[RP TownTalk] Replying to "digest", and public peeing

[Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland]

On Dec 6, 2007, at 9:45 AM, Regina M. Kreger wrote:
> 2 - perhaps we could discreetly place more porta-potties for homeless
> folks around town......  McDonald's might not be welcoming them in to
> use their bathrooms if they are frequent "customers".  I can  
> imagine how
> humiliating it must be not to have any decent place to pee.

The person that Audrey described was not homeless - or at least, he  
was driving a car.

But I think this is a great suggestion, with a couple of caveats  
(below)! I've long been frustrated by how businesses seem to feel  
proprietary about their toilets. I'd much rather a homeless person  
pee in my bathroom than on the dumpster outside of my building. Or on  
the sidewalk in front of my business.

That being said, Port-a-potties are only tolerable if well- 
maintained. I personally hate them - they smell bad. My kids refuse  
to use them. And I'm not sure I'd want one on the corner by my house.

But there are reasonable alternatives. In France they have public  
toilets that you pay to use - when we were there 15 years ago, it  
cost about 25 cents. They were *very* nice - when you finished, and  
closed the door, the entire interior was washed with a disinfecting  
wash to keep them pleasant and sanitary. These bathrooms were much  
nicer than the bathrooms in many of the businesses. But I've never  
seen anything like it here in the US.

-Sarah