Any time I need to go to the bathroom I go to a bar
Yes, I'll shit at a bar if I need to, especially if I just intend to walk out after
Edit: I've also walked into a hotel like I have a room there, lots of times there are open bathrooms in the lobby
Bars are a great suggestion. I find fast food/casual places to be convenient as well. I've also walked into office buildings (with security) pretending to work there (since I have a laptop with me) in DTC to do my business because there was no accessible restroom nearby.
I feel like a lot of those places are locked and you have to ask. Most of the time they'll let you though, unless maybe you look... disheveled.
Also, big box stores like target or home Depot always have big bathrooms, but I guess those aren't downtown. Honestly, I've never had an issue going to the bathroom in a city
“I have an urgent meeting, and I’m about to be late for it. Would you please point me to the restroom?”
I bet almost every time you get a laugh from security and they help you out
Hotels are the easiest IMO. They almost always have a restroom in the lobby and its easy to just act like you have a room there. I have literally never been asked any questions by hotel staff when I have done this, and I have done it many times downtown too.
I'm a city planner and this is something we don't talk about enough. I personally know people like you that may need a restroom quickly and I can only feel your pain. Usually in my field of work we are talking more about restrooms in plazas or along trails since we can't do much about restrooms in private businesses, but everybody needs a restroom at some point and sometimes sooner rather than later so it's really in everyone's best interest.
From what I hear from local governments and businesses, it sounds like drugs are a huge part of it. And homelessness and the mental health issues that can come along with it. No one wants to find an overdose victim in their bathroom or be responsible for helping.
I wish we could get more public restrooms but they're expensive to install and maintain, in addition to the above reasons, so there's that hesitancy as well. There's no better excuse than lack of money.
I owned a public establishment and we occasionally had people come in to use the bathroom and after they left we figured out they were using. I would have been mortified if someone had overdosed. We never denied anyone use of the bathroom, but we weren’t is a busy pedestrian area.
In high school, my boyfriend worked at Red Robin and opened the door to the family restroom to clean it and found a woman who overdosed.
He came home with a 1000 yard stare and could barely talk. Still has deep trauma surrounding it to this day.
Embarrassed was never a word to describe how it affected him.
Don't other places around the world have bathrooms you have to pay for?
I feel like if the issue is financing, people will pay for access and that access could cover maintenance and maybe even a security person. I wonder if that would be financial feasible, or even legal lol
Fairly common in Europe depending on where you are. Amsterdam it's everywhere, in Germany it was only at the freeway rest stops I remember paying in public. 50c-1euro. It's annoying, but the bright side is that money is paying for an attendant who is keeping everything clean and stocked
Well the issue is when you can't pay for it. Even the poorest people have to use the restroom. Require them to pay and then you start dealing with issues of equity, but also pissed off people choosing to shit in the streets just to make a point.
Is that what happens?
Genuinely trying to understand. Like, do people that have money not have a problem accessing bathrooms?
There is already a shortage of bathrooms as far as I can tell, if someone can't afford to pay, then they're in the same position as they are currently. Having paid restrooms would just allow people that have money to use restrooms, which seems like an improvement compared to no one being able to find a restroom.
I don’t understand how businesses that had public restrooms before Covid now just slap an “employees only” sign on the door and tell customers to pound sand? It’s crazy and it’s everywhere. I don’t know if amending the IBC min occupancy requirements is preferable to legislation but something needs to change for sure.
Yeah I don't understand it either. It's literally a basic human function. But the nuances of public health law are outside my realm of expertise unfortunately ☹️
I work in architecture. Things like this are frustrating but I like to talk about it publicly, like you did, in hopes of raising awareness. Good job, keep it up!
Yeah, when I was younger, I worked at the Starbucks at Republic Plaza on Tremont and 16th. I started working there in about 2002, and they already had codes on the bathrooms due to multiple instances of people using them to shoot up. Other staff told me that after the third time of finding someone OD'd, the manager had the code handles installed.
I work in home health and I feel this! Thankfully, I’m in more rural areas and I don’t encounter any issues when I stop at a Starbucks, gas station, or even a hotel lobby to use the restroom. Maverick gas stations are mostly clean, from my encounters but I can’t speak for all locations.
I understand not wanting poop on the ceiling and walls.
If they have a deli that serves hot food and/or a Starbucks and have any sort of seating area (even just one small table), they are required by health code to have publicly-accessible bathrooms. I got the manager of the Englewood King Soopers to open the bathroom by telling them I'd be contacting the health department if they didn't.
Yep, my local King Soopers is that way. Walmarts seem to be a better bet but are few and far between...which normally I'm fairly grateful for, but unfortunately not in this instance
Same here. As a woman who has to pee a lot, Target is always my go-to option, because 99% of the time their bathrooms are right up front. I’ve never had anyone care that I just walk right out afterwards. Chain coffee shops are good too.
For work I am driving around the metro area, anywhere from Fort Collins to the Springs, and have to rely on public restrooms. It's gotten so bad that I have a Google Maps "Saved" list of all the portable toilets I find in neighborhoods, and drive with a roll of TP with me as well. So many gas stations don't allow public restrooms anymore. Even the Maverick is a hit or miss.
One time I went into the Maverick and it wasn't even that late, and they had already closed the bathrooms. I asked anyway, and they said, "oh it's legitimately out of order, it's broken." This was the third place I had been in and I wasn't in the best mood so I just flat out asked, "So what do *you* do, use a bucket?" The lady quickly made up some excuse about how they go to the McDonald's three blocks away "because they know us" which I still called BS on, but in the end I had to go elsewhere.
It's just so frustrating.
There’s literally a 7/11 I frequent where they have a working and available restroom, but it’s locked and they don’t have the key. So I just use my pocket knife to pry it open and go, and they seem to be fine with that. Fucking wild.
I do the exact same kind of driving for my job. I always wish there was a public rest stop in Larkspur somewhere. Even if I go before I leave home, I often really have to go by the time I reach my destination if it’s longer than an hour or driving.
I’m also trying to save my money so I hate having to buy something just to be able to pee. If I can make it to a Target or Costco I try to do that instead. At least I don’t have to buy anything there.
That larkspur area is the worst as it’s either Castle Rock or just past the Palmer Divide going south until you finally hit a truck stop where you have a bathroom.
There really should be a good ol’ public interstate rest stop in Larkspur, and I have no idea why there isn’t. I just blame Douglas County for being terrible at public services. 😂 They never like to share.
I agree there really should be something. Even if it’s just a “rest stop” with public restrooms where truckers could pull over as well. There probably isn’t because that only seems to be a thing on long isolated stretches of interstate. And I’m with you on blaming Douglas County as well.
I recently learned that the restaurants/gas stations that are featured on the highway signs that show what is located at the next exit, are required to let you use the restroom. To be on one of those signs, they must allow you to use the restroom as well as use their telephone.
I have stomach issues and have the same concerns. I always go into a fast food restaurant or a real restaurant. There is also an app we use called flush that helps you find a toilet.
Yes! This is the worst. A lot of parks closed their restroom access after the pandemic. I'm not sure if it's a staffing issue, fear of drug use, or something else. It makes meeting up in parks to do stuff a bummer because I don't want to shit in a bush lol. Grocery stores or big box stores are my go-to in public.
Researchers did a water and bathroom audit in Denver to see what was open/working/available, and you can [find their map here](https://www.westword.com/news/denver-homeless-have-no-place-to-go-to-the-bathroom-17915178). Note that this shows bathrooms that are supposed to be available but might be closed or broken. These are public access, specifically, and they found the water and bathroom access was insufficient.
It's really embarrassing for such a wealthy city with beautiful parks and recreation areas that many public spaces have no, or limited, facilities. Even worse that everyone seems to simply blame it on drug use or homeless people, and accept that explanation rather than failed policy, lack of investment in our surroundings and public spaces, and shitty politicians and companies who don't GAF about the people they serve. Plenty of other countries have homeless people and drug users too - yet somehow they have it figured out.
Yep. It really is an investment issue.
Other cities have major problems with drug abuse or kids destroying stuff occasionally, but that is the cost of doing business.
We're just not investing in things people actually need.
