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Idea: create clean public restrooms and showers for everyone. Place them every few blocks so they are conveniently accessible everywhere. Have well paid cleanin
by ta1234567890 7y ago
Idea: create clean public restrooms and showers for everyone. Place them every few blocks so they are conveniently accessible everywhere. Have well paid cleaning staff that keeps the places in good shape at all times. Have well paid security staff, train them to be empathetic and help users out, also connect them with other organizations that could provide additional help that some users might need. And have free lockers where people can keep their clothes.
That might at least allow homeless people to be/feel clean, be treated with more respect/dignity and have a connection to a network of resources that could help them out.
In SF it might also get rid of the shit on the sidewalks, the smell of pee everywhere (especially around bars/nightclubs) and allow for easier tourism (it's kind of a pain finding a restroom some times when traveling).
Why not invest in the poor/less fortunate and give them as much as we can give them? All of society would be better off if instead of blaming these people for their situation, we helped them have a better one.
PS: Amsterdam has a slightly similar concept with their public urinals. They are kind gross, but they definitely help with keeping people from peeing all over the place. And pretty much everywhere in Japan there are clean public toilets (no showers or lockers though), it's really amazing.
- tenebrisalietum 7y ago> Why not invest in the poor/less fortunate and give them as much as we can give them? It's hard to tell "less fortunate but a kind person that will be independent if given the chance" from "doesn't give a fuck and will take advantage of anything free/helpful in a destructive manner without any respect to others including those equally less fortunate or generous to him/her" Society definitely creates the second type of people but I can't fault anyone for not wanting to put themselves in a position of vulnerability for the greater good of someone who won't appreciate it.
- ta1234567890 7y agoYou are totally right that it's a hard sell. At the same time, why "punish" everyone for the actions of a few? Also, if everyone has access to a certain benefit, it's really hard to take advantage of it in a negative way. For example you can't resell it. I feel like toilets/showers should be something like roads, ubiquitous, accessible to everyone and continuously maintained. I haven't seen people complaining about trucks/busses using the roads too much/more than them, while making money.
- alexhutcheson 7y agoCleaning staff and/or security staff are really expensive. In many other countries clean public restrooms are possible because users pay to use them, but in the US charging for restroom access is illegal in many places: https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2018/11/pay-toilets-should-have-another-chance-world-toilet-day/576169/ https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2018/11/pay-toilets-shou...