I've never had an issue getting free water refills here in the states, I'm surprised this is even a thread topic. If I don't top-off at one of my regular convenience stores, I'll just walk in someplace and top-off with water, usually without bothering to ask. I'll sometimes let the cashier know I just got water, but they've always been so completely cool about it, they dismiss it like I didn't even need to mention it.
One place I often stop at, the two girls will be walking outside to smoke a cigarette as I'm walking in. They'll stop to wait on me, then say, "oh, you're just getting water", and they'll head outside and sit down, leaving me alone in the store !
But then again, I live in the rural Deep South, where folks just ain't as wound up as the rest of the country !
