There is a decent bar here in London, Ontario called Robinson Hall that I have been frequenting for a number of years (they have a more “hip” lounge upstairs called “The Thorny Devil”). The bartenders are not nearly as good nor as cool as they think they are, and generally the prices are more expensive than they should be for what you get. It tends, however, to be the place where I will most likely recognize old friends and it usually provides a fun night out. With an older clientele, there seldom is any trouble but the younger set upstairs requires more supervision. So when a bathroom attendant appeared a few years ago, I thought it was simply for added security. When I looked into the idea a little more, I realized that it was a move of sheer genius.

The bathroom attendant at Robinson Hall/The Thorny Devil is not the old man in a blue blazer like one would immediately conjure up after hearing the term. Imagine my surprise the first time I walked in and was confronted by a huge, athletic and imposing young guy. He was friendly to be sure, but obviously no one in his right mind was going to mess with him. He has continued to keep the washroom clean and the patrons orderly. Of course, he is as quick with a joke and laugh (imagine the number of stupid jokes he has to put up with over the course of weekend of comic-wannabe-drunks) as he is with the paper towel. He even pours the soap into your hand! No attendant would be complete without offering a wide array of accoutrements: mints, colognes, and combs – all free of charge.

I learned that he volunteers his time and works for tips. It is a pretty good gig as far as I can figure. Imagine 300 “clients” a night, each taking approximately two trips and tipping roughly a buck a person. Sure, about half the time he will get stiffed for a tip but it still works out to $3,600 a month. I know I have tipped him at least $7 over the course of an evening sometimes (especially as I get more generous as the night goes on). It is really a win-win proposition. The bar gets a clean, undestroyed washroom with security at no added cost, and the attendant makes out with a decent, tax-free income working only 12 days a month. Add in the fact that the attendant thought the idea up and now has his cousin working for him at another club, and it demonstrates the value of entrepreneurialism. Alright, so he may be subject to foul odours and the frailties of human condition to alcohol and egotism, but he is still coming out way ahead.

My only question is: when does he get a night out?