I am not the sort of person who usually complains but I really would like to share this episode with your readers in the hope that firstly, no one will ever experience what I went through and secondly in the hope that the higher echelons of APS Bank will read it and take the necessary action.

I am five months pregnant and had an appointment at the APS Floriana branch. On my arrival at the branch, I informed one of the employees that I needed to use the restroom. She explained that the restrooms were reserved for staff.

I gently asked another one of the employees, explaining that I had a meeting with one of the bank officials and that I really could not wait till after the meeting. After consulting her colleagues on the matter, she too informed me that it was impossible to use the restroom, for security reasons.

I requested to speak to the manager (not that I thought that the manager should get into this!) and was informed that the latter could not speak to me and that I was not being allowed to use the restroom. At this point in time, with tears running down my cheeks and on the verge of collapse, exhausted from trying to control a full bladder, I informed the bank official I had set the meeting with, that I had no other option but to cancel the appointment. At this point in time, approximately 20 minutes later, I was directed to the gentlemen’s toilets.

While I understand that for “security” reasons members of the public are not allowed access to the staff’s restrooms, I feel that it is ridiculous that I had to resort to begging, in my condition, to use the sanitary facilities and that the bank should show more sensitivity to such issues.

I trust that the necessary remedial action is taken in hand so that no one will have to go through a similar, embarrassing experience.

I would have thought better of the bank that boasts of being “The bank you want us to be!”