3 ms·

Someone needs to start urban truck stops. Convert storefronts in centralized areas into a space with bathrooms, showers, maybe some snacks and sundries. Keep it

by evan_ 6y ago

Someone needs to start urban truck stops. Convert storefronts in centralized areas into a space with bathrooms, showers, maybe some snacks and sundries. Keep it clean and climate-controlled. Maybe it’s a gas station too, but the idea is to have them scattered around town and easy to build/operate, so maybe not. Work out a deal with UPS/FedEx/Amazon but also Uber, Lyft, Postmates etc where they pay a membership and all of their drivers can use the space.

maxerickson 6y ago
How about just selling businesses signs that read "Driver's Welcome", have a recognizable design, and carry the message that they are welcome to use the restroom without buying anything? I don't know about urban core businesses, but in most places, it's already the case that no one working at McDonald's/etc cares if you walk in, use the bathroom and leave.
fakedang 6y ago
These companies wouldn't pay for it anyways, and you have a significant maintenance cost.
- evan_ 6y ago
  The companies that pay for access can use it in their marketing. “You can feel good about ordering from our food delivery service, our drivers don’t have to pee in bottles.”
wutbrodo 6y ago
It's regularly commented-on that the reason we don't have widespread public bathrooms like many other developed and Middle-income countries is due to insane laws prohibiting against pay toilets, on the grounds that. Turns out when you don't allow pay toilets, you end up with no public toilets at all, even in places like San Francisco where the government attempts to pour money into providing them. It's a very "American left" pitfall: make the victims of your "compassion" worse off as long as you avoid the appearance of inequity. See also: payday loans, boxing gloves, etc
- optimiz3 6y ago
  The problem with public toilets is they become massive hazards if you can't police them. Things like prostitution, drug use, homelessness, and crime all become concerns. Neither the Left nor Right have root cause credible solutions for this.
  - wutbrodo 6y ago
    The credible solution already existed, before we prohibited private entities from providing restrooms. Banning pay toilets effectively meant banning public toilets, since municipalities self-evidently don't have the will or competence to maintain them. This is one of those big problems that isn't actually that hard.

by evan_ 6y ago

maxerickson 6y ago

How about just selling businesses signs that read "Driver's Welcome", have a recognizable design, and carry the message that they are welcome to use the restroom without buying anything? I don't know about urban core businesses, but in most places, it's already the case that no one working at McDonald's/etc cares if you walk in, use the bathroom and leave.

fakedang 6y ago

These companies wouldn't pay for it anyways, and you have a significant maintenance cost.

evan_ 6y ago
The companies that pay for access can use it in their marketing. “You can feel good about ordering from our food delivery service, our drivers don’t have to pee in bottles.”

wutbrodo 6y ago

It's regularly commented-on that the reason we don't have widespread public bathrooms like many other developed and Middle-income countries is due to insane laws prohibiting against pay toilets, on the grounds that. Turns out when you don't allow pay toilets, you end up with no public toilets at all, even in places like San Francisco where the government attempts to pour money into providing them. It's a very "American left" pitfall: make the victims of your "compassion" worse off as long as you avoid the appearance of inequity. See also: payday loans, boxing gloves, etc

optimiz3 6y ago
The problem with public toilets is they become massive hazards if you can't police them. Things like prostitution, drug use, homelessness, and crime all become concerns. Neither the Left nor Right have root cause credible solutions for this.
- wutbrodo 6y ago
  The credible solution already existed, before we prohibited private entities from providing restrooms. Banning pay toilets effectively meant banning public toilets, since municipalities self-evidently don't have the will or competence to maintain them. This is one of those big problems that isn't actually that hard.