Thread: Taking Care of the Homeless

Originally Posted by Leo

Public Toilets New York City.com : Visitor Guide : Editorial Review

I am given to understand that the USA was like everywhere else, but most municipalities closed the majority of their public toilets during the late seventies.

Of course you will find toilet facilities at sports grounds, schools, theatres, gymns, etc, and (some) public transport facilities, but there appear to be few public toilets unrelated to such facilities.

Most establishments will let you use their toilets, so it's not a big deal, is it?

Originally Posted by Davocrat

Leo, don't forget, when you're a man in America, the world is your toilet! (For peeing anyway...)

LOL! I think that applies all over the world. And you are right about London, a lot of the public conveniences have been closed (some were built in the early 19th century) and the others are hard to find. Funnily enough, public conveniences are much more easy to come by in small towns and villages than in London.

Hint: if you see something that looks like the entrance to what you Americans call 'the subway' it is not a tube station, it is very likely an underground toilet. (The red brick construction is a dead giveaway.)

Anyway, I don't like London. :whistling:

Originally Posted by freckles

Want to take a wild guess why?

No idea! The local authority is too stingy to maintain them?

Originally Posted by Leo

No idea! The local authority is too stingy to maintain them?

The bathrooms that are no longer open to the public aren't maintained by the local authority. They are maintained by the person who owns or leases that space. That's why they can make the decision. Now, any idea why the majority made the decision not to allow non patrons or no one altogether into their restrooms?

Originally Posted by freckles

The bathrooms that are no longer open to the public aren't maintained by the local authority. They are maintained by the person who owns or leases that space. That's why they can make the decision. Now, any idea why the majority made the decision not to allow non patrons or no one altogether into their restrooms?

But if that is the case they weren't public toilets to start with. A public toilet is one which is built and maintained by the local authority and which is available free for the use of anyone.

And why do you keep calling them 'restrooms'? No one in his right mind would go into a public toilet for a quick cuppa and a good lie down.

by and large most homeless people are homeless because they want it that way. look at this way, no rent, no utilities, no insurance to pay for, no taxes ( they can't be found by the irs) all in all they are better off than the working class, because they have no overhead. and what money they can beg, sor steal or work for is under the radar and not filed on.. I think i will just go join them lol

Originally Posted by wingrider

by and large most homeless people are homeless because they want it that way.

How many have you asked?

The ex-con who washes the cars in my office parking lot would prefer an apartment to his squat at the concrete plant.

Originally Posted by freckles

True story. Last time I used a public restroom in a gas station (as in the ones outside where they give you a key, not the ones monitored inside) there was a polaroid in the sink of an Pepsi 20oz bottle shoved in a guy's ass all they way up to the Pepsi sign and the background was that bathroom. I've never gone back to one since. And Britney doesn't even wear shoes in them. Ew.

It's only been the last 10 years of my life that I've been able to fully use airport toilets. And I kick it old school without any silly seat covers.

I just think of all the interesting people who have preceded me.

Travelers tip: If you can find a Panera Bread those are dependably clean.

Originally Posted by shintao

I think we all agree Capitalism creates the poor,

No, we don't.

And it doesn't.

All capitalism does is create wealth. It therefore creates a gradient. The people that don't work to get their own become poor. Not because of capitalism, but because of their own failures.

Originally Posted by shintao

and that we will always have the poor and the homeless on our streets of America.

We could send them to Mexico as part of an exchange plan.

Ten bums for each Invader, and Mexico would still owe us.

Originally Posted by shintao

Since this is the case, it becomes a health issue when these people have no bathroom available for them to use on the streets, so they duck behind cars, houses, trees, and take care of business. America needs to install public restrooms in citys every eight blocks in business and commercial areas. Here is a site that has self-cleaning restrooms of the design I would prefer to see put into use.

Public urination/defecation is a crime. Put them in jail, then release them outside the city.

Originally Posted by freckles

What exactly do their countries do anyway? Like what do they contribute? And aren't they pretty homogenous?

....What the??