The lack of available public restrooms

[y_p_w]

I saw similar in the Forbidden City. One of the reasons I vacation often in Vegas is the huge number of clean public restrooms.

That’s where I saw it for the first time. Kid went right on a carving. It’s kind of hard to explain, but if you’ve been there you've seen the carvings next to stairs.

It’s becoming less common as diapers have been used, but still in use. The weirdest is parents who use diapers on kids wearing these pants. Might be easier to change the diaper I guess.

 

[2strokeNorthstar]

The places I've seen have completely closed their dining rooms. Some might allow ordering inside, but I've seen a few go to drive-thru only. Some McDonald's around here have installed windows where one could order from outside. It's really strange too as there was a McDonald's that already had a plan to install an order window at the sidewalk. They had posted a public notice of their intent and I guess it was subject to public comment.

Strangely enough, what I remember about many fast food places when I was a kid were that the restrooms were usually accessed from outside like what was typical at a gas station. I'm under the impression that a lot of these closures aren't about anything other than an excuse to not have to provide the upkeep of operating a restroom open to paying customers.

It’s not the original intent to close the restrooms but many places are with no reason for doing so.

 

[01rangerxl]

Buc-ees, always clean restrooms.

I was going to mention that, though I haven't personally visited our new one yet. Supposedly it's a top notch away from home toilet experience. I don't know if Alabama resident customers and employees will be able to maintain that standard.

There's one Chevron around here that I'll use to pee only, but I enter with caution. The employees do their best, but I've opened the door to the aftermath of apocalyptic blowouts in there.

 

[Tomioka]

Luckily most of the places I deliver to have open bathrooms. That big gulp and convenience store coffee has to go somewhere.

*Bombs Whole Foods bathrooms*

 

[vavavroom]

San Francisco is special in the management of human waste. Super markets, coffee shops, gas stations, department stores. restaurants, and fast food joints usually have a bathroom for customers. Although, due to the pandemic many have been temporarily closed. There's an outdoor urinal near a trolley stop at Dolores Park, if you are adventurous. Open 24/7. Bring someone to watch your back at night. I spend a few hours in my vehicle, going from place to place on workdays. I'm thankfully blessed with an oversized cast-iron bladder. I also know where to find a bathroom. And I do keep a portable urinal in the vehicle. I never know when I might need it.

 

[y_p_w]

San Francisco is special in the management of human waste. Super markets, coffee shops, gas stations, department stores. restaurants, and fast food joints usually have a bathroom for customers. Although, due to the pandemic many have been temporarily closed. There's an outdoor urinal near a trolley stop at Dolores Park, if you are adventurous. Open 24/7. Bring someone to watch your back at night. I spend a few hours in my vehicle, going from place to place on workdays. I'm thankfully blessed with an oversized cast-iron bladder. I also know where to find a bathroom. And I do keep a portable urinal in the vehicle. I never know when I might need it.

Big wall climbers are used to using wag bags. However, I've heard of different ways to store waste, including creative reuse of some kinds of tools. When I visited Zion National Park, the recommendation for overnight backpacking along the Virgin River (that could get interesting in case of a flash flood) was to use these little pouches with a diaper or adult undergarment style liquid locking gel. I don't believe this was the exact brand they used, but I like the packaging better.

Still - we've had posters here comment about how they learned how to pee in a bottle. I guess that could be a useful talent, although I've heard of what happens when they're tossed out of vehicles and found along the side of the road. They're considered medical waste as such. I mean - would it be that hard to just dump it in a toilet somewhere?

HazMat teams pick up urine jars along roads / Caltrans workers often won't touch waste

[...] they urinate into a bottle, or jar or whatever else comes to hand, and heave the...

www.sfgate.com

Still - it's not as gross as something that was suggested when I went backpacking in Yosemite. Some park ranger handing me my permit said I could bury my waste in the ground (minimum 6 inches) but not my used TP. Said it should got into a bag placed with my other garbage in a plastic bag - stored in the same bear canister with my food. I frankly didn't follow that advice - primarily because I waited until I could find this really big, high-tech potty. I did place a few used baby wipes in there, but that was mostly just wiping my face and arms. I probably would have just buried the TP if I had to use it.

Nothing quite like a two level, solar-powered potty. I'm not sure it meets ADA requirements, but then again it might be tough for someone in a wheelchair to make it 5 miles from Yosemite Valley to Little Yosemite Valley. Maybe on a horse.

 

[Pew]

Still - it's not as gross as something that was suggested when I went backpacking in Yosemite. Some park ranger handing me my permit said I could bury my waste in the ground (minimum 6 inches) but not my used TP. Said it should got into a bag placed with my other garbage in a plastic bag - stored in the same bear canister with my food. I frankly didn't follow that advice - primarily because I waited until I could find this really big, high-tech potty. I did place a few used baby wipes in there, but that was mostly just wiping my face and arms. I probably would have just buried the TP if I had to use it.

Nothing quite like a two level, solar-powered potty. I'm not sure it meets ADA requirements, but then again it might be tough for someone in a wheelchair to make it 5 miles from Yosemite Valley to Little Yosemite Valley. Maybe on a horse.

I've used them several times. I must say, taking a dump on the side of Mt. Whitney in 14 degree weather is an interesting experience.

I must be getting lucky though, with restrooms still open at rest stops, gas stations, and fast food chains in my travels in the past year. I haven't gone out West that much lately though so maybe it'll be different.

 

[daves87rs]

OP here. Another thing, I do think things have relaxed a bit since COVID first started. Some of you mentioned restrooms being closed because of the homeless. I think this may be the primary reason some public restrooms are closed now.

Just saying,

Scott

I was thinking the same thing. We‘ve had no issues so far stopping for the bathroom for a last few months for sure. But sadly here too we’ve had an increase in the homeless population....

 

[M56959]

Run its course.