No charge for toilets

Mar 20 2009 by Alison Rennie, Paisley Daily Express

A SHOPPING centre boss has reassured disabled customers that they won’t be charged to spend a penny.

Every Buddie’s favourite paper had been contacted by a disabled Erskine woman who was angry after she needed to use the disabled facilities in the Paisley Centre.

She read a sign on the door to the toilets which said she needed to buy a key from Shopmobility in the centre car park to access the toilets.

But centre manager Michelle McCable said any member of staff would have been able to open the door for the woman and let her use the facilities.

The Erskine woman said: “It is bad enough being in the position that I need to use this facility but to ask me to pay is an insult.

“If you are able bodied you go for free; disabled and you have to pay for the privilege.

“The Paisley Centre toilets may have won an award but as far as I’m concerned they come bottom of the league.”

However, centre manager Michelle McCabe told the Paisley Daily Express the woman had misunderstood the sign and they didn’t charge anyone to use their facilities.

She explained: “There is a sign saying that disabled people needing to use the facilities can get a radar key from Shopmobility which gives them access to any disabled toilet in a shopping centre.

“The toilets are locked because people were using them who weren’t disabled.

“But there’s another sign saying to use the toilets, she just needed to ask a member of staff.

“I’m sorry the lady misunderstood the signs but we don’t charge people to use the disabled toilet.”