4 ms·

The reason there's no(few) public bathrooms in the US is that we're not allowed to charge for them (with the noble goal of human rights) as opposed to the EU/UK

The reason there's no(few) public bathrooms in the US is that we're not allowed to charge for them (with the noble goal of human rights) as opposed to the EU/UK. So the first malcontent that spreads feces all over the walls and blocks up the toilet with a syringe gets the whole thing shut down. http://psmag.com/economics/dont-pay-toilets-america-bathroom-restroom-free-market-90683 http://psmag.com/economics/dont-pay-toilets-america-bathroom...

throwaway3699 6y ago
It's also worth noting there are plenty of council-run public toilets that are free, here in the UK. It might not be as clear cut as you think.
- benjohnson 6y ago
  UK has the same problem with jerks ruining their public toilets causing them to close https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/closure-of-public-toilets-causing-anxiety-distress-and-frustration-across-uk https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/closure-of-pub...
- maxerickson 6y ago
  It varies quite a bit in the US also. My local park has public restrooms in several spots. The 'downtown development authority' provides public bathrooms in the (run down) commercial district. Highways in the state have relatively evenly spaced public rest stops.
  - dylan604 6y ago
    rest stops tend to be far outside of cities, and are pretty remote. a delivery driver isn't going to be using one of these during the course of their day. very odd thing to bring up as an example in this context.
    - maxerickson 6y ago
      It's an example of public accommodation, I certainly didn't mean to imply that a delivery driver would navigate to one. (in my region the nearest facility would pretty much always be a gas station, with people not getting worked up about it if you walk in just to use the toilet)
- cosmodisk 6y ago
  I think it depends on the council and the location itself. For instance,I live in, what could be called, reasonably managed borough with a central library that has toilets.. It's a huge facility that can accommodate hundreds of people. So instead, people were adviced to use the public toilet just meters away from it.. Then the toilet got closed and now Burger King is the target destination. In the same borough,some parks have toilets,while others don't,etc. There's not much logic in this at all.
runawaybottle 6y ago
I’ve actually thought about this a little too much. When I take my dog for long walks, there’s literally no where I can use the bathroom. I can’t even go into a McDonald’s (no dogs). I’m sure homeless people are denied this basic human right everywhere. Our portable bathrooms don’t self clean well enough. We need to think about how to design a better one. I don’t know if that involves building in air vacuums that force pull in everything to avoid clogs, or if we need more high pressure water, or literal acid that floods the floor after someone leaves (self cleans the whole box, and automatically sprays disinfectant, vacuums down all the shit in 2 minutes, then unlocks the door). Maybe have one time plastic bags that seal up and then get flushed down (all automated). Some kind of hosing down of the whole thing with acid is still high on my list. There’s got to be some tech we can make that would make rolling these out the most hygienic thing to do as a society.
- benjohnson 6y ago
  I hate to say it, but universal ID and a deny-list would stop it easily. You let the bathroom verify your ID, and if you leave the place a mess the you no longer have bathroom privileges. It would let you keep great public access, keep toilets simple, and only pass the "costs" of bad-behaviour to those that deserve it. Having ID to take a piss is a bit weird however.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - MaxBarraclough 6y ago
    There are lots of advantages to universal ID cards, but that doesn't erase their considerable problems. [0] Anyway, how would you identify who spoiled the bathroom? [0] https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/realid_costs_an.html https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/realid_costs_...
    - benjohnson 6y ago
      Have the ID scanner and camera be all in one - leaving your ID in it physically blocks the camera.
Invictus0 6y ago
Feces on the wall is actually a symptom of mental illness; I doubt that mentally sane people are doing that for fun in the majority of cases.
- cardiffspaceman 6y ago
  There is the possibility that someone has sudden intestinal distress and simply loses the foot race. There’s a moment between pants down and butt in place where this could happen. According to an anecdote told by the person who had been responsible for calling in the cleaner when it happened to our colleague years ago. So yes, crazy people may be doing this on purpose, but drivers might be finding themselves unintentionally in this position even when they readily find a restroom.
  - benjohnson 6y ago
    As a parent, I've had to deal with my children's explosive diahorea impromptu Jackson Pollock reductions on the bathroom wall. We just clean it up. Just ask the proprietor for some paper towels and some spray and get to work and nobody will care. Frankly, one remarked that we would always be welcome even after the disaster because we left it better than we found it.
- bostik 6y ago
  You would be surprised what bored and borderline sociopath teenagers will do for shits and giggles. In this case, quite literally.
  - wyre 6y ago
    >symptom of mental illness >borderline sociopath teenagers I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.