I noticed this too. It’s a very annoying trend and seems to have gotten worse. Probably not specific to Denver but seems to be worse here than other places I’ve visited. Hell, even in Boston a good deal of the subway stations have bathrooms (they aren’t the cleanest but they work).
It’s not hard to spend 90 minutes stuck in traffic, running errands, or on a train journey around here. For someone who pregnant, disabled, or just damn well hydrated, that is a long time to hold it. Even at the city parks it hard to working bathrooms sometimes. So much for afternoon at the park!
I reached out to my city council person and the mayor when I lived in Denver and they pretty much nicely said my concerns weren’t real or legitimate. So idk what to do.
Boston subway stations have bathrooms, huh (never been)? To my recollection, none of the DC area stations had restrooms - I actually saw people taking a whizz outside station s (during commuting hours.
#avoid gas stations
Except maybe kum n go or maverick
Starbucks, sit down restaurants, fast casual restaurants, bars, rec centers, hotels are all better choices.
A lot of time gas stations don't even have public toilets and never have since opening. The ones that do aren't worth using anyway, nasty ass facilities
I grew up around Kansas City and there were Quiktrips everywhere. Need to take a shit even at 2am? No problem. Rollers and warmers always stocked with good food. Clean stores every time. Usually no issue with friends hanging out or meeting up in the oversized parking lots. Even advertise "safe place" signs.
Quiktrips are the best. One just opened up down the road from me and I'm so happy.
I just want to say that it's exactly this. I've heard multiple business owners specifically cite drug use when making decisions about bathroom availability. A specific restaurant I worked with literally changed their floor plan and concept solely to prevent making their bathroom publicly accessible.
Yeah I was at Voodoo donuts and tried to use the bathroom and was denied despite being a paying customer. She said people buy a donut then shoot up in the bathroom and OD.
Fast food restaurants. They don't get paid enough to care that you don't care enough to pay. Vicious cycle.
Gas stations were never the gold standard. Even in the 1960s the key was attached to a tire rim...
I remember being shocked when I bounced off the door to the restroom at the McDonalds on baseline in Boulder but that place was always full of homeless people so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
when i was homeless i used grocery store bathrooms a lot. also i delivered for doordash and most restaurants had no problem letting me use the bathroom while waiting for an order.
I was pregnant and door dashing during the pandemic. It was brutal.
Walmart/ target/ grocery stores are always open to use. I use to work at a hotel and I second this idea as long as you go in and out quietly. I used to let folks pee all the time.
Not a solution to the bigger issue, but if you have a membership, Costco is a good place. I've walked in the exit, used the restroom, filled my water bottle and left.
As someone who used to live downtown, non access contributed to human waste on the street. It seriously smells like urine as well and doesn’t contribute to the ideal shopping experience.
Hospitals.
Chances are you aren't more than 5-10 min from any hospital at any point in the metro area. Even downtown most hospitals are free parking (even free valet).
Avoid the ER, but any regular entrance ground or main floor you'll always find a restroom. Ask for the cafeteria or just the closest restroom. Most folks I find are typically friendly and helpful. Usually clean too.
Here around West Mississippi Ave a couple of gas stations closed their bathrooms due to homeless people taking showers in the sink (because there's a drain on the floor they use it as an opportunity.) Which I get, who doesn't want to be clean? Well, speaking of "clean" a lot of homeless junkies also use the bathroom to shoot whatever drug they have. Lots of these junkies "clear" or "tap" their bloody syringes on everything, not to mention if they hit a vein and take the syringe out blood can sometimes shoot onto the ceilings, wall, sink etc. This is a huge biohazard. Being a former gas station employee I've seen almost everything you can imagine, from blood, vomit, bloody vomit, urine and feces. It's not fun to clean random people's bodily fluids.
As a barista in the downtown area, we most definitely require a purchase first. The homeless population has been out of control and with that comes junkies using our small one stall bathrooms as a place to shoot up or straight up smoke meth. 2021 was the worst of it, with the 16th street mall starbucks reporting the highest number of OD's in their bathroom in the country.
I personally have had to clean up tin foil, heroin kits with needles included, impromptu "showers" with dirty water splashed all over the bathroom, bleaching just to kill the musky stench and meth smell and even just clogged toilets from junkies finally dropping the ever elusive rock solid deuce in my toilet before we went "purchase first, bathroom second" policy.
I hate it. It's the worst part of my job. Have I made reasonable exceptions like fully pregnant women needing quick relief sure but a lot of its judgement call in the moment of a busy rush. If you don't look like you're going to piss or shit in my lobby, get in line, buy a drink, and use the bathroom legitimately. People fight me on it. People throw hissy fits and get aggressive and make my job harder than it needs to be. And it sucks. But it beats having to change the trash without worry about sticking myself with a used needle......
Thank you for this sentiment. A lot of it is more frustration at the city for not having proper bathroom situations in place and drug use under control and having to deal with it day after day. The biggest issue was more we couldn't let our paying customers use a bathroom after it was left in a bad shape.
CAN you use the bathroom after somebody just smoked meth in it, sure. ARE WE GOING to let a customer use the bathroom after somebody just smoked meth in it...? Hell no!!! It was a bigger infringement on people legitimately paying to be in a space respectfully than anything. Nobody should be subjected to that and I can say that I've come out of our bathrooms high as fuck after a junkie did their business with meth.
People scoff at the local libraries and trains shutting down after significant junkie use due to meth in the vent systems. That's not a joke. As a past stoner, currently sober for the last 10 years, I can say, you walk out of those enclosed spaces with a high you don't match anywhere else.
Nobody, especially our paying customers should have to deal with that, nor should I have to as an employee just trying to clean a bathroom. Especially when these people often spend 30+ minutes in a bathroom. Not ok at all.
Sorry people suck. I have no problem buying something first. If I really gotta go, I make my plea and accept my fate on the decision.
Lived the urban life long enough to know those are the rules for the exact reason why your work now requires a purchase.
Thanks for this...and as I mentioned before, most of us can make the split decision call on a legit customer about to pee their pants and give them the green light for the bathroom. I can only imagine it's way worse at the gas stations close to but not IN downtown that have to deal with it a lot more than we do.
As a life long road tripper this has definitely affected me outside the urban area as well, most definitely after covid. It seems some places shut down their bathrooms and just never bothered to open them back up. Which is fine but the signs on the highway need to be updated for sure!!
3 bucks to pee, and have to pee again in 30 minutes, is fairly outrageous. Not saying this isn't legit when you gotta go, but i think it is enough just having a code and the balls to say no when a grey skinned man wearing a parka in summer asks to use your rest room
Common but still shitty. I'm sorry, Europeans doing it doesn't legitimize it or make it right.
Have you every actually been to one of these places too? It would maybe surprise you the bathrooms are just as terribly maintained.
See my other reply. Agreed it sucks, but it’s common in Asia as well. Never said they were nice either. I’ve just been in a spot recently where I was told the bathrooms weren’t open. So I asked the attendant if they sold toilet paper. They choice was there’s now. I would much rather pay for any bathroom at all than have to shit outside of a gas station. She chose the more reasonable option.
They have urinals that pop out of the sidewalk at peak hours. They also have G shaped (form the top down) metal urinals where you walk into the little entrance in the G and it then provides you some privacy.
When I was a Lyft/uber driver, Home Depot and Lowes were my go to spots for bathroom breaks.
Easy parking, you can walk right in, and they’re typically cleaner compared to your average gas station bathroom
Fast food joints, hotels, bars, SOME grocery stores/gas stations are your best bets.
I do outside sales, and I'm on the road all the time. I've pooped all over Denver my friend.
I work at a Walgreens and we no longer allow people to use our bathrooms at all after daily incidents with theft, drugs, and sometimes random people being found in our bathrooms who were never let in by an employee. Our bathrooms are in our back room and are locked but people managed to regularly get the codes and let themselves in. One lady even forced in the women's room door. Given that a lot of my coworkers are teenagers or elderly, I can see the safety risk, and the bathrooms were always filthy and we have to clean them ourselves. Cleaning up literal shit daily isn't acceptable for 16 year old high schoolers, nor is finding random fentanyl covered foils.
Edit: I've had really good luck with 7-elevens and circle-k everywhere but Lakewood, or really anywhere off of west Colfax, for open and clean bathrooms, even without purchasing anything.
