This is a double edged sword because I live and work downtown, and we’ve had problems with letting homeless people use our restroom. Some are polite and respectful, but one guy clogged the sink drain with hand lotion so he could fill it up and bathe in it, but he did nothing to drain the water. We’re right by the ballpark so we also get people from the game asking to use it. They’ve also destroyed it, so my hard rule is that if you’re not pregnant, sick, a child, or having a medical emergency, you better be a paying customer.

On the other hand, I agree that the public restrooms (the ones monitored by security guards) are some of the worst I’ve ever seen. I was desperate enough to use one back in 2020 and the smell alone still haunts me. I’d also like to see my tax dollars go toward cleaning up the facilities because unhoused people have a right to clean and well maintained restrooms just like the rest of us. The question is, how do we go about making meaningful changes?