throwaway3699 6y ago

It's also worth noting there are plenty of council-run public toilets that are free, here in the UK. It might not be as clear cut as you think.

benjohnson 6y ago
UK has the same problem with jerks ruining their public toilets causing them to close https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/closure-of-public-toilets-causing-anxiety-distress-and-frustration-across-uk https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/10/closure-of-pub...
maxerickson 6y ago
It varies quite a bit in the US also. My local park has public restrooms in several spots. The 'downtown development authority' provides public bathrooms in the (run down) commercial district. Highways in the state have relatively evenly spaced public rest stops.
- dylan604 6y ago
  rest stops tend to be far outside of cities, and are pretty remote. a delivery driver isn't going to be using one of these during the course of their day. very odd thing to bring up as an example in this context.
  - maxerickson 6y ago
    It's an example of public accommodation, I certainly didn't mean to imply that a delivery driver would navigate to one. (in my region the nearest facility would pretty much always be a gas station, with people not getting worked up about it if you walk in just to use the toilet)
cosmodisk 6y ago
I think it depends on the council and the location itself. For instance,I live in, what could be called, reasonably managed borough with a central library that has toilets.. It's a huge facility that can accommodate hundreds of people. So instead, people were adviced to use the public toilet just meters away from it.. Then the toilet got closed and now Burger King is the target destination. In the same borough,some parks have toilets,while others don't,etc. There's not much logic in this at all.

runawaybottle 6y ago

I’ve actually thought about this a little too much. When I take my dog for long walks, there’s literally no where I can use the bathroom. I can’t even go into a McDonald’s (no dogs). I’m sure homeless people are denied this basic human right everywhere. Our portable bathrooms don’t self clean well enough. We need to think about how to design a better one. I don’t know if that involves building in air vacuums that force pull in everything to avoid clogs, or if we need more high pressure water, or literal acid that floods the floor after someone leaves (self cleans the whole box, and automatically sprays disinfectant, vacuums down all the shit in 2 minutes, then unlocks the door). Maybe have one time plastic bags that seal up and then get flushed down (all automated). Some kind of hosing down of the whole thing with acid is still high on my list. There’s got to be some tech we can make that would make rolling these out the most hygienic thing to do as a society.

benjohnson 6y ago
I hate to say it, but universal ID and a deny-list would stop it easily. You let the bathroom verify your ID, and if you leave the place a mess the you no longer have bathroom privileges. It would let you keep great public access, keep toilets simple, and only pass the "costs" of bad-behaviour to those that deserve it. Having ID to take a piss is a bit weird however.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- MaxBarraclough 6y ago
  There are lots of advantages to universal ID cards, but that doesn't erase their considerable problems. [0] Anyway, how would you identify who spoiled the bathroom? [0] https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/realid_costs_an.html https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/01/realid_costs_...
  - benjohnson 6y ago
    Have the ID scanner and camera be all in one - leaving your ID in it physically blocks the camera.

Invictus0 6y ago

Feces on the wall is actually a symptom of mental illness; I doubt that mentally sane people are doing that for fun in the majority of cases.

cardiffspaceman 6y ago
There is the possibility that someone has sudden intestinal distress and simply loses the foot race. There’s a moment between pants down and butt in place where this could happen. According to an anecdote told by the person who had been responsible for calling in the cleaner when it happened to our colleague years ago. So yes, crazy people may be doing this on purpose, but drivers might be finding themselves unintentionally in this position even when they readily find a restroom.
- benjohnson 6y ago
  As a parent, I've had to deal with my children's explosive diahorea impromptu Jackson Pollock reductions on the bathroom wall. We just clean it up. Just ask the proprietor for some paper towels and some spray and get to work and nobody will care. Frankly, one remarked that we would always be welcome even after the disaster because we left it better than we found it.
bostik 6y ago
You would be surprised what bored and borderline sociopath teenagers will do for shits and giggles. In this case, quite literally.
- wyre 6y ago
  >symptom of mental illness >borderline sociopath teenagers I don’t know what point you’re trying to make.