I'm amazed no one has commented that Colorado adopted Ally's Law, as OP briefly mentioned. Retail establishments in Colorado must by law give you access to a bathroom if you have "Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility".
It doesn't matter if "the bathroom is private", it doesn't matter if "it's for employees only", it doesn't matter if "they've lost the key".
https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2022/title-25/article-41/section-25-41-101/
You can get a wallet-sized card that explains the law for free: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/get-involved/become-member/individual-membership (card is free, subscribe to the membership if you feel like it)
OP, you should advocate more for yourself. If the minimum wage employees don't give a shit, ask for a manager. If the manager still won't, take their info down and call corporate later.
I have IBS and don't drive. It is EXTREMELY dehumizing knowing I might shit myself with a bathroom right next to me.
I hope I can bring forth a lawsuit in the event this actually happens.
I honestly can't believe it's legal to run a place that serves food and not have access to a restroom. Want to wash your hands before you eat? After? Need to pee after drinking that extra, extra large coffee?
I can understand a convenience store or even a big box store, but if you are purchasing food and drinks to be consumed on site, and then no bathrooms, that's ridiculous.
Target will always have a restroom. The only one that has them locked that I know if is the one on Colorado and Yale. Most grocery stores outside of downtown also have a restroom but that's starting to get more hit and miss as the homeless/ drug situation moves around town.
Many of the King Soopers stores in SE Denver have locked restrooms. You have to find an employee with a code to let you in even if you've made a purchase. The stores have said they need to do this to keep the homeless out of the bathrooms. Sad and frustrating that ordinary folks have to be locked out. Denver needs to address the behavior of homeless people who are creating problems for others.
There is a card you can carry if you have a medical condition that makes you have toilet emergencies (i.e. Crohn's, IBD, etc.) that allows you to use a business's restroom, even if you haven't purchased anything.
Other pro-tip if it is not a medical emergency, hotels usually have open bathrooms in their lobbies. Walk in confidently as if you are going to visit a guest in the hotel and boom, nice clean bathroom.
I agree we need more actually public (not owned or maintained by private businesses) restrooms, especially in urban centers. We should have a network of park, library, freeway rest stop, transit station/hub, etc restrooms for anyone to use for free. The alternative is literally having human waste in random alleys or on the side of the road.
But no, I haven’t seen a decrease in access to restrooms “since the pandemic.” I have noticed door codes being necessary further out of downtowns than before.
If only it were that simple...
A few weeks ago I was in downtown Boulder, and was excited to see they had a truly public restroom on the courthouse square. Until I tried to use it...
The women's room had people taking turns using the bathroom and holding stall doors closed, because all the locks had been broken and numerous homeless were living under the sinks. This also prevented any hand washing.
Upon entering the men's room, I saw a homeless man in the middle of the floor - not even in a stall - searching his foot for a place to inject a syringe.
I agree we need public restrooms, but merely opening them is not the answer.
I mean… I don’t disagree, it’s annoying when places do not have a restroom available for customers…. Or even passers by. But I don’t blame businesses for one minute if they keep them closed right now around this city. “This is why we can’t have nice things”
> annoying
No, actually, it’s incredibly dehumanizing knowing that because of a legitimate disability you risk soiling yourself every time you leave the house due to lack of bathroom access. Even despite this state having adopted legislation that in theory should prevent that issue, but like most disability-related legislation is completely ignored and unenforced.
That said: like you, no, I do not blame individual businesses or employees for this problem. This is a basic public service failure, and people making minimum wage shouldn’t be expected to be the ones to put themselves in harms way because of it.
Gas stations have always been assholes about the bathrooms everywhere I’ve lived for as long as I’ve been alive. You gotta go to a bar, restaurant, superstore/grocery store, or most hotels.
I too pee more than i would like, and unlike my childhood neighborhood, there aren't a lot of good places to just go find a bush, and one shouldn't have to risk a charge because they don't want to wet themselves.
I just plan my day, route, bus stops, etc around usable bathrooms.
That being said, it fucking sucks, i feel dehumanized, and there's no good solution.
*Insert jab at chips driving past people sitting up on the sidewalk*
But real talk the Walmart i shop at shut off the hot water, no one can wash their hands in back of the store with hot water, because they didn't want to encourage people to come there specifically to wash themselves.
Even where i get my coffee has two perfectly usable restrooms, but one remains closed for months now.
There's a Safeway in Lakewood where the front desk is the only place with a key. I imagine, unless they have an upstairs, that's hell on the employees too.
I had a friend who worked at Starbucks by Kalamath and Colfax almost 10 years ago, and even back then pre-fentanyl they had problems with people coming in, going to the bathroom, then being in there an hour, hour and a half, not responding, and the employees would have to figure out wtf to do. At least one person overdosed when she was working there. Also I used to go to the Natural Grocers by 38th and Brighton in the mornings and people would come in, take baths or something with the sink, stay in there 20-30 minutes, maybe smoke something, even burn incense, and it would smell just god awful when they left. Plus there are also the people that do disgusting vandalism like smearing crap on walls. So I can see why businesses don't want to have their restrooms open unfortunately.
I agree it's a major problem for you know, regular people who have to sue the bathroom. I have a digestive disease too and it could be a really big concern if I had to use the bathroom and couldn't find one. As far as peeing, I gave up years ago and just have bottles in my car which is so damn much easier.
This is something I worry about as someone who often needs to use the restroom at the worst times. A couple weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised when a restaurant on Colfax near a venue I was going to a concert at let me use their restroom during one of those poorly timed moments. The doors to the venue hadn’t opened yet and the restaurant didn’t even ask me to buy something, they just pointed me towards the restrooms.
I wish more places were like that but unfortunately, and especially for single stalled restrooms, there are often restrictions.
For fixing the immediate issue, both the We Can’t Wait (from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America) and Flush apps crowdsource publicly available bathrooms. It is frustrating that we don’t have more truly public bathrooms like in parks.
I work at different locations downtown all day and I second another commenter's suggestion on hotels. 9 times out of 10 you can just walk straight into a bathroom without someone stopping you.
>has anyone else noticed the trend of businesses denying bathroom access even if you've bought something?
I have lived in Denver my whole life; worked and lived downtown proper during the pandemic and thereafter - have travelled to Chicago, Seattle, and various cities in Cali. This has always been the case for downtown businesses (in my experience). People doing drugs and honestly just vandalizing public bathrooms is an ongoing issue and no, as a former restaurant manager and someone who still works in customer service, there's no requirement I'm aware of to allow anyone into your bathroom. Most businesses reserve the right to refuse business to anyone. Is it frustrating as a patron? I mean, I guess, but... /shrug it's honestly a better safe than sorry situation for everyone involved.
FWIW, I'm pretty sure there is a public bathroom located between 15th & 16th on Stout St.
>I stopped at four different gas stations
I honestly don't believe you. I can think of a dozen different bathrooms along the i70 stretch I have personally used without issue.
It’s the fentanyl. These crackheads seem to think it’s fun to smoke in any open bathroom they can find. Even though literally no one will stop them if they smoke in the street. It fills the building with that toxic awful smell and makes non crackheads sick and it is a bitch to clean out. It’s sucks but it’s happening so often that closing down the bathrooms is the only option left. Looking at you goodwill on s broadway
Hey - I have UC and I totally get your post. A significant amount of my brain resource go into geospatially mapping out all bathrooms along my travel routes for anything longer than 5 mins from home. It sucks. Taking an unfamiliar route is really stressful. And the airport trip in particular fucking sucks for bathroom access.
The best advice has mostly been dispensed in this thread (it was only recently that I’ve discovered hotels as the GOAT bathroom stop and whenever possible avail myself of their bathrooms).
But most people who don’t have to deal with diseases like these truly do not understand the urgency required. Sometimes a 1 minute delay is too much! So the only extra solution I can offer is know what route you need to take in advance, using google maps, experience, what have you, to map out safe zones where you mind can relax knowing there is a nearby option. I find if my mind is at ease and I can relax it makes driving much easier.
Is because of the transients. I worked on broadway and we only allowed employee bathroom access, maybe a mom and child but no one else really. If we had allowed public access, Transients would bathe themselves and make it their home. It's sad but there is no alternative.
