Code

I ordered a cup of coffee and got the receipt. I checked the code on the receipt and entered the code. Toilet is necessary in our life since everyone has some “business” to do. Growing up in a country in Southeast Asia, I sometimes ask a staffer at a restaurant or a coffee shop to see whether I can use the restroom. Normally, I can just use the toilet and it’s free.

However, things are not the same everywhere. In Europe, it’s not free to use the toilet in many places. When I was traveling in Vienna in the winter, I would like to go to the bathroom and told my friend that let’s go get a cup of coffee in a McDonald’s nearby. I got two cups of coffee, one for me and the other for my friend. Then, I went to the bathroom, pressing the code on the receipt to enter. While traveling in Europe, it’s very common to get a receipt and then enter the code to enter the restroom. But, something unexpected happened once. Several years ago, I was in Barcelona in the summer, it was quite hot and I was thirsty. I decided to get some beverages to drink. I was on Avinguda Diagonal and saw a Starbucks. So I entered the Starbucks and ordered a cup of coffee. Additionally, I would like to go to the bathroom to quickly finish the “business.” I got my coffee latte and a receipt. Then, I went to the toilet, however, I didn’t see the code on the receipt and was wondering what was going on. I went back to the counter and asked a staff member why there wasn’t a code on the receipt. If there’s no code on it, I couldn’t enter the toilet. That staff member looked at me and said, “Oh, you can just open the door and enter the toilet.”