Originally Posted by
staehpj1
I don't think I have ever been turned down when asking to fill up bottles with water AND ice from the soda fountain. I also have never been denied the use of the bathroom sinks with the exception of a very few places that said they did not have a public bathroom. I never ask without buying something first though.
A couple times I have had folks pull off on 100+ F days to offer an ice cold bottle.
Crossing the country west to east, something stuck out at us somewhere in New York state. It was a "Restrooms for Customers Only" sign. It was the first one we saw one in over two months. Prior to that, it was "Sure! No problem. It's back there to your left." And many times owners of stores and bars would offer to put ice in our bottles on hot days. Buying something is a good way to thank them and it spreads good will.
My favortie water memory is from rural IL. It over 100 degrees one Saturday. A few of us saw a school that was having an extracuricular class. We pulled in to ask for water. The teacher asked us if we would talk to her class about who we were and what we were doing so the kids could get a feeling for all the opportunities that were out there in the world for them. When we were done, the teacher asked us for the general delivery address of our next rest day. When we got to Bowling Green, OH, waiting for us was a manilla envelope filled with thank you letters from the kids.
You never know what might happen if you just ask.