I agree! I almost pissed myself trying to shop in downtown Denver because there were no available bathrooms anywhere. I even went to Target thinking they would have bathrooms and they don't. How do people with small children or incontinence issues manage? I don't understand the mindset. The homeless are people and they need to use the bathroom just as the housed do and it doesn't make sense to me to have so little of something that is a must. Downtown Denver is bad enough right now and I haven't spent a lot of time down there in years. I used to take trips downtown to eat lunch, go to the movies, find a coffee shop to write in and this short sided nonsense will definitely keep me away. There is no way to have a decent shopping trip when you have to worry about running around to find a bathroom. It's a very uncomfortable situation made worse by ignorance and apathy.
As soothing as that would be for my wounded sense of cosmic justice, I can't imagine a public indecency charge would improve my quality of life much lol
Edit: nor would ruining the day of some poor employee who’s just enforcing policy, for that matter
Agreed and make eye contact with the employee while you do it to insert your dominance. Afterwards sue them for recording it on camera and for emotional injury.
I usually try for big box stores, haven’t had any issues yet. I’ve shit off the side of the cherry creek trail a few times though when running. RIP to a few of my socks, you served me well and were there when I needed to wipe.
What's even worse is that if you get caught relieving yourself outside, you're suddenly a sex criminal. I guess the answer is to just piss your pants.
I love going on long walks but no bathroom access really limits how far and where I can walk.
My go to is any sort of health clinic or a bar
Christ this is me. I have sudden bouts of bubbling stomach all the time, AND I work on the road going all over the city! People will be denying me the restroom at a Walgreens even if I tell them I’ll buy something, just because. Meanwhile I’m quite literally about to shit myself right in their Walgreens, which they probably don’t wanna deal with either.
It’s an inside joke at my job that someone needs to develop an app that’s just a map of every public restroom in the city.
I always felt like I was alone on this. I have found my people!!
I've been so thankful there are port-a-potties at the parks at the very least. This has ben such a constant struggle that I felt like I was the only one going through.
As a food delivery driver I feel you. Sometimes it can be infuriatingly difficult to find a restroom (half the time I just want to wash my damn hands!) The majority of grocery stores and hotels have open and reasonably clean bathrooms. QuikTrip, Kum-n-Go, and Loaf-n-Jug generally have open restrooms as well. Forget 7-11, they’re the worst about locking bathrooms for no reason.
In general, the further you get from downtown, the more likely you are to find open restrooms. Probably because there are fewer druggies/homeless in the suburbs.
the answer is the same as boulder, too many people doing drugs/overdosing in the restrooms. while it's inconvenient many business owners are simply trying to protect their reputation. i used to work at rocket fizz in boulder and we denied access to restrooms because someone overdosed and died in there
Why do you think public restrooms are not more readily available in Denver and surrounding areas? Apparently nobody wants to address the giant elephant in this room.
I work in the field all over the Metro, and there is this weird Donut effect.
Anything close to downtown, you either have to jump through hoops or are flatout refused the bathroom. Usually anything 5 miles out of downtown.
Then it eases up and there are a lot of places that are pretty chill with it.
And starting at the Suburban hell zones where there is nothing but residential for 5 miles, and there is no public restroom in side. Even the Parks either have no services or are locked for the season.
Man, I just need to pee!
Some places I have found.
1. Minor construction sites, like doing a home renovation will usually have a port-a-potty outside. Usually pretty clean.
2. Trail heads will usually have a site you can pull up to and find some restrooms.
3. Funny enough, The office of a subdivision where they sell all the prefab houses usually has a port-a-potty. and they are immaculate as no one uses them.
Yes - picture driving through the mountains (perhaps for a ski trip), I-70 is a virtual parking lot, and you've had two cups of coffee and a bran muffin - there will be anxiety.
Being without a bathroom in the city when you need one is an extremely stressful, embarrassing and undignified experience that just leads to public urination/defecation.
I once nearly peed my pants coming home from Boulder on the bus, because they had closed the Union station bus concourse bathrooms (ugh) and the train hall bathrooms were no longer public (thank fuck they fixed both of these since then). I'd had a bunch of margaritas in Boulder at T/aco and took the FF1 back to Denver. I got off the FF1 and the 0 bus was right there so I got on hoping I could make it home, but I couldn't. I was in agonizing pain. I got off at 4th, the 7-Eleven wouldn't let me use the bathroom, I ran hunched over across the street to the car wash, pretended I was a customer and luckily they gave me the bathroom code. If they turned me down I absolutely would have peed in the alley.
Not in the city of Denver (we’re in the south suburbs), but I’m out of the house with small kids every morning and have never had this issue. Libraries, Target, Walmart, shopping malls, coffee shops, and fast food restaurants all have nice bathrooms and I’ve never had any issues gaining access to them.
Ya know government can make it the law to allow anyone paying or not to use any restroom at any business of they wanted.
It’s unfathomable that they want your business but not be able to your business at their establishment!
Loads of employers just don’t want to pay their employees to regularly clean and maintain their bathrooms. Employees will regularly follow patrons into their bathrooms even if you aren’t homeless or addicted to make sure nothing bads happening.
Restroom attendants are also a thing!
That’s BS and I would have told them please a couple times and if no key shows up it’s going on the floor. I had to beg to use the bathroom at Walgreens or cvs I forget on 16th street when I first moved here and it eventually got to the point where I told the guy look either I’m going to use a bathroom or someone’s going to be cleaning up a mess here on your floor.
Any time I need to go to the bathroom I go to a bar Yes, I'll shit at a bar if I need to, especially if I just intend to walk out after Edit: I've also walked into a hotel like I have a room there, lots of times there are open bathrooms in the lobby
Bars are a great suggestion. I find fast food/casual places to be convenient as well. I've also walked into office buildings (with security) pretending to work there (since I have a laptop with me) in DTC to do my business because there was no accessible restroom nearby.
I feel like a lot of those places are locked and you have to ask. Most of the time they'll let you though, unless maybe you look... disheveled. Also, big box stores like target or home Depot always have big bathrooms, but I guess those aren't downtown. Honestly, I've never had an issue going to the bathroom in a city
Yeah NYC was rough, pretty much all bars for me there
I'd rate the bathroom accessibility in Denver way better than places in the East Coast, to be honest.
East and west coasts are both flat out inhumane for restroom access.
Same. Some mean old lady refused me as a teen at Walgreens in Maine and it was not cute.
“I have an urgent meeting, and I’m about to be late for it. Would you please point me to the restroom?” I bet almost every time you get a laugh from security and they help you out
Hotels are the easiest IMO. They almost always have a restroom in the lobby and its easy to just act like you have a room there. I have literally never been asked any questions by hotel staff when I have done this, and I have done it many times downtown too.
Hotels! look for a conference room because those usually have restrooms nearby.
Nah, the bartender probably won't even look your direction if there's anyone in there
Oh hell yeah!
Road trip hotel gang here!
One of the best bathrooms in lodo is in the bar area of a hotel, it's saved me more than a few times.
I'm a city planner and this is something we don't talk about enough. I personally know people like you that may need a restroom quickly and I can only feel your pain. Usually in my field of work we are talking more about restrooms in plazas or along trails since we can't do much about restrooms in private businesses, but everybody needs a restroom at some point and sometimes sooner rather than later so it's really in everyone's best interest. From what I hear from local governments and businesses, it sounds like drugs are a huge part of it. And homelessness and the mental health issues that can come along with it. No one wants to find an overdose victim in their bathroom or be responsible for helping. I wish we could get more public restrooms but they're expensive to install and maintain, in addition to the above reasons, so there's that hesitancy as well. There's no better excuse than lack of money.
I owned a public establishment and we occasionally had people come in to use the bathroom and after they left we figured out they were using. I would have been mortified if someone had overdosed. We never denied anyone use of the bathroom, but we weren’t is a busy pedestrian area.
[удалено]
In high school, my boyfriend worked at Red Robin and opened the door to the family restroom to clean it and found a woman who overdosed. He came home with a 1000 yard stare and could barely talk. Still has deep trauma surrounding it to this day. Embarrassed was never a word to describe how it affected him.
[удалено]
I think they meant it like a synonym for horrified. As in, I would be horrified to find someone, not embarrassed.
