The lack of available public restrooms

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slo town

slo town

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The Willow Creek District AVA
My wife and I take frequent trips to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit the grandkids. In the last year more and more public restrooms have become unavailable to the public, even when purchasing gas at a gas station.

We were up there in south San Jose running a few errands one morning before getting to the kids house. I had to pee. We'd been on the road 2 1/2 hours. We were in an area with strip malls and gas stations. I hit the gas station first. Restrooms were taped off with yellow tape. Immediately next door was a mom and pop coffee shop. I went in there to use the restroom - and was going to buy two coffees on the way out as a thanks. But the restroom door was marked "Employees Only". I'm not there to argue my case or that I'm somehow special.

By now my need has become a bit more critical so I drive across the street to a CVS drug store. I feel confident. This has to be a sure thing. No way. Bathrooms were locked. I went up to the casher and asked if I need a key and she replied "The keys are lost." Okay...

So I drove around the back of CVS and took a pee in their back parking lot. While doing so I could see cameras pointed my way. I smiled and gave the finger. Arrest me.

Lately, because our departures are in the morning after I've had coffee, and it's a 175 mile one way drive, I've taken to stopping alongside Hwy 101 at a small turnout to pee and make sure I don't run out of range in a populated area. We've been making this trip for 15 years. The lack of available restrooms has only become a problem in the last year.

My question to you is, how many of you have taken such measures?

Scott
 
Probably has to do with all the homeless in the Bay Area wrecking bathrooms and using them to shoot heroin. I peed in a cup after my daughter’s soccer game the other day in the back of my wife’s Yukon. No public restroom or portapotty and it was at a school so didn’t want to risk peeing in the bushes and ending up on some list somewhere.

Edit-my bladder capacity is strong as I almost filled a 32 oz fountain drink cup to the brim!
 
slo town said:
My wife and I take frequent trips to the San Francisco Bay Area to visit the grandkids. In the last year more and more public restrooms have become unavailable to the public, even when purchasing gas at a gas station.

We were up there in south San Jose running a few errands one morning before getting to the kids house. I had to pee. We'd been on the road 2 1/2 hours. We were in an area with strip malls and gas stations. I hit the gas station first. Restrooms were taped off with yellow tape. Immediately next door was a mom and pop coffee shop. I went in there to use the restroom - and was going to buy two coffees on the way out as a thanks. But the restroom door was marked "Employees Only". I'm not there to argue my case or that I'm somehow special.

By now my need has become a bit more critical so I drive across the street to a CVS drug store. I feel confident. This has to be a sure thing. No way. Bathrooms were locked. I went up to the casher and asked if I need a key and she replied "The keys are lost." Okay...

So I drove around the back of CVS and took a pee in their back parking lot. While doing so I could see cameras pointed my way. I smiled and gave the finger. Arrest me.

Lately, because our departures are in the morning after I've had coffee, and it's a 175 mile one way drive, I've taken to stopping alongside Hwy 101 at a small turnout to pee and make sure I don't run out of range in a populated area. We've been making this trip for 15 years. The lack of available restrooms has only become a problem in the last year.

My question to you is, how many of you have taken such measures?

Scott
Click to expand...
Road trips with the old man and three older brothers, we always carried an old mayonnaise jar. 32 ounce.
 
With long trips, we inevitably will stop at a fast food place. I noticed that was not on your list of places you tried. I don't recall the last time a fast food place I stopped at, had the bathrooms closed (not saying it never happens, but it isn't common at all). I'd aim for one of those.
 
I travel for a living. Up to last year hotel lobby restrooms were always the best and safest place, but now many hotel restrooms are closed to the public. However, Mcdonald's are still always open. Walmart too.
 
Haha, I can hang on to a deuce, and I've got a large capacity bladder that still amazes my wife after 44 years of marriage.

Thankfully, we live in a semi-rural area and it remains semi-rural until we get to Hwy 101/Hwy 25. Given the rural nature of the first 130 miles I will not pee into to cup or jar. Roadside baby! As I said, arrest me.

Scott
 
As others have suggested, I just purchased some urinal containers off of Amazon:

Urinals for Men Glow in the Dark Lid by Tilcare (3 Pack) - 32oz/1000mL Thick Plastic Mens Bedpan Bottle with Screw-on Lid - Spill Proof Urinary Chamber - Male Portable Travel Pee Bottles : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care

Urinals for Men Glow in the Dark Lid by Tilcare (3 Pack) - 32oz/1000mL Thick Plastic Mens Bedpan Bottle with Screw-on Lid - Spill Proof Urinary Chamber - Male Portable Travel Pee Bottles : Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care
www.amazon.ca

I would prefer the more civilized option, but if the bathrooms are closed...
 
You gotta do what you gotta do man. Once we were in a standstill and I had to go so luckily there was an empty cup...😂. When we go to the lot my dad parks his truck at there are no restrooms either so we usually just go behind the trailers the owner doesn’t care really is what he says because then it’s less grass he has to mow.

Yes I have realized they have been closing off bathrooms in more places. The last place told me it was to prevent the spread of the virus so they would be closed till everything was over.
 
It seems a lot of places have done this in response to COVID, but it's also a lot less work for them in terms of checking/cleaning...
I've had much better luck with corporate stations - not franchised Shell/BP/Chevron, etc., but Kwik Trip, Casey's, Kum and Go, Pilot, Love's, QT, etc. With a few exceptions (a Circle K and a Speedway) I've had no trouble finding a restroom at these stations. The larger/newer the better in this case; it seems like they're least likely to close their restrooms, at least partially due to volume.
 
In most rural areas I have no issue going on the side of the road. Often difficult finding public bathrooms in such areas anyways.

I knew a guy with a company car, he punched a hole in the floor between the seat and console and ran a piece of fuel line down past the transmission, stuck a small funnel in the top. Called it his "relief tube"
 
Bathrooms closed everywhere up here too due to CV19, even at some fast food places. To pee, I have so far used bushes away from a park trail, beside the car pulled off a rural road, and hotel public bathrooms.
Really annoying, especially at places that serve food. Their bathrooms should be kept open.
 
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