A mall in Bengaluru has come under scrutiny following a controversial restroom policy that has prompted outrage on social media. A Reddit post that gained significant traction shed light on the policy at Phoenix Marketcity in Whitefield and claimed that access to a ground-floor restroom was restricted to customers who could present a shopping bill of Rs 1,000 or more.
The post, by a user handle DeskKey9633, described a frustrating experience of travelling from Church Street to shop at the mall, only to be denied access to the restroom due to not meeting the required spending amount. The user claimed that they were redirected to other restrooms on different floors, which they found to be poorly maintained and unhygienic.
According to the post, "those restrooms were in terrible condition, with many flushes not working and the overall cleanliness being subpar." The user expressed disbelief at the policy, emphasising how in emergency situations, the lack of adequate restroom facilities could be distressing.
Discriminatory Bathroom Policy at Phoenix Whitefield - An Unacceptable Experience
byu/DeskKey9633 inbangalore
The incident triggered widespread criticism online, with many users questioning the ethics and legality of the policy. Commenters expressed concerns about how such a policy contributes to class discrimination, limiting access to clean facilities based on spending.
"Put this on X and tag officials and active handles. Maybe it'll get some attention," a user suggested.
Another user remarked, "Earlier they used to have a mandatory voluntary donation of 20 rupees for accessing the washroom. I guess they have removed that."
A person also confirmed the same and wrote, "Yes, this is true- I paid it first time thinking there is no other restroom in the mall. And they kind of guilt trip you into saying, its just a donation- why not pay? I really never understood their concept of mandatory, voluntary donation. If they are going to fleece people might as well accept it."
One Reddit user commented, “There is a lady security guard who stops people from entering and asks them to pay and get some kind of pass. Is that a golden toilet washroom or what?"
Other users highlighted the poor state of alternative restrooms in the mall, raising concerns about hygiene and fairness. One comment read, “The toilets on other floors are gross. It’s not right to charge people for using clean facilities when the rest are so unhygienic.”
Some, while addressing the serious issue, resorted to humour to criticise the situation. One user quipped, “So do you get a Rs 1,000 experience with every flush, or what?”
Meanwhile, there was a section of Reddit users who didn't find the policy discriminatory and supported it wholeheartedly.
"I don't see how this is 'discriminatory'. It's similar to separate executive washrooms at office, VIP washrooms at clubs and reserved ones at airport. A mall gets all types of crowd. And certainly some would want to have access to a cleaner, less crowded one. Those invariably are the ones who pay and shop. If you don't qualify to use those facilities, then you don't. Use a different one," a user added.
Another person stated, "This is not discriminatory. I have used those restrooms and they are extremely well maintained and hygienic. There a pay and use also when I used it and I remember it was a premium. You can always use other restrooms which are free to use if you want."
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