Public toilets being closed, not reopened or maintained properly

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

I found this quite comprehensive article about public peeing in the UK, some of which comes from public toilet closures, but some that seems like it stems from legitimate enjoyment of peeing on the streets, maybe even treating it like a game or a sport. Covid19 was 5 years ago but things still aren’t back to normal with public toilet availability it seems. And some people mistake letterboxes for toilets…📬
 

What are your thoughts and what are things like where you are? 

https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/05/the-war-against-wild-toileting-stop-weeing-street-urinating

 

[Scot_Lover 1,878]

What a title. Managing Director of The British Toilet Association, wouldn’t that look good on a resume, lol.

Last time I went to a football game I noticed that the toilets on the train station were locked, hundreds of people and nowhere to go. Are councils really surprised that this happens?

I’ve done it myself, been to a function, walking back to accommodation and there is nothing available. Try to duck into a pub to use the potty, denied access. Mrs had to stand at the entrance to an alley while I emptied between two dumpsters. She was in a similar state by the time we got back to our hotel. 
 

It’s not happening just in London.

[mickymoist 3,517]

I'm sure I'm reading "urinal-cum-planter" differently to how they attended it 😁

[Simon48 279]

We've got quite a few public toilets her, especially around thr beaches. Luckily they're all open and nice to visit to spray everywhere 😉😊

[oliver2 4,470]

17 minutes ago, mickymoist said:

I'm sure I'm reading "urinal-cum-planter" differently to how they attended it 😁

FERTILE PLANTERS IN YOUR AREA BEGGING TO BE IMPREGNATED

 

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

22 hours ago, Scot_Lover said:

What a title. Managing Director of The British Toilet Association, wouldn’t that look good on a resume, lol.

Last time I went to a football game I noticed that the toilets on the train station were locked, hundreds of people and nowhere to go. Are councils really surprised that this happens?

I’ve done it myself, been to a function, walking back to accommodation and there is nothing available. Try to duck into a pub to use the potty, denied access. Mrs had to stand at the entrance to an alley while I emptied between two dumpsters. She was in a similar state by the time we got back to our hotel. 
 

It’s not happening just in London.

Indeed. What a career direction! And yesI have felt genuine fear when finding that train station toilets are locked…in the middle of the day!!! Crazy. I’m a little too shy to pee on a train platform at lunch time but in desperate times….things might just get a bit wet!!

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

13 hours ago, mickymoist said:

I'm sure I'm reading "urinal-cum-planter" differently to how they attended it 😁

I picked up on that too! 😆

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

12 hours ago, Simon48 said:

We've got quite a few public toilets her, especially around thr beaches. Luckily they're all open and nice to visit to spray everywhere 😉😊

Wonderful! 🏖️💦🚽

[WetMart 1,130]

The public toilets in the most part are open where I live, there is one town where there are no public toilets so you are forced to go in a cafe or pub to use them, and they expect you to buy a drink while you are there , which makes it that you pee more. 

[oliver2 4,470]

Quote

We can research the effects of one particular chemical, such as cocaine, on one species, like eels

I feel like this must have been a specific study, and I resent the Guardian for not noticing

 

[ThePisard 21]

Strange that the article only blames men..I am sure ladies have to pee too.

[oliver2 4,470]

5 minutes ago, ThePisard said:

Strange that the article only blames men..I am sure ladies have to pee too.

But very rarely through letterboxes.

[oliver2 4,470]

Meanwhile, in Australia:

 

[puddyls 26,486]

i've noticed that some places here in the states that had openly accessible public toilets before covid and had closed due to the pandemic have still not reopened. one example being one of the malls near me. while all the others have gone back to normal, this one's only public bathrooms are still locked. the only option is to use toilets inside individual stores. 

[Alfresco 11,667]

That article probably is a fair summary.   And I agree that it is wrong that they say that it is only men that are peeing outside.  Women also need to pee and that Youtube video above shows that there were a fair number of ladies also using that alley/driveway where the sprinklers have been installed.  

Definitely finding a toilet in the evening is difficult and even in the daytime now it is also difficult.   Councils in some areas have put urinals or temporary urinals in places that are hot spots, but they again seem to only aimed at men using them, which is only part of the problem.  Yes women might be less keen to pee in public, but they certainly do so.    Personally I love the fact that toilets are closed because I am more able to justify peeing on the street and also it is more likely that I'll get to see others peeing in public.