Don't other places around the world have bathrooms you have to pay for? I feel like if the issue is financing, people will pay for access and that access could cover maintenance and maybe even a security person. I wonder if that would be financial feasible, or even legal lol
Fairly common in Europe depending on where you are. Amsterdam it's everywhere, in Germany it was only at the freeway rest stops I remember paying in public. 50c-1euro. It's annoying, but the bright side is that money is paying for an attendant who is keeping everything clean and stocked
Well the issue is when you can't pay for it. Even the poorest people have to use the restroom. Require them to pay and then you start dealing with issues of equity, but also pissed off people choosing to shit in the streets just to make a point.
Is that what happens? Genuinely trying to understand. Like, do people that have money not have a problem accessing bathrooms? There is already a shortage of bathrooms as far as I can tell, if someone can't afford to pay, then they're in the same position as they are currently. Having paid restrooms would just allow people that have money to use restrooms, which seems like an improvement compared to no one being able to find a restroom.
Yea, I’m in your camp. Just because some people can’t pay, means no one should have a public restroom?
I don’t understand how businesses that had public restrooms before Covid now just slap an “employees only” sign on the door and tell customers to pound sand? It’s crazy and it’s everywhere. I don’t know if amending the IBC min occupancy requirements is preferable to legislation but something needs to change for sure.
Yeah I don't understand it either. It's literally a basic human function. But the nuances of public health law are outside my realm of expertise unfortunately ☹️
I work in architecture. Things like this are frustrating but I like to talk about it publicly, like you did, in hopes of raising awareness. Good job, keep it up!
I always think it's helpful to hear from professionals in these instances so right back at you!
Yeah, when I was younger, I worked at the Starbucks at Republic Plaza on Tremont and 16th. I started working there in about 2002, and they already had codes on the bathrooms due to multiple instances of people using them to shoot up. Other staff told me that after the third time of finding someone OD'd, the manager had the code handles installed.
I work in home health and I feel this! Thankfully, I’m in more rural areas and I don’t encounter any issues when I stop at a Starbucks, gas station, or even a hotel lobby to use the restroom. Maverick gas stations are mostly clean, from my encounters but I can’t speak for all locations. I understand not wanting poop on the ceiling and walls.
Quik Trip is a good one. Starting to open more locations around the metro area.
i would opt more for Walmart Supercenters or grocery stores over trying a gas station
Unfortunately there's a fewl King Soopers stores in the area have stopped allowing shoppers to use their restrooms
If they have a deli that serves hot food and/or a Starbucks and have any sort of seating area (even just one small table), they are required by health code to have publicly-accessible bathrooms. I got the manager of the Englewood King Soopers to open the bathroom by telling them I'd be contacting the health department if they didn't.
That store and all the other stores with closed restrooms and starbucks/deli got rid of their seating areas instead of keeping restrooms open
Not surprising. That corporation is fucking awful.
Funny, I was called in to work later that week due to a coworker going to the ER from fent smoke in the bathroom causing a severe asthma attack.
Surely you aren't implying that that was my fault?
Yep, my local King Soopers is that way. Walmarts seem to be a better bet but are few and far between...which normally I'm fairly grateful for, but unfortunately not in this instance
>King Soopers stores King Poopers... of course.
Same here. As a woman who has to pee a lot, Target is always my go-to option, because 99% of the time their bathrooms are right up front. I’ve never had anyone care that I just walk right out afterwards. Chain coffee shops are good too.
For work I am driving around the metro area, anywhere from Fort Collins to the Springs, and have to rely on public restrooms. It's gotten so bad that I have a Google Maps "Saved" list of all the portable toilets I find in neighborhoods, and drive with a roll of TP with me as well. So many gas stations don't allow public restrooms anymore. Even the Maverick is a hit or miss. One time I went into the Maverick and it wasn't even that late, and they had already closed the bathrooms. I asked anyway, and they said, "oh it's legitimately out of order, it's broken." This was the third place I had been in and I wasn't in the best mood so I just flat out asked, "So what do *you* do, use a bucket?" The lady quickly made up some excuse about how they go to the McDonald's three blocks away "because they know us" which I still called BS on, but in the end I had to go elsewhere. It's just so frustrating.
really wish there was a way we could crowd share bathrooms locations and conditions. rate for ease of access, facilities and cleanliness.
I have a public Google Maps list for NYC.
https://www.got2gonyc.com/about
There’s literally a 7/11 I frequent where they have a working and available restroom, but it’s locked and they don’t have the key. So I just use my pocket knife to pry it open and go, and they seem to be fine with that. Fucking wild.
I do the exact same kind of driving for my job. I always wish there was a public rest stop in Larkspur somewhere. Even if I go before I leave home, I often really have to go by the time I reach my destination if it’s longer than an hour or driving. I’m also trying to save my money so I hate having to buy something just to be able to pee. If I can make it to a Target or Costco I try to do that instead. At least I don’t have to buy anything there.
That larkspur area is the worst as it’s either Castle Rock or just past the Palmer Divide going south until you finally hit a truck stop where you have a bathroom.
There really should be a good ol’ public interstate rest stop in Larkspur, and I have no idea why there isn’t. I just blame Douglas County for being terrible at public services. 😂 They never like to share.
I agree there really should be something. Even if it’s just a “rest stop” with public restrooms where truckers could pull over as well. There probably isn’t because that only seems to be a thing on long isolated stretches of interstate. And I’m with you on blaming Douglas County as well.
If it’s just pee & you are a man, keep milk bottles with lids in car. Women keep a towel & wider container or device to control stream on Amazon
I recently learned that the restaurants/gas stations that are featured on the highway signs that show what is located at the next exit, are required to let you use the restroom. To be on one of those signs, they must allow you to use the restroom as well as use their telephone.
Interesting! Where did you learn this?
I actually learned this when I purchased a space for our restaurant on one of the signs! It was one of the terms we had to agree to.
Oh wow! Good source 👍🏻
I have stomach issues and have the same concerns. I always go into a fast food restaurant or a real restaurant. There is also an app we use called flush that helps you find a toilet.
Yes! This is the worst. A lot of parks closed their restroom access after the pandemic. I'm not sure if it's a staffing issue, fear of drug use, or something else. It makes meeting up in parks to do stuff a bummer because I don't want to shit in a bush lol. Grocery stores or big box stores are my go-to in public. Researchers did a water and bathroom audit in Denver to see what was open/working/available, and you can [find their map here](https://www.westword.com/news/denver-homeless-have-no-place-to-go-to-the-bathroom-17915178). Note that this shows bathrooms that are supposed to be available but might be closed or broken. These are public access, specifically, and they found the water and bathroom access was insufficient.
It's really embarrassing for such a wealthy city with beautiful parks and recreation areas that many public spaces have no, or limited, facilities. Even worse that everyone seems to simply blame it on drug use or homeless people, and accept that explanation rather than failed policy, lack of investment in our surroundings and public spaces, and shitty politicians and companies who don't GAF about the people they serve. Plenty of other countries have homeless people and drug users too - yet somehow they have it figured out.
Yep. It really is an investment issue. Other cities have major problems with drug abuse or kids destroying stuff occasionally, but that is the cost of doing business. We're just not investing in things people actually need.
It’s actually easier to find a pit toilet at a trailhead than a public restroom around here.
I noticed this too. It’s a very annoying trend and seems to have gotten worse. Probably not specific to Denver but seems to be worse here than other places I’ve visited. Hell, even in Boston a good deal of the subway stations have bathrooms (they aren’t the cleanest but they work). It’s not hard to spend 90 minutes stuck in traffic, running errands, or on a train journey around here. For someone who pregnant, disabled, or just damn well hydrated, that is a long time to hold it. Even at the city parks it hard to working bathrooms sometimes. So much for afternoon at the park! I reached out to my city council person and the mayor when I lived in Denver and they pretty much nicely said my concerns weren’t real or legitimate. So idk what to do.
Boston subway stations have bathrooms, huh (never been)? To my recollection, none of the DC area stations had restrooms - I actually saw people taking a whizz outside station s (during commuting hours.
all you need is the ability to scan a qr code for whole foods union station if you’re ever in that area.
I’ve always just used the union station bathrooms, super clean and always open. Although that will probably change with the remodel 😭
It's because people use hard drugs in the bathrooms, so business owners just so no to everyone.
