Where Did All the Public Bathrooms Go?
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6 replies
Free public restrooms should be part of urban infra like free streets, free bridges, free libraries, free squares etc pp.
You can make the most enjoyable and sittable public space. If there is no free toilet, the space is not free to use! That's because of the simple but apparently little know fact that all humans need to get rid of their waste fluid discharge regularly everywhere they are
The article seems to focus on historical public toilets* - mostly urinals - but this is a valid question concerning the last decades as well.
Because free public toilets used to be a thing in cities big and small all over the world (but in my story in Europe), not so long ago.
It's interesting to see how the administration chooses to treat this topic. Structures like this one can be free, or have a coin slot that takes €1 or so. I heard in some Asian countries you can get toilet paper by allowing the toilet to sell your personal data.
In other countries public toilets and their typical stench have slowly disappeared - or been "improved" like this.
* An American comedian came to Europe and asked the technician if there was a bathroom, shortly before going on stage. The technician thought for a while and answered: yes, but it's a 5 min walk. What a barbarian place! She told that story on stage, that's how I know.
They don't want the poors using them 🤷♀️
Exactly this. You set poverty as policy, immiserated poor people use public facilities, very often as a private place to handle their misery with drugs, and therefore are not tidy and considerate washroom users. Washrooms get nasty, people complain, and rather than house and treat poor people, we get rid of public infrastructure, shut down stores before evening, etc.
Public bathrooms? Green, trees and flowers are the best place to do it.
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