Just a great big thank you to Starbuck's, whose ubiquity and bathrooms make it possible for me to travel in cities. Don't worry, I never use the bathroom without buying something, because I don't want to be a mooch, and I find those apple, cheese and nut snacks just perfect for tiding me over until my next meal. (I'd love a Caramel Macchiato, but that would be counter-productive.)
Update: Recent reports (November, 2011) have sprung up suggesting that Starbuck's is closing its restrooms to the public, citing cost and the inability of employees to take a quick bathroom break because of the lines at the restrooms.. Does that mean I will never again visit NYC unless I can afford to rent a bathroom-equipped limo to ferry me around?
I can relax. The story: a few renegade baristas, fed up with what they saw as abuse of their stores' facilities, posted "Employees Only" signs on the bathroom doors of a few NYC locations, but it was not an official policy of the Starbucks management, which has reaffirmed that they don't plan to restrict public use of their restrooms. (New York Times, 11-22-11, "Baristas Lock Restrooms, But the Revolt Doesn't Last.")
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