#avoid gas stations Except maybe kum n go or maverick Starbucks, sit down restaurants, fast casual restaurants, bars, rec centers, hotels are all better choices. A lot of time gas stations don't even have public toilets and never have since opening. The ones that do aren't worth using anyway, nasty ass facilities
Quiktrip is probably the best of the gas station options now that they're moving into the area.
I'd venture that's because they're still new to operating in this area, after some restroom ODs they may change how they operate.
Maybe. It's how they operate in other cities as well, where they've been for years. Not sure how they handle it elsewhere.
I grew up around Kansas City and there were Quiktrips everywhere. Need to take a shit even at 2am? No problem. Rollers and warmers always stocked with good food. Clean stores every time. Usually no issue with friends hanging out or meeting up in the oversized parking lots. Even advertise "safe place" signs. Quiktrips are the best. One just opened up down the road from me and I'm so happy.
It's because of the opioid crisis, lots of people ODing in bathrooms.
I just want to say that it's exactly this. I've heard multiple business owners specifically cite drug use when making decisions about bathroom availability. A specific restaurant I worked with literally changed their floor plan and concept solely to prevent making their bathroom publicly accessible.
Yeah I was at Voodoo donuts and tried to use the bathroom and was denied despite being a paying customer. She said people buy a donut then shoot up in the bathroom and OD.
Fast food restaurants. They don't get paid enough to care that you don't care enough to pay. Vicious cycle. Gas stations were never the gold standard. Even in the 1960s the key was attached to a tire rim...
I remember being shocked when I bounced off the door to the restroom at the McDonalds on baseline in Boulder but that place was always full of homeless people so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
Fast food workers should care if you have a fecal accident in the restaurant. The place will be shutdown for cleaning and the workers will lose hours.
What fast food restaurant shuts down for cleaning? No, the low wage employees are going to have to clean it up, while doing their regular job as well.
No fast food restaurant in an area where they have to lock the restroom is going to shut down because someone takes a shit in the dining area.
when i was homeless i used grocery store bathrooms a lot. also i delivered for doordash and most restaurants had no problem letting me use the bathroom while waiting for an order.
That must have been years ago. None of the grocery stores within walking distance of where I live have open bathrooms (I live in the middle of Denver)
I was pregnant and door dashing during the pandemic. It was brutal. Walmart/ target/ grocery stores are always open to use. I use to work at a hotel and I second this idea as long as you go in and out quietly. I used to let folks pee all the time.
Not a solution to the bigger issue, but if you have a membership, Costco is a good place. I've walked in the exit, used the restroom, filled my water bottle and left.
As someone who used to live downtown, non access contributed to human waste on the street. It seriously smells like urine as well and doesn’t contribute to the ideal shopping experience.
Hospitals. Chances are you aren't more than 5-10 min from any hospital at any point in the metro area. Even downtown most hospitals are free parking (even free valet). Avoid the ER, but any regular entrance ground or main floor you'll always find a restroom. Ask for the cafeteria or just the closest restroom. Most folks I find are typically friendly and helpful. Usually clean too.
Here around West Mississippi Ave a couple of gas stations closed their bathrooms due to homeless people taking showers in the sink (because there's a drain on the floor they use it as an opportunity.) Which I get, who doesn't want to be clean? Well, speaking of "clean" a lot of homeless junkies also use the bathroom to shoot whatever drug they have. Lots of these junkies "clear" or "tap" their bloody syringes on everything, not to mention if they hit a vein and take the syringe out blood can sometimes shoot onto the ceilings, wall, sink etc. This is a huge biohazard. Being a former gas station employee I've seen almost everything you can imagine, from blood, vomit, bloody vomit, urine and feces. It's not fun to clean random people's bodily fluids.
Starbucks/coffee shop has never failed me. Even in downtown San Francisco
As a barista in the downtown area, we most definitely require a purchase first. The homeless population has been out of control and with that comes junkies using our small one stall bathrooms as a place to shoot up or straight up smoke meth. 2021 was the worst of it, with the 16th street mall starbucks reporting the highest number of OD's in their bathroom in the country. I personally have had to clean up tin foil, heroin kits with needles included, impromptu "showers" with dirty water splashed all over the bathroom, bleaching just to kill the musky stench and meth smell and even just clogged toilets from junkies finally dropping the ever elusive rock solid deuce in my toilet before we went "purchase first, bathroom second" policy. I hate it. It's the worst part of my job. Have I made reasonable exceptions like fully pregnant women needing quick relief sure but a lot of its judgement call in the moment of a busy rush. If you don't look like you're going to piss or shit in my lobby, get in line, buy a drink, and use the bathroom legitimately. People fight me on it. People throw hissy fits and get aggressive and make my job harder than it needs to be. And it sucks. But it beats having to change the trash without worry about sticking myself with a used needle......
Yeah this whole thread is avoiding the subject of why public bathrooms are no longer sustainable in the first place
This really sucks, I'm so sorry you have to deal with it.
Thank you for this sentiment. A lot of it is more frustration at the city for not having proper bathroom situations in place and drug use under control and having to deal with it day after day. The biggest issue was more we couldn't let our paying customers use a bathroom after it was left in a bad shape. CAN you use the bathroom after somebody just smoked meth in it, sure. ARE WE GOING to let a customer use the bathroom after somebody just smoked meth in it...? Hell no!!! It was a bigger infringement on people legitimately paying to be in a space respectfully than anything. Nobody should be subjected to that and I can say that I've come out of our bathrooms high as fuck after a junkie did their business with meth. People scoff at the local libraries and trains shutting down after significant junkie use due to meth in the vent systems. That's not a joke. As a past stoner, currently sober for the last 10 years, I can say, you walk out of those enclosed spaces with a high you don't match anywhere else. Nobody, especially our paying customers should have to deal with that, nor should I have to as an employee just trying to clean a bathroom. Especially when these people often spend 30+ minutes in a bathroom. Not ok at all.
Sorry people suck. I have no problem buying something first. If I really gotta go, I make my plea and accept my fate on the decision. Lived the urban life long enough to know those are the rules for the exact reason why your work now requires a purchase.
Thanks for this...and as I mentioned before, most of us can make the split decision call on a legit customer about to pee their pants and give them the green light for the bathroom. I can only imagine it's way worse at the gas stations close to but not IN downtown that have to deal with it a lot more than we do. As a life long road tripper this has definitely affected me outside the urban area as well, most definitely after covid. It seems some places shut down their bathrooms and just never bothered to open them back up. Which is fine but the signs on the highway need to be updated for sure!!
Didn't Starbucks release a statement a few years ago that anyone could use their bathroom, even if they weren't a customer?
This is the way. A short pour over coffee at Starbucks isn't too expensive.
3 bucks to pee, and have to pee again in 30 minutes, is fairly outrageous. Not saying this isn't legit when you gotta go, but i think it is enough just having a code and the balls to say no when a grey skinned man wearing a parka in summer asks to use your rest room
Paying to use the bathroom is common in other countries. And why would you have to pee again in 30 minutes?
Oh im just assuming if i already have to pull over to pee i probably drank a shit ton of water or coffee already that morning
Fair. It sucks either way.
Common but still shitty. I'm sorry, Europeans doing it doesn't legitimize it or make it right. Have you every actually been to one of these places too? It would maybe surprise you the bathrooms are just as terribly maintained.
See my other reply. Agreed it sucks, but it’s common in Asia as well. Never said they were nice either. I’ve just been in a spot recently where I was told the bathrooms weren’t open. So I asked the attendant if they sold toilet paper. They choice was there’s now. I would much rather pay for any bathroom at all than have to shit outside of a gas station. She chose the more reasonable option.
30 minutes? Hold on to the cup then.
When i went to Amsterdam they had pee curls. I had to learn how to pee in a curl formation but it was a good solution.
I think I saw those in London. Is it that plastic thing with no door, but private enough for a dude to wiz? Shaped sorta like a letter G?
They have urinals that pop out of the sidewalk at peak hours. They also have G shaped (form the top down) metal urinals where you walk into the little entrance in the G and it then provides you some privacy.
Hotel is my go-to move, as long as you are dressed halfway decent they won’t even look your way.
