If you’re eight months pregnant, when you gotta go, you gotta go. But for Ilana Scheinker, the local Phoenix-area Starbucks wasn’t going to let that happen.
Scheinker walked into Starbucks and asked the barista to use the bathroom after noticing the door required a security code. He refused, indicating she needed to make a purchase first.
"I said, ‘I’m pregnant, I really have to use the bathroom now,’ " Scheinker told 12 News. When the barista still refused, Scheinker went back to her car to get her husband.
"My husband went up and again reiterated that, ‘My wife is very pregnant,’ " Scheinker said. "Again he said no. Went back and forth. The man was unrelenting. My husband gave him his credit card and said, ‘Charge me for anything.’ The man refused. A woman standing behind said, ‘I’m about to make a purchase, give me the code and I’ll give it to her.’ "
Ultimately, the barista still refused, threatened to call the cops and told Scheinker to use a bathroom elsewhere. She headed to a nearby Subway instead.
While there’s no word on whether or not the barista offered an apology, his manager did, indicating she would communicate to her employee that it was unacceptable behavior. But Scheinker says she will still be boycotting Starbucks. Good thing Dunkin’ Donuts also has pumpkin spice lattes.
Tell us: Have you ever faced pregnancy discrimination?
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