Finding my Inner Grammar Police

I think that all of us have something that will set off our personal grammar police and make us say, Wait, that just isn't right, you shouldn't do that. Today I had two examples of this one for me and one that some one else encountered. The first was a friend who had just returned from a trip to California and telling about the rudest person he had met on his trip. Bob and his wife were driving the Pacific Coast Highway and had to stop at a gas station. Bob really needed to go the bathroom and asked the attendant if they had a bathroom. The man replied "No, but we have a restroom." For Bob his encounter made him mad. Especially when after going around the building he discovered that the door was locked and the gas station didn't have a key. I don't know if the attendant was just being a wise-guy or if the use of bathroom instead of restroom was really a grammar no-no.

The second was my own. My husband and I were just relaxing and watching TV when the station ran a public service type ad about proper disposal of household hazardous materials. The person from the DNR started his appeal by stating "Garages and basements has many dangerous items. I was more asleep than awake but when I heard that I had to set up and say something. My husband's comment was "I was wondering how long it would take" Now I don't think that the use of HAS was that bad, but I have to say that I think that a person who is making an official statement should try to use correct grammar.