Starbucks baristas are trained to look for hidden cameras in restrooms

Starbucks employees are trained to look for hidden cameras in the restroom — (Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Late last week, a woman and her 5-year-old son discovered a smartphone hidden under the sink in the women's restroom of a Starbucks in Lancaster, California, with the camera facing the toilet and recording video. "We're obviously really disturbed by the incident," Starbucks spokeswoman Jaime Riley told USA Today on Monday. But this isn't the first a peeping Tom with a camera has struck at Starbucks.

In fact, Riley said, Starbucks employees are trained to check store bathrooms for cameras and other devices on a regular basis. "This isn't the first time we've seen it, but I wouldn't call it common," she said. "And I'm sure it's not specific to Starbucks." Something to keep in mind next time you use a public restroom.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.