I travelled a reasonable distance to attend an appointment and needed to use a bathroom before attending the appointment. I wasn’t sure if there would be a bathroom at the appointment venue but noticed a cafe right next door. I wanted to grab a pot of tea after my appointment, but didn’t have time beforehand to buy one.
I politely asked the staff if I was able to use their bathroom, assuming they would advise it is only for paying customers, in which case I would quickly grab a to-go cookie or ask if they knew where a public bathroom was. The staff member gave me an awful look, but advised I could use their bathroom and let me know where it was. I was very thankful. After maybe 20 seconds in the bathroom there was a loud assertive knock on the door, the kind to suggest to ‘hurry up’. It scared me. I finished as quickly as I could. Once I finished, I made sure to express my thanks to the staff member again and she just scowled at me.
I had full intention to return to buy a pot of tea after my appointment, but I was honestly too scared to return. She could have told me I was not allowed to use it if it was going to be such a problem…
NTA, but in the same situation, I always tell the counter staff that I am planning a purchase, or even order and pay for something outright and tell them I’ll retrieve it after the restroom.
Personally I always order something then use the bathroom. Especially if it’s a small independent café.
So I’m going to say YTA because “intending to come back later” is flaky, and you could afford a purchase.