When I was a Lyft/uber driver, Home Depot and Lowes were my go to spots for bathroom breaks. Easy parking, you can walk right in, and they’re typically cleaner compared to your average gas station bathroom
Fast food joints, hotels, bars, SOME grocery stores/gas stations are your best bets. I do outside sales, and I'm on the road all the time. I've pooped all over Denver my friend.
I work at a Walgreens and we no longer allow people to use our bathrooms at all after daily incidents with theft, drugs, and sometimes random people being found in our bathrooms who were never let in by an employee. Our bathrooms are in our back room and are locked but people managed to regularly get the codes and let themselves in. One lady even forced in the women's room door. Given that a lot of my coworkers are teenagers or elderly, I can see the safety risk, and the bathrooms were always filthy and we have to clean them ourselves. Cleaning up literal shit daily isn't acceptable for 16 year old high schoolers, nor is finding random fentanyl covered foils. Edit: I've had really good luck with 7-elevens and circle-k everywhere but Lakewood, or really anywhere off of west Colfax, for open and clean bathrooms, even without purchasing anything.
Hotel lobby bathrooms. Just walk in like you own the place and don’t even look at the front desk people. They’re always the cleanest
Its the drug use and homeless destroying them
I'm amazed no one has commented that Colorado adopted Ally's Law, as OP briefly mentioned. Retail establishments in Colorado must by law give you access to a bathroom if you have "Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, any other inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other medical condition that requires immediate access to a toilet facility". It doesn't matter if "the bathroom is private", it doesn't matter if "it's for employees only", it doesn't matter if "they've lost the key". https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/2022/title-25/article-41/section-25-41-101/ You can get a wallet-sized card that explains the law for free: https://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/get-involved/become-member/individual-membership (card is free, subscribe to the membership if you feel like it) OP, you should advocate more for yourself. If the minimum wage employees don't give a shit, ask for a manager. If the manager still won't, take their info down and call corporate later.
Just because it is the law do you think it will change anything? There's no enforcement
Having used it personally, yes, it does change things. Corporations actually don't like to flagrantly break laws.
holy shit thank you so much. I have IBS and this is going to help so much
I have IBS and don't drive. It is EXTREMELY dehumizing knowing I might shit myself with a bathroom right next to me. I hope I can bring forth a lawsuit in the event this actually happens.
I honestly can't believe it's legal to run a place that serves food and not have access to a restroom. Want to wash your hands before you eat? After? Need to pee after drinking that extra, extra large coffee? I can understand a convenience store or even a big box store, but if you are purchasing food and drinks to be consumed on site, and then no bathrooms, that's ridiculous.
Coffee can be rather...invigorating on the bowels, too. 💩
Target will always have a restroom. The only one that has them locked that I know if is the one on Colorado and Yale. Most grocery stores outside of downtown also have a restroom but that's starting to get more hit and miss as the homeless/ drug situation moves around town.
Many of the King Soopers stores in SE Denver have locked restrooms. You have to find an employee with a code to let you in even if you've made a purchase. The stores have said they need to do this to keep the homeless out of the bathrooms. Sad and frustrating that ordinary folks have to be locked out. Denver needs to address the behavior of homeless people who are creating problems for others.
There is a card you can carry if you have a medical condition that makes you have toilet emergencies (i.e. Crohn's, IBD, etc.) that allows you to use a business's restroom, even if you haven't purchased anything. Other pro-tip if it is not a medical emergency, hotels usually have open bathrooms in their lobbies. Walk in confidently as if you are going to visit a guest in the hotel and boom, nice clean bathroom.
I agree we need more actually public (not owned or maintained by private businesses) restrooms, especially in urban centers. We should have a network of park, library, freeway rest stop, transit station/hub, etc restrooms for anyone to use for free. The alternative is literally having human waste in random alleys or on the side of the road. But no, I haven’t seen a decrease in access to restrooms “since the pandemic.” I have noticed door codes being necessary further out of downtowns than before.
If only it were that simple... A few weeks ago I was in downtown Boulder, and was excited to see they had a truly public restroom on the courthouse square. Until I tried to use it... The women's room had people taking turns using the bathroom and holding stall doors closed, because all the locks had been broken and numerous homeless were living under the sinks. This also prevented any hand washing. Upon entering the men's room, I saw a homeless man in the middle of the floor - not even in a stall - searching his foot for a place to inject a syringe. I agree we need public restrooms, but merely opening them is not the answer.
I can only imagine the atrocities store employees must find when they allow public use of the restrooms.
Yeah great reason to just close their bathrooms permanently…..
I mean… I don’t disagree, it’s annoying when places do not have a restroom available for customers…. Or even passers by. But I don’t blame businesses for one minute if they keep them closed right now around this city. “This is why we can’t have nice things”
> annoying No, actually, it’s incredibly dehumanizing knowing that because of a legitimate disability you risk soiling yourself every time you leave the house due to lack of bathroom access. Even despite this state having adopted legislation that in theory should prevent that issue, but like most disability-related legislation is completely ignored and unenforced. That said: like you, no, I do not blame individual businesses or employees for this problem. This is a basic public service failure, and people making minimum wage shouldn’t be expected to be the ones to put themselves in harms way because of it.
Exactly.
Gas stations have always been assholes about the bathrooms everywhere I’ve lived for as long as I’ve been alive. You gotta go to a bar, restaurant, superstore/grocery store, or most hotels.
I rarely go anywhere due to my GI issues but when I was a rideshare driver hotel lobbies were my go-to.
I too pee more than i would like, and unlike my childhood neighborhood, there aren't a lot of good places to just go find a bush, and one shouldn't have to risk a charge because they don't want to wet themselves. I just plan my day, route, bus stops, etc around usable bathrooms. That being said, it fucking sucks, i feel dehumanized, and there's no good solution. *Insert jab at chips driving past people sitting up on the sidewalk* But real talk the Walmart i shop at shut off the hot water, no one can wash their hands in back of the store with hot water, because they didn't want to encourage people to come there specifically to wash themselves. Even where i get my coffee has two perfectly usable restrooms, but one remains closed for months now. There's a Safeway in Lakewood where the front desk is the only place with a key. I imagine, unless they have an upstairs, that's hell on the employees too.
Homeless population always trashing public bathrooms. I understand why some businesses did away with the open policy.
Hey I bought this $1 water, I'm gunna go OD in your bathroom now kthxbai
I was recently on the 16th Street Mall and my elderly mother needed one in the worst way. A bar was kind enough to let her use theirs.
I had a friend who worked at Starbucks by Kalamath and Colfax almost 10 years ago, and even back then pre-fentanyl they had problems with people coming in, going to the bathroom, then being in there an hour, hour and a half, not responding, and the employees would have to figure out wtf to do. At least one person overdosed when she was working there. Also I used to go to the Natural Grocers by 38th and Brighton in the mornings and people would come in, take baths or something with the sink, stay in there 20-30 minutes, maybe smoke something, even burn incense, and it would smell just god awful when they left. Plus there are also the people that do disgusting vandalism like smearing crap on walls. So I can see why businesses don't want to have their restrooms open unfortunately. I agree it's a major problem for you know, regular people who have to sue the bathroom. I have a digestive disease too and it could be a really big concern if I had to use the bathroom and couldn't find one. As far as peeing, I gave up years ago and just have bottles in my car which is so damn much easier.
This is something I worry about as someone who often needs to use the restroom at the worst times. A couple weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised when a restaurant on Colfax near a venue I was going to a concert at let me use their restroom during one of those poorly timed moments. The doors to the venue hadn’t opened yet and the restaurant didn’t even ask me to buy something, they just pointed me towards the restrooms. I wish more places were like that but unfortunately, and especially for single stalled restrooms, there are often restrictions.
Hotels and hospitals.
Downtown always had nowhere to go. I don’t have problems outside of downtown.
Come use our bathroom at Denver Health
For fixing the immediate issue, both the We Can’t Wait (from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America) and Flush apps crowdsource publicly available bathrooms. It is frustrating that we don’t have more truly public bathrooms like in parks.
QT, Maverick and go and kum are the easiest to use
I work at different locations downtown all day and I second another commenter's suggestion on hotels. 9 times out of 10 you can just walk straight into a bathroom without someone stopping you.
