Does anyone steal your water?

[Sunflower]

Curious, I've seen that many of you have utility sinks in your laundromats for people to use. Do you get a lot of folks coming in and filling 5/10 gallon jugs and leaving?

There are a lot of people living off the grid here. They (used to) come in and fill their jugs, etc.

Also, folks would wash their hair in the sink....

We took the sink out during the remodel.

Any thoughts or sympathies...?

[DuboisLaundry]

there is a big sign above the utility sink
"please do not wash your hair or your dishes in this tub"
It was there when I bought and I saw no reason to remove it.

There is also a flow restrictor so it takes a long time to fill a jug.
sometimes people do it anyway usually while doing laundry.
There are very few who come in for no other reason.

The people around here without running water typically have a truck or trailer mounted tank which they fill for a nominal fee at town hall where there is a tap for this purpose.

If they don't have running water at home, I expect they will be back sooner or later to do laundry, so I don't worry about it.

[jdjim]

My sink is the type with the faucet sticking straight out about 5 inches so the biggest thing that will go under it is a pop can or pair of hands.
Sometimes going the cheap way pays off in others.

[kbc747]

We have one fellow that fills one gallon jugs under the tap, not a bother to me but I do let him know it is chemically treated to insure good washing conditions for laundry and should not be used for drinking. I think the slow flow would be the anwser for the other people. You can also adjust the water valves to slow it even further. I do believe some others have had problems with people using that sink to add water to the washers.

[Ken]

1,take out large sink,jugs won't fit in small sink.
2,install a self-closing faucet,so they have to hold it to get water.
If they still want can get water out of my store that way,it will be ok since I am not in my store most time,I can not stop anyone.

[pete f]

This has not been a problem with me, I do have self closing taps. I guess this shows different plights in different parts of the country. I would trade a few homeless for a water jug thief ! Maybe they smell bad also.

[fluffy]

I think the sink has value for people that like to wash their hands after dealing with soap or cleaning or whatever.

My only sink irritant is the guy that has the business next door - he comes over every night to get hot water to wash his floor. He was just complaining the other day that the hot water doesn't come out as fast as it used too...ha! I like the self closing tap idea too.

[Winston]

I have had "customers" remove most of their clothing, wash it in the sink in the restroom using the available hand soap, then hang the clothes on cart racks and place them in front of the floor fans to dry. While their clothes dried they drank the complementary coffee for "customers" and watched TV or read the magazines provided for "customers". Ain't it great!!

[Anonymous]

fluffy,
Why not just toss the guy out and tell him to stay out.

[PeterH]

Those of you that are letting people come in and take water probably also allow people to come in and make change to take elsewhere? Reminds me of the problem at some hotels where local people use the hotels as a source of ice.

Nope, my facilities are for washing clothes and for my paying customers. A gallon or two here and there, no problem if you have a load of clothes going...

[kbc747]

Great Peter, now no one wants to own a hotel either, never even dawned on me to go get free ice at a hotel, do people stay up at night thinking up this crap? Man can anyone remember the days when people didn't act like everyone owed them a free ride in life?

[Anonymous]

My only sink irritant is the guy that has the business next door - he comes over every night to get hot water to wash his floor. He was just complaining the other day that the hot water doesn't come out as fast as it used too...ha! I like the self closing tap idea too.[/QUOTE]

This is a great post......very funny situations that I had NEVER though of......ice from hotels! I can't believe some of the crap that people do. But they guy coming over for water to wash his floor.....I guess I would walk into his place every night an take a candy bar or something. Seems like a good trade......it's either that or I would ring his bell a time or two if you know what I mean.

Ice from hotels......no kidding!

[Ken]

Homeless used to go to my store to get free coffee everyday,so I stopped offer free coffee.
One of my landlard tried to steal my electric to light the whole shopping center,I found out the first day.
People always look for free stuff ,anyone have good free stuff...

[Sunflower]

Someone asked me when we would put the sink back in because they like to wash their hair in it.

...Uuummmm, what about the reasonably priced showers we have 6 ft down the hall.... A bargain at 2.00 for 7 minutes... ;)

[Sunflower]

You can get your whole body clean...

[daddy4ever]

I busted a guy that was first taking the toilet paper off the roller. Then he moved up to taking the rolls of paper towels. He then graduated to taking the holders off the wall for the TP and paper towels. After I busted him on VHS video I put up security controlled dispensers.

I should have sent the video into AFV. It was kinda funny watching him.

Dan

[Coinwash]

send it to us? we would love to play it :)

[daddy4ever]

Sorry I couldn't find the tape. If I come across anymore "funny videos" I'll be sure to share.
Dan