The annoying new trend taking the 'service' out of servos

Who took the service out of servo?

I spend a lot of time on the road – a lot. To review a car, I drive hundreds of kilometres and like to mix it up by heading in different directions from the city and eventually finding my way out of town and onto a highway.
 
Inevitably, I need to stop and re-fuel (and I’m sure I’m not alone in this) and as soon as I think about stopping for a break, I realise I need to go to the bathroom.
 
In the good ol’ days, you could stop at a service station – fuel up, stretch your legs, grab a snack, go to the toilet and get back on the road.
 
Not anymore!
 
I’ve noticed a trend and it is driving me crazy. A lot of petrol stations are no longer service stations – they don’t have ‘public’ toilets. The facilities are reserved exclusively for staff.
 
One chain in particular has freed almost all of its stores from the burden of providing amenities, like loos. They are best described as stores, because while they sell products like fuel, they no longer look after the needs of travellers comprehensively.
 
I became acutely aware of this recently. I was 'busting' and after doing the polite thing and fuelling up first to ensure they knew I was a paying customer, I ran in to ask where the toilet was. Only to be informed, there wasn’t one.
 
Legs crossed and squirming, through clenched teeth, I asked as to how employees managed to hold on all day. Oh, they don’t have to rock back and forth in agony with a bladder on the brink of exploding — there is a facility but it’s not for customers…
 
Needless to say, at that point all I could do was beg. After nearly having an accident, I was reluctantly given permission to use it.
 
I think the attendant realised that explaining that situation to the boss was preferable to cleaning a puddle off the floor.

It’s the death of the service station as we once knew it, and it’s incredibly sad that even basic human needs are no longer ‘serviced’.
 
Is it that important to reduce costs — are cleaning products, air freshener and dunny paper too expensive?
 
Did the poor behavior of a few ruin it for the rest of us? I don’t make a habit of misusing or leaving public toilets filthy so why should I be punished?
 
Or has the world of self-service sans any even vaguely polite human interaction made it simply a reasonable step to take?
 
You used to be able to drive into a service station, have someone fill the tank for you, check tyres and oil, and clean the windscreen. All while having a chat and sending you on your way with a big smile and a wave.
 
There are still some petrol stations that offer driveway service. At CarAdvice.com we’ve started compiling a list for those who miss that level of customer service at servos – check it out here.
 
Personally, I don’t need that level of attention… in fact, I’d prefer it if strangers didn’t touch my car. 
 
Surely a toilet should be a ‘service’ provided at every service station? Or is my expectation of a ‘service’ station unreasonable?