Road Rumor: Cameras inside Love’s Travel Stops restrooms?

Some truckers are raising concerns about devices that look like cameras inside Love’s Travel Stops restrooms. Is the truck stop chain really installing cameras in its restrooms?

Love’s says this is not the case.

A post on social media shows a photo of what looks like a camera inside a Love’s Travel Stops women’s restroom in New Florence, Mo. Truckers mentioned how they have seen them at other locations. While some point out that the device is not a camera, others are not so sure.

So what is that camera-looking thing inside Love’s Travel Stops restrooms? Land Line reached out to the company to find out.

According to a Love’s Travel Stops spokesperson, the device is a motion sensor with no video element. It is used to track how many people are going in and out of restrooms. Store employees use it for cleaning purposes.

Specifically, it is a FeedbackNow by Forrester. Truckers have probably noticed the smiley face box in the restrooms as well. That allows customers to let Love’s Travel Stops know how the company is doing with keeping its bathrooms clean. It is also part of Forrester’s FeedbackNow system.

That device is only detecting how many people are coming in and out of the bathrooms. A spokesperson for Forrester confirmed to Land Line that the device in the photo is one of the “people counters” it offers. That particular model is no longer on the market. Forrester also confirmed that Love’s Travel Stops is one of its clients. The newest FeedbackNow Stereoscopic People-Counter is much less conspicuous.

Perhaps partially a result of the pandemic, there appears to be a large “people counter” market. Several companies have various devices that track how many people are in a room without invading their privacy. Some of these companies market their devices as a way to maintain social distancing before entering a room.

Love’s Travel Stops uses the device for a more efficient cleaning schedule. Restroom traffic can be unpredictable. Using a schedule may result in maintenance staff cleaning a restroom that does not need cleaning. Conversely, unusual traffic can leave a restroom filthy way before the scheduled cleaning time. Forrester’s device lets maintenance staff know when a good time to clean is based on traffic, not time.

Bottom line: Love’s is not peeping inside its restrooms with cameras.

Road rumor verdict: False. LL