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Finding a public bathroom in major cities and on transit gets harder and harder.

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Friday, March 9, 2018 9:05 AM

OK  yes I have had to go al fresco and pee outside behind the dumpster or behind a tree and yes in a corner off the train platform. Most men have. But leaving fecal matter behind as in dumping the coal car? Seems that this is a Major Problem in San Fransisco as folks are leaving more then there heart behind in San Fransisco.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, March 9, 2018 5:29 AM

zugmann

Lots of people like cities.  I mean, I'm not a huge fan, but to each their own.  To think otherwise seems silly.  Then again, so does talking about what car you drive in a post about bathrooms...?  Although flexes do kind of look like a port-a-potty on its side.

 

The OP has a long history of being critical of the suburban and rural life styles, suggesting everyone in the US should have to live like people in Europe.

I have lived in and around the Baltimore/central Maryland area my whole life, 61 years now, 20 years of that in a very "urban" suburb of Baltimore.

The city has its place for some people, and its history is important, but those of us who choose not to live or work there are not the cause of its problems as the OP so often suggests.

I could fix a lot of the "problems" the OP talks about. First step might be a fair property tax system like Henry George and others proposed. But that would upset as many rich liberals as it would rich conservatives..........

As for the FLEX, it is by far one of the best cars on the road today in terms of comfort, performance and utility, the three things I want from a car. It is easily the best, most functional car I have owned since I owned a Checker Marathon.

You are welcome to ride around in whatever low to the ground, crampted, bouncy, underpowered little roller skate you prefer.

My wife has rheumatiod arthritis and needs easy, upright entry and exit. We have grand kids to move around, and the last FLEX saved their lives.............

 

Do SUV's guzzle gas? 
Honda Insight
2 seats x 63 mpg = 126 seat-miles per gallon
 
Ford Explorer
7 seats x 18 mpg = 126 seat miles per gallon
 
Transit Bus
35 seats x 3.6 mpg = 126 seat miles per gallon
 
My dads 69 Checker Marathon wagon - loaded with the 5 of us, our stuff and pulling our Apache camper at 65 MPH
7 seats x 18 mpg = 126 seat miles per gallon
 
2015 FORD FLEX w/Eccoboost, combined city/highway milage
7 seats x 18 mpg = 126 seat miles per gallon
 

 

YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY

Sheldon 

    

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Posted by zugmann on Friday, March 9, 2018 4:14 AM

Lots of people like cities.  I mean, I'm not a huge fan, but to each their own.  To think otherwise seems silly.  Then again, so does talking about what car you drive in a post about bathrooms...?  Although flexes do kind of look like a port-a-potty on its side.

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Thursday, March 8, 2018 11:41 PM

Greyhound Stations from the 1960s had pay toliets. Matter of fact of anyone knows of a antiquie pay toliet coin slot PM me

 

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Posted by matthewsaggie on Thursday, March 8, 2018 9:14 PM

Read a travel guide years ago with this advise for travelers, "Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lay down and NEVER skip a chance to use a bathroom". You never know where the next one is. It became my travel mantra. 

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Posted by seppburgh2 on Thursday, March 8, 2018 8:41 PM
The best restroom was in the PATH station at the WTC. Always clean, always open, never a worry. The PATH police substation was located right next door. RIP WTC.
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Posted by ROBIN LUETHE on Thursday, March 8, 2018 8:05 PM

Most of us would welcome toilets with a small charge, say 50 cents or a dollar. That would cover cleaning and supplies. And we could expect clean facilities.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, March 8, 2018 7:57 PM

Just another reason to not like cities. 

Here in Baltimore most downtown office buildings now have tight security. No way you are just walking in off the street and using the rest room.......

Why can't we have nice things? Maybe too many of us stopped being nice people, or stopped expecting reasonable standards of behavior from other people around us?

But out here in the rural suburbs, as I motor around in my 7800 lb, 12 mpg, F250 work truck, or when I'm out with the wife in her 15 sec 1/4 mile, 360 hp, twin turbo Eccoboost FORD FLEX LIMITED, there is always a nice clean McDonalds, or Denny's, or Bob Evan's to stop at...........

This is March, correct? I have not had to go into the "city" yet this year. I make my money in the rural suburbs, and I spend it there.

Sheldon

 

    

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Posted by Firelock76 on Thursday, March 8, 2018 7:32 PM

I suspect the lack of public restrooms at transit stations is an attempt to prevent loitering.  Also, not having restrooms to maintain makes things a little easier on the budget.

Not saying it's right, but it's the way it is.

By the way, sometimes finding a restroom somewhere isn't that difficult.  Look for a large office building or office complex with multiple tenants.  Many of those buildings don't have individual restrooms for the tenants, but they will have them somewhere in the hallways, typically near the elevator shafts. 

How do I know?  Hey, if you've been in and out of as many office buildings as I've been in the last thirty years you learn all about these things!

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Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Thursday, March 8, 2018 10:30 AM

As a kid I loved going to "somebodys else bathroom". In fancy hotels they even had hand cream and mouthwash in the public hotels. Some places even had a full time washroom conceier that did everything but wipe your derrier.

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Posted by NorthWest on Thursday, March 8, 2018 10:28 AM

Unfortunately, the public restrooms that remain are often dirty enough or vandalized enough to be basically unuseable. There is a reason why we can't have nice things.

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Posted by daveklepper on Thursday, March 8, 2018 1:36 AM

Advice:

Plan to avoid hurry-calls.   Even if the need isn't immediate, take care of it just before starting any trip, at your hotel room, home, office, or whatever.

I do the same just befor sitting down for a meal with friends, sitting down in a concert hall or theater or classroom.

In any city or town there are coffee shops and restarants.  I use their facilities and generaly buy something inexpensive "to go," a bagel or donut, possibly with a cup of tea.  I would not use their facilties without buying something.

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Finding a public bathroom in major cities and on transit gets harder and harder.
Posted by CandOforprogress2 on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 9:28 AM

I love urban rail transit but I also am not a robot and thus human s when nature calls on line 1 you have to answer. On SEPTA regional rail there are no bathrooms on there trains and I have had to to hold it till Trenton. BART has almost no Bathrooms either. Buffalo the ride is so short its not a problem but yes I have had to go in a corner off the platform. Boston if you are woman at North Station you are high and dry because the bathrooms for women have only 2 stalls Seems that San Fran has so much of a issue that there is now a App on the smart phone for this see-

http://mochimachine.org/wasteland/#

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/human-wasteland-map-plots-all-of-san-franciscos-poop 

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