12 Comments
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Doug Dudfield's avatar

When you got to go you got to go.

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Ninah's avatar

I read an article yesterday (sorry can’t find it) that there are even fewer toilets since the COVID lockdown, due to the sanitation needed. When I worked in an office building, they only cleaned the toilets 2x/week. So I was in there every morning and before every client used the loo to keep it sanitized for them. Finally, I just moved out of the building. But maintaining toilets during the restrictions of COVID is really time consuming. But as everyone can attest to, so where do you go? Where I live, you can go to Wegmans (supermarket), or big box stores. But you need a car to get there.

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Kimberly's avatar

Bill, Adult diapers🤣

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Greg Scott's avatar

And now Starbucks has closed (or should I say, “renovated”) many stores and have taken both seating and toilets out. If you don’t give seating and you are essentially pick-up only, you can get to the Code and not have toilets. No seating in the store and no “seating” in the bathrooms!

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Tom's avatar

My friend Fran Heller started a company to address this: https://www.bgood2go.com/about.

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Teresa Fish's avatar

Who knew public toilets could be so interesting? Your post was actually very engaging. Great job!

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Lorraine Busby's avatar

To add to your date list: October 2021. John Waters donates to the Baltimore Museum to have architects remodel 4 latrines designed to be accessible and usable by all genders. Where Everyone Can Go: https://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bs-prem-fe-john-waters-bathroom-dedicate-20211028-wvtbkr5spbctnkwmusle5epnbm-story.html

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Walt Johnson's avatar

Hmmm Interesting bit of history. But you've made no mention of the attempt in Europe and New York... A freestanding modern bathroom funded by advertisements on outside. First one in New York was good, but people protested (as best I recall) it needed to be handicapped accessible.

The company making the things thru in the towel.

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Carol Shetler's avatar

If you are lucky and you live in a city with lots of hotels, you can slip into their washrooms. Now however, many hotels ask you to use your passkey card to use the "public" washrooms near their restaurants and bars. So no help there

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Deborah Frederickson's avatar

In Fargo, ND, our 3 public libraries, city bus depot, shopping malls, grocery stores. I have availed myself of these facilities in the past, and all are clean as a whistle. I will add that of late due to security reasons, you can't just enter healthcare facilities willy-nilly. There is usually a front desk where they want to make sure you have an appointment. That's understandable perhaps. If it is a small store where you would be easily noticed bopping in to make a bee-line to just use the bathroom and then leave obviously without making a purchase or at least expressing or faking interest in looking at merchandise,, it might be frowned upon but probably no one would say anything if it is a one-time deal or you plead emergency.... A public city park near our condo has a public restroom but I would never use it without my husband standing guard outside the door. As a bit of an aside, we would visit our grandparents' farm as kids and there was an outhouse and I would not go out there unless my mom stood guard!

There are a few stores/buildings where there are signs where "there are no public restrooms in this facility. Open to customers only." I have noticed them on a few fast food places.

Thanks, Bill for this topic of critical importance to us all.

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BT's avatar

Have you seen the new generations of public toilets in Japan?? Inspiring artworks.

https://tokyotoilet.jp/en/

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Teija Beverly Nelson's avatar

The answer to public restrooms is simple. Hire attendants to clean and monitor them. Back in my childhood we had attendants in all the department store restrooms. These women helped you with your packages and children.Just the presence of an attendant deters mischief and mess.

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