We Should Give a Crap About This

Humans are very different from one another in many ways, but we all share many things too. Everyone sleeps, for instance, and everyone needs food and water. Everyone also needs to urinate and defecate, and this can be a problem depending on where they are at the time.

We have all been in a tough spot before. This is nothing new to me at all, though I see the challenge continue: What happens when you are out and about and have to go to the restroom? No matter how wealthy one might be, finding access to a toilet can be a struggle in every major city across the country.

Why Toilet Access Is Challenging

Sure, every human uses the toilet, but having toilets available for use has costs. Growing up, this never seemed like a challenge, but things are changing. The biggest problem, in my view, is that many don't want "them" coming into "our" place or neighborhood. We are all familiar with the idea that restrooms are for "customers" of an establishment, and I do appreciate that these places provide the ability to use their bathrooms, but many places have been challenged by homeless visitors. Being homeless is a major problem for people, and homeless people lack access to food and water, healthcare and more. Accessing bathrooms is another problem.

Toilets available to the public require water and electricity, cleaning and safety requirements. These things cost money! As a nation, we are facing funding challenges for the U.S. government. Remember DOGE? See the massive debt level?

What Some Cities Are Doing

The federal government isn't doing much about boosting the availability of toilets to the public. There is no federal effort in the U.S. like there is some other countries. I am not aware of any big state laws either, but some states in the West are providing funding. Many cities are making a big effort, and those cities have been in the West too.

The biggest player that I have identified is The Portland Loo, based in Portland, OR. They operate over 300 units that look like this:

Perhaps you have seen one, as there are more than 300 of them out there. I am in Texas, and there are 18 here. The closest one to me, in Houston, is in Galveston (60 miles away), where there are five, and there are three in Austin and ten in San Antonio. The company operates 27 in Portland and another ten across Oregon.

A private company, Madden Fabrication, manufactures for The Portland Loo. Madden is based in Portland, and this is just one thing it does. The City of Portland owns the design for the toilet, and it licenses the exclusive rights to Madden Fabrication in exchange for a royalty on all units sold worldwide.

It's nice to see Portland making money on the expansion of an idea that it started with commercialization in 2012 , but there have been some other city efforts too. San Francisco, for instance, with its PIt Stop, has had some ups and downs. New York City, where I used to live and where my son lives now, has an effort underway by Mayor Mamdan that was announced in January.

Everyone knows the feeling of needing a bathroom and not being able to find one. With this new commitment to public toilets, we're ensuring New Yorkers can travel through our city with a little less anxiety — starting today at 12th and St. Clair.

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Our administration is proving that the government can get right to work to make progress for working people — and perform its essential civic ‘duty.’

In 2020, a company in Washington, DC, Throne Labs, launched. Here is what their restroom looks like:

The company lists several states where people can use their bathrooms, including California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New York (soon), Virginia and Washington as well as their home city.

How Things Might Get a Lot Better

I am hopeful that companies like Portland Loo and Throne Labs will expand, or that new private efforts will arise. Who will fund this? Our nonprofits and religious institutions should step up and fight for this! It is a basic human right.

It will take more than just money, as people will have to get beyond the "not in my backyard" syndrome. I think that churches and synagogues of all types can aid in this effort, as can other charitable organizations.

Conclusion

This is not a new issue for me, and it is not the biggest issue facing the world today, but it is a big issue. Quite simply, there are not enough places for people to use restrooms when they are out of their homes or their places of employment. Let's do something about this!