‘Inside the Oxxo’: Woman goes on road trip through Mexico. There’s just one problem

A man and woman are going viral on TikTok after sharing the lengths they had to go to in order to use the bathroom while on a road trip through Mexico.

Chris Kuna (@chriskunadrive) and a female friend were driving to Mexico when Kuna said that his friend and her son needed to use the restroom.

“I really have to go,” the woman, whose name is never mentioned, said.

She then proceeded to show users how drivers acquire toilet paper. Surprisingly, it was harder than one might think.

“This is how you take toilet paper in Mexico,” she said. As of Thursday Kuna’s video documenting his and his friend’s experience had amassed more than 1.3 million views. 

How to acquire toilet paper on a road trip through Mexico

The short answer is: You have to pay for it. But Kuna and his friend had a helpful explainer showing how this is done.

The woman recorded herself putting five pesos into a machine, after which she was prompted to select whether she was a man or a woman. She clicked the blue button for her son, “since he’s gotta go to the men’s bathroom.”

After a few moments, toilet paper started rolling out of the machine.

“Yay, here it goes,” she said. “What if I need more toilet paper, though? Too bad, that’s all I get.”

“This is it,” she added, holding up the toilet paper allotted to her son. 

Tips for traveling to Mexico 

Next Kuna came into view. At this point in the clip, it looked as though he, too, had used a nearby men’s restroom. But given the toilet paper situation, he advised potential drivers to always have a roll or wipes handy.

“If you’re road-tripping in Mexico, make sure to take a roll of toilet paper with you,” he said. “Bathrooms at the gas stations usually have no paper.” What’s worse, Kuna said, “they make you pay for using the bathroom and even if they give you some toilet paper it’s very, very little.”

Kuna panned over the toilet he was using which, he noted, didn’t have a seat either.

Findings restrooms and rest stops on your way to Mexico

According to a 2023 post from Mexpro, gas stations in the country (the majority of which will be Pemex stations) do have bathrooms available for customers’ use. However, depending on where you’re coming from, they noted that you might not see many fast-food restaurants whose bathrooms you can use. And often, you do need to pay a few coins to access them.

If you need to use the bathroom and there’s not a gas station nearby, Mexpro recommended stopping at the next town over and finding a local restaurant. 

According to a 2014 discussion in the r/travel subreddit, at least in Mexico City, public restrooms are widely available. There’s just one problem: Similar to the ones Chris and his friend encountered, you might have to pay to use them.

“Public restrooms are everywhere and generally cost 5 pesos,” one Redditor wrote. “Sometimes an extra peso or two if you want toilet paper.”

Indeed, other reporting suggests that Mexico’s public restrooms (e.g., gas stations and some restaurants) charge around five to 10 pesos. This is a common practice in the country, but you can look for signs indicating the cost of using the bathroom before entering.

Viewers offer advice to potential road-trippers 

In the comments section of Kuna’s video, several users echoed his tip about having your supplies handy.

“I always have my own,” one woman said.

“Just buy a whole roll inside the Oxxo,” another suggested. 

“That’s why you carry your own paper,” a third user added. 

“We always bring our own everything,” a fourth viewer said. 

Others warned viewers that other countries have similar toilet-related practices in place. 

“In Panama, grab as many napkins from food places, etc. to use as toilet paper,” one user recommended. “Or they give you a 5-gallon bucket of water to flush with, $1.”

“In Scotland, I paid like .35 pounds to go to the bathroom,” another shared. “Very clean.”

“Vietnam is the same,” a third commenter echoed.

But in Mexico, specifically, viewers shared the range of experiences they’ve had using the country’s facilities. 

“Well, they’ve upgraded. Last time I went YEARS ago it was a person standing there giving the paper,” one woman shared.

“Last time I went it was a bucket in a BROOM closet,” another quipped.

@chriskunadrive using a toilet at a service plaza in Mexico #travel ♬ original sound - Chris Kuna Drive

“That’s actually a clean bathroom for Mexico,” a third man said.

The Daily Dot has reached out to Kuna via TikTok comment.

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