social divide,” it was further written.
Have a look at the full post here:
Discriminatory Bathroom Policy at Phoenix Whitefield – An Unacceptable Experience
byu/DeskKey9633 inbangalore
Several people on Reddit were left enraged by this. While some shared experiencing similar circumstances, others slammed the mall for being discriminatory towards customers. Have a look:
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Do you think there should be separate VIP washrooms in malls with limited access?