Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Over the last couple of years, i've stepped in to quite a few restrooms where the last occupant had physically turned off the lights. I'm not sure if this phenomenon is due to a greater "green" awareness, or if it's just an absentminded action. My take on lights on/lights off in a public restroom is, if the merchant wished for the lights to be off when the room isn't occupied, the merchant would install a motion-sensing switch.
What do you typically do? Do you leave it on or do you turn it off?
Thanks for your input!
If the merchant asks me to turn the lights off. I do so. If the light was off when I came in to the restroom and there is adaquate natural light.. I leave the light off. If I did turn it on. I turn them off afterwards. If the light was on. I leave it on. Some restrooms don't have a customer accessable wall switch. McDonalds and other fast food resturants are like this.
I do not touch the light switch. That is just another source of germs. If the business wants the lights turned off, then they should have motion sensor lights.
I kind of use discretion, especially at work. If I'm working later or in an area where very few people are working (I work in a fairly large setting), I'll turn them off; but if it's 10 AM and pretty much everyone is at work and every couple minutes people are filing in and out, just leave them on.
If I use it at like a grocery store, I'll typically turn it off b/c it's a one/two person bathroom to begin with, and not many people use the restroom (at least from what I've observed and based on how infrequently I use it when I'm there) there.
Now really... who is actually looking for the light switch in a public bathroom.... My last job of 7 years and to this day I can't tell you where the switch is. Now my new job, the lights come on when you open the door.... I would hate be on the toilet 1 day and the lights turn out
Now really... who is actually looking for the light switch in a public bathroom....
I wouldn't be, if not for these people who are turning the darn thing off! I know this isn't exactly the most thought provoking question in the world, but it is something that has recently piqued my curiosity(nice way of saying it's irritating the hell out of me, LOL).
If I have to turn the light on, then I turn it off. That applies to every room I ever go into under any circumstances, unless somebody else comes in who is still there when I leave. Same thing goes for closing the door. If I open a door to go in, I close it when I go out.
Somehow I don't think many companies are going to go around and retrofit older bathrooms with motion sensor light switches. Our company simply slapped up a bunch of "please turn off the lights when not in use" stickers in the public restrooms.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My last job of 7 years and to this day I can't tell you where the switch is. Now my new job, the lights come on when you open the door.... I would hate be on the toilet 1 day and the lights turn out 
I know this isn't exactly the most thought provoking question in the world, but it is something that has recently piqued my curiosity(nice way of saying it's irritating the hell out of me, LOL).