I live near a small town - not a big city.  The toilets in two of three parks have been permanently closed and the public toilets in one part of the town are closed.  The only public toilets now are within the shopping centres and they are closed in the evening.   The toilets at the nearest park to me have the entrance seem to always have pee puddles outside the locked doors.   The entrance to the ladies is covered, meaning that it has three walls and a roof, with one side open towards a road.  The Gents entrance is similar but without the roof.   Both have puddles regularly, but the entrance to the ladies obviously doesn't get washed by the rain and so has developed a lovely aroma.   I'm not saying it is only ladies that use that entrance because the labels of "Ladies" and "Gentlemen" have been removed now that the toilets are closed and the ladies entrance offers a little more cover and discretion.   I have peed there a good number of times myself but it is clearly not only me that is using the facility.    If people are in the park, which is quite popular in the summer, they have four options - limit their time in the park according to their bladder capacity and go home when they need a pee, or pee in the toilet entrances, pee in the car park between cars, or pee in the bushes.   Well the bushes used to be a reasonable option, but now they have severely cut back the bushes to discourage peeing there and the only bushes with even a bit of cover are in the kids playground area so most people don't really want to go through the kids playground to head into a bush when it is obvious what they are going to do.   The CCTV also covers that area so whilst the CCTV wouldn't catch the actual peeing, it would see adults walking through the kids area into the bushes and then emerging a minute or so later.  So that leaves peeing in the toilet door way or the car park.

This is a common theme in a lot of places.  There are so many toilets that have had their hours reduced or been totally closed over the last few years and people seem to be much more relaxed about peeing outside than they used to be.   I think Covid has done us a big favour on that front.

 

[ThePisard 21]

11 hours ago, oliver2 said:

Meanwhile, in Australia:

 

They should install a drain instead. Clearly those people need to pee...

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

On 11/2/2024 at 9:16 AM, oliver2 said:

I feel like this must have been a specific study, and I resent the Guardian for not noticing

 

Oh I like Jacob Jarvis…he’s in some of the podcasts I listen to. 

[MidoriLemonade85 2,370]

10 hours ago, Alfresco said:

That article probably is a fair summary.   And I agree that it is wrong that they say that it is only men that are peeing outside.  Women also need to pee and that Youtube video above shows that there were a fair number of ladies also using that alley/driveway where the sprinklers have been installed.  

Definitely finding a toilet in the evening is difficult and even in the daytime now it is also difficult.   Councils in some areas have put urinals or temporary urinals in places that are hot spots, but they again seem to only aimed at men using them, which is only part of the problem.  Yes women might be less keen to pee in public, but they certainly do so.    Personally I love the fact that toilets are closed because I am more able to justify peeing on the street and also it is more likely that I'll get to see others peeing in public.

I live near a small town - not a big city.  The toilets in two of three parks have been permanently closed and the public toilets in one part of the town are closed.  The only public toilets now are within the shopping centres and they are closed in the evening.   The toilets at the nearest park to me have the entrance seem to always have pee puddles outside the locked doors.   The entrance to the ladies is covered, meaning that it has three walls and a roof, with one side open towards a road.  The Gents entrance is similar but without the roof.   Both have puddles regularly, but the entrance to the ladies obviously doesn't get washed by the rain and so has developed a lovely aroma.   I'm not saying it is only ladies that use that entrance because the labels of "Ladies" and "Gentlemen" have been removed now that the toilets are closed and the ladies entrance offers a little more cover and discretion.   I have peed there a good number of times myself but it is clearly not only me that is using the facility.    If people are in the park, which is quite popular in the summer, they have four options - limit their time in the park according to their bladder capacity and go home when they need a pee, or pee in the toilet entrances, pee in the car park between cars, or pee in the bushes.   Well the bushes used to be a reasonable option, but now they have severely cut back the bushes to discourage peeing there and the only bushes with even a bit of cover are in the kids playground area so most people don't really want to go through the kids playground to head into a bush when it is obvious what they are going to do.   The CCTV also covers that area so whilst the CCTV wouldn't catch the actual peeing, it would see adults walking through the kids area into the bushes and then emerging a minute or so later.  So that leaves peeing in the toilet door way or the car park.

This is a common theme in a lot of places.  There are so many toilets that have had their hours reduced or been totally closed over the last few years and people seem to be much more relaxed about peeing outside than they used to be.   I think Covid has done us a big favour on that front.

 

It’s very weird the way the authorities manage it and think about it. I mean, to live a healthy, balanced life, you need outdoors time, and therefore toilets in parks. The Council figures most people are now stuck inside on their computers so shutting down toilets won’t be noticed. And if questioned they’ll say…support local cafes and pubs…pop in for a drink and toilet stop. It’s like they just outsource the problem rather than solving it responsibly. 
 

But, on the other hand, it just justify those toilet entrance puddles, which is lovely. 

[oliver2 4,470]

On 11/6/2024 at 3:01 AM, MidoriLemonade85 said:

Oh I like Jacob Jarvis…he’s in some of the podcasts I listen to. 

I hadn’t realised there were podcasts about inadvertently drugged fish, but I guess you live and learn