People are defending two John Lewis drivers after a woman complained they were urinating against a lorry in plain sight.
The woman who photographed them is being criticised online as people accused her of shaming key workers.
Jenny Anderson had pulled over in a lay-by and was ordering medical supplies for her horse when the incident took place on Wednesday.
She claimed the lorry pulled into the lay-by at an angle which made it almost impossible for traffic to pass.
The two men then climbed out and started relieving themselves with one in full view of Jenny at the back of the lorry, she claimed.
Jenny, 60, said the other worker was at the side of the vehicle and was only partially visible.
She told Plymouth Live: "My reaction was just 'oh my God, I can't believe they just did that.
"They do these adverts to 'Walking in the Air' but this guy was peeing in the air.
"I'd just got off the phone and put my seat belt on when this lorry pulled up in front of me. I thought 'what’s he doing?
"He put it in reverse and then left it at a strange angle for what is a country lane. I thought 'what a stupid place to leave a lorry'.
"I thought it was a bit odd, but when him and the co-driver started walking towards me, I thought they wanted directions so I locked my door because I was a woman on my own and there is the risk of Covid too, but then the guy just undid his trousers and started peeing by the back of the lorry."
She said the men spoke to each other and looked at the startled woman but carried on urinating.
She said: "He was just laughing and took no notice of me.
"I couldn’t go past without getting an eye-full so I had to wait for them to finish.
"I thought ‘this is a long pee’ - it took absolutely ages.
"The guy eventually finished, gave it a shake and then looked back at me. Then they just drove off.
"If there were children or an old lady in the car, that would have been totally unacceptable. They might have seen his you-know-what."
Twitter users leapt to the defence of the drivers, many noting they are defined as key workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Others pointed out it was difficult for lorry drivers to find access to public toilets while on shift.
One critic wrote on Twitter: "Some John Lewis driver wee’d over his own van in public. What, you want him to pee on your van? Give the guy a break."
Another wrote urging the department store not to discipline the drivers.
"There are almost no public toilets open due to covid restrictions," the Twitter user wrote.
"I am just grateful the guys are still working during this time. Seeing this will make no difference to me buying from John Lewis however if they get harshly disciplined this would.
Responding to the incident, which took place in a lay-by just outside Yealmpton, Devon, John Lewis apologised and said an investigation had been launched.
A spokesperson said: "We are extremely sorry for the upset this has caused and are investigating the incident with the drivers concerned."