Shopped a location with a camera in the restroom

Yesterday, I conducted a shop at a highly bonused Love’s gas station in a rural area. The location looked quite rundown both inside and out, and I provided plenty of feedback on that. However, what really caught me off guard was a prominently placed security camera just inside the women’s restroom door. It was pointing directly at the sharps disposal container, which is located right above the trash can. It struck me as odd to see a sharps container in a gas station bathroom - like say you have a problem with drug addicts in your establishment without saying it.

Anyway, I reported this issue, but I’m concerned that having a security camera positioned there might be illegal. I’m considering whether this should be reported to the police. I want to make sure I don’t risk being removed as a shopper for this client, but I also wonder if anything will be done about the camera and the privacy concerns it raises.

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

More About Equipment for Mystery Shopping

Shooting up drugs in gas station restrooms is a trend these days.

Was there any signage to draw attention to the camera being present? Some states allow properly disclosed and visible cameras that are not showing the space inside the toilet stalls. If there was a prominent sign, I'd expect they followed the procedures and it's distasteful rather than illegal.

@Deedeezthoughts wrote:

Was there any signage to draw attention to the camera being present? Some states allow properly disclosed and visible cameras that are not showing the space inside the toilet stalls. If there was a prominent sign, I'd expect they followed the procedures and it's distasteful rather than illegal.

I looked for something like that both inside and outside of the restroom doors but couldn’t find anything about it.
It’s not like the camera was hidden in any way either. It’s hung up on the ceiling with a long cord hanging from it.

Now I have to notice how often I see Sharps containers in gas stations. I'm pretty used to seeing them lots of places.
People with diabetes travel too. I always think of diabetes before illegal drugs.

Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching kids what counts is best.
Bob Talbert

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/2025 12:16AM by prince.

Yes, they are there for diabetics primarily.

I see them a fair amount of the time...

Have synthesizers, will travel...

Perhaps they are trying to discourage illegal activity? I once worked for a retail chain that had locations in some not-so-nice areas where addicts would come in to shoot up and ended up trashing the restrooms.

Often I see restrooms where stations try hard to keep it nice but it still ends up trashed. In those cases I sometimes think I wouldn't mind if there was a camera in there.

Here's a crazy question....I don't know anything about injecting insulin, but why would a diabetic not inject at home? why a gas station bathroom?
Maybe they're travelers? I don't know...
I guess I am still creeped out by a gas station I shopped yesterday.
Restroom was locked and closed. Cashier said it was to prevent addicts from using it for shooting up.
The front doors of the store were boarded up because two nights before the store had been robbed.
It's in an odd location....the neighborhood is sketchy but only if you lack a vehicle...because you can literally drive 2 minutes away and be in a nice part of town.
As I drove out, a man passed in front of me with a grocery cart loaded down with empty bottles, headed for recycling I guess. His eyes had that really wild look and he stared me down.
I made a mental note about future visits to that part of the city.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/04/2025 12:32PM by BarefootBliss.

Diabetics need to inject after every time they eat carbs, so it is not unusual to see sharps containers in restrooms at travel centers, casinos, etc.

@BarefootBliss wrote:

Here's a crazy question....I don't know anything about injecting insulin, but why would a diabetic not inject at home? why a gas station bathroom?
Maybe they're travelers? I don't know...
I guess I am still creeped out by a gas station I shopped yesterday.
Restroom was locked and closed. Cashier said it was to prevent addicts from using it for shooting up.
The front doors of the store were boarded up because two nights before the store had been robbed.
It's in an odd location....the neighborhood is sketchy but only if you lack a vehicle...because you can literally drive 2 minutes away and be in a nice part of town.
As I drove out, a man passed in front of me with a grocery cart loaded down with empty bottles, headed for recycling I guess. His eyes had that really wild look and he stared me down.
I made a mental note about future visits to that part of the city.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2025 08:39PM by mjt9598.

My local Loves has a camera outside of the bathroom but not inside. All the truck stops by me have sharps containers. I am on a very busy travel route so I imagine the original intent is more for the truckers who use the truck stops as a "home away from home" and may need to inject insulin, but I have gone into a "regular" gas station bathroom in the north burbs of Chicago and saw a needle on top of the toilet paper dispenser that did not appear to be for diabetic use.
Just another reason I don't let my kids use public bathrooms by themselves.

joanna, truck drivers cannot be diabetic. That is one of the things they test for during the DOT physical that drivers have to take every 2 years. If they think you're diabetic you will fail your physical, the testing facility will refer you to see your doctor, and your commercial license will be suspended until the doctor tells the testers that you are, in fact, not diabetic.

But you are correct, those sharps containers stated purpose is for insulin dependent diabetics.

Really??
Looking at the majority of truckers (and what they eat) I would think that 75% of them ARE diabetic.

@Morledzep wrote:

joanna, truck drivers cannot be diabetic. That is one of the things they test for during the DOT physical that drivers have to take every 2 years. If they think you're diabetic you will fail your physical, the testing facility will refer you to see your doctor, and your commercial license will be suspended until the doctor tells the testers that you are, in fact, not diabetic.

But you are correct, those sharps containers stated purpose is for insulin dependent diabetics.

At one point, some trucking companies were trying to impose a weight limit for truckers, since obese truckers were having more heart attacks/accidents on the road, but it was seen as discriminatory.

@Boutique wrote:

Really??
Looking at the majority of truckers (and what they eat) I would think that 75% of them ARE diabetic.

@Morledzep wrote:

joanna, truck drivers cannot be diabetic. That is one of the things they test for during the DOT physical that drivers have to take every 2 years. If they think you're diabetic you will fail your physical, the testing facility will refer you to see your doctor, and your commercial license will be suspended until the doctor tells the testers that you are, in fact, not diabetic.

But you are correct, those sharps containers stated purpose is for insulin dependent diabetics.

its not that they are injected there, they may be on the road and just have some sharps to dispose of. People use injections for many types of medications, and they are supposed to dispose of the needles in an approved container. (i would think most get their own containers, but who knows)

THey actually can be, just some extra hoops to jump through.

When I travel, I have a small "sharps" container that I take with me. I have a larger one that I use at home.

Video laws by state:

[getsafeandsound.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2025 01:47AM by SBP.

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login

Shopped a location with a camera in the restroom

Create an Account or Log In

Official List of Mystery Shopping Companies

Mystery Shopper Magazine