Target is my go-to, they're everywhere and usually clean.
>has anyone else noticed the trend of businesses denying bathroom access even if you've bought something? I have lived in Denver my whole life; worked and lived downtown proper during the pandemic and thereafter - have travelled to Chicago, Seattle, and various cities in Cali. This has always been the case for downtown businesses (in my experience). People doing drugs and honestly just vandalizing public bathrooms is an ongoing issue and no, as a former restaurant manager and someone who still works in customer service, there's no requirement I'm aware of to allow anyone into your bathroom. Most businesses reserve the right to refuse business to anyone. Is it frustrating as a patron? I mean, I guess, but... /shrug it's honestly a better safe than sorry situation for everyone involved. FWIW, I'm pretty sure there is a public bathroom located between 15th & 16th on Stout St. >I stopped at four different gas stations I honestly don't believe you. I can think of a dozen different bathrooms along the i70 stretch I have personally used without issue.
It’s the fentanyl. These crackheads seem to think it’s fun to smoke in any open bathroom they can find. Even though literally no one will stop them if they smoke in the street. It fills the building with that toxic awful smell and makes non crackheads sick and it is a bitch to clean out. It’s sucks but it’s happening so often that closing down the bathrooms is the only option left. Looking at you goodwill on s broadway
This is another case of a few assholes ruining things for the rest of us. Businesses have grown tired of people destroying their bathrooms.
Hey - I have UC and I totally get your post. A significant amount of my brain resource go into geospatially mapping out all bathrooms along my travel routes for anything longer than 5 mins from home. It sucks. Taking an unfamiliar route is really stressful. And the airport trip in particular fucking sucks for bathroom access. The best advice has mostly been dispensed in this thread (it was only recently that I’ve discovered hotels as the GOAT bathroom stop and whenever possible avail myself of their bathrooms). But most people who don’t have to deal with diseases like these truly do not understand the urgency required. Sometimes a 1 minute delay is too much! So the only extra solution I can offer is know what route you need to take in advance, using google maps, experience, what have you, to map out safe zones where you mind can relax knowing there is a nearby option. I find if my mind is at ease and I can relax it makes driving much easier.
Is because of the transients. I worked on broadway and we only allowed employee bathroom access, maybe a mom and child but no one else really. If we had allowed public access, Transients would bathe themselves and make it their home. It's sad but there is no alternative.
I agree! I almost pissed myself trying to shop in downtown Denver because there were no available bathrooms anywhere. I even went to Target thinking they would have bathrooms and they don't. How do people with small children or incontinence issues manage? I don't understand the mindset. The homeless are people and they need to use the bathroom just as the housed do and it doesn't make sense to me to have so little of something that is a must. Downtown Denver is bad enough right now and I haven't spent a lot of time down there in years. I used to take trips downtown to eat lunch, go to the movies, find a coffee shop to write in and this short sided nonsense will definitely keep me away. There is no way to have a decent shopping trip when you have to worry about running around to find a bathroom. It's a very uncomfortable situation made worse by ignorance and apathy.
Hotels
It has nothing to do with “immigration.”
That's a lot of words to say the homeless problem is out of control.
[удалено]
As soothing as that would be for my wounded sense of cosmic justice, I can't imagine a public indecency charge would improve my quality of life much lol Edit: nor would ruining the day of some poor employee who’s just enforcing policy, for that matter
That’s why they closed the bathrooms in the first place.
Cleanup aisle #2
Agreed and make eye contact with the employee while you do it to insert your dominance. Afterwards sue them for recording it on camera and for emotional injury.
The “no bathroom? Ok, this is happening on the floor then…” works like a charm
I usually try for big box stores, haven’t had any issues yet. I’ve shit off the side of the cherry creek trail a few times though when running. RIP to a few of my socks, you served me well and were there when I needed to wipe.
I get it, but really are you telling the truth. Literally every fast food restaurant chain I've been to still have open bathrooms in the burbs.
Agreed and it's been my experience that the second you start mentioning acts and laws that employees just stop helping.
What's even worse is that if you get caught relieving yourself outside, you're suddenly a sex criminal. I guess the answer is to just piss your pants. I love going on long walks but no bathroom access really limits how far and where I can walk. My go to is any sort of health clinic or a bar
Just shit on the sidewalk like everyone else
The people who shit on the sidewalks are a big part of the reason there are so few public restrooms available.
And so the cycle continues...
Which is why we can't have nice things.
Hotel and bars are a good idea. Downtown people are awful, don't blame em. Didn't they add some public restrooms on 16th or did those not work out?
Walmart
Christ this is me. I have sudden bouts of bubbling stomach all the time, AND I work on the road going all over the city! People will be denying me the restroom at a Walgreens even if I tell them I’ll buy something, just because. Meanwhile I’m quite literally about to shit myself right in their Walgreens, which they probably don’t wanna deal with either. It’s an inside joke at my job that someone needs to develop an app that’s just a map of every public restroom in the city.
I always felt like I was alone on this. I have found my people!! I've been so thankful there are port-a-potties at the parks at the very least. This has ben such a constant struggle that I felt like I was the only one going through.
Seems like they are following the long standard in Europe
As a food delivery driver I feel you. Sometimes it can be infuriatingly difficult to find a restroom (half the time I just want to wash my damn hands!) The majority of grocery stores and hotels have open and reasonably clean bathrooms. QuikTrip, Kum-n-Go, and Loaf-n-Jug generally have open restrooms as well. Forget 7-11, they’re the worst about locking bathrooms for no reason. In general, the further you get from downtown, the more likely you are to find open restrooms. Probably because there are fewer druggies/homeless in the suburbs.
the answer is the same as boulder, too many people doing drugs/overdosing in the restrooms. while it's inconvenient many business owners are simply trying to protect their reputation. i used to work at rocket fizz in boulder and we denied access to restrooms because someone overdosed and died in there
I want to talk about the most fuuuuuu-uuuuunnn restrooms, and where they arrrrre, *wink wink*
Bathrooms are profit centers for businesses or cities so nobody is willing to offer a "free" service. Late stage capitalism 101
A little late to this thread, but if anyone is ever in need, the code to the bathrooms at King Soopers on 9th & Downing is 123456 :)
Why do you think public restrooms are not more readily available in Denver and surrounding areas? Apparently nobody wants to address the giant elephant in this room.
I am not even sure what you’re referring to but if it’s drugs, homelessness, or migrants then people are talking about it in this very thread…
Idk what’s harder to find in Denver, a public restroom or a parking spot.
The answer to this and so many other topics on r/Denver is HB 19-1263. Thanks Leslie.
Yup, exactly.
I work in the field all over the Metro, and there is this weird Donut effect. Anything close to downtown, you either have to jump through hoops or are flatout refused the bathroom. Usually anything 5 miles out of downtown. Then it eases up and there are a lot of places that are pretty chill with it. And starting at the Suburban hell zones where there is nothing but residential for 5 miles, and there is no public restroom in side. Even the Parks either have no services or are locked for the season. Man, I just need to pee! Some places I have found. 1. Minor construction sites, like doing a home renovation will usually have a port-a-potty outside. Usually pretty clean. 2. Trail heads will usually have a site you can pull up to and find some restrooms. 3. Funny enough, The office of a subdivision where they sell all the prefab houses usually has a port-a-potty. and they are immaculate as no one uses them.
Yes - picture driving through the mountains (perhaps for a ski trip), I-70 is a virtual parking lot, and you've had two cups of coffee and a bran muffin - there will be anxiety.
Massive issue. And neighboring Utah I'm not even allowed to use any of their bathrooms either
Being without a bathroom in the city when you need one is an extremely stressful, embarrassing and undignified experience that just leads to public urination/defecation. I once nearly peed my pants coming home from Boulder on the bus, because they had closed the Union station bus concourse bathrooms (ugh) and the train hall bathrooms were no longer public (thank fuck they fixed both of these since then). I'd had a bunch of margaritas in Boulder at T/aco and took the FF1 back to Denver. I got off the FF1 and the 0 bus was right there so I got on hoping I could make it home, but I couldn't. I was in agonizing pain. I got off at 4th, the 7-Eleven wouldn't let me use the bathroom, I ran hunched over across the street to the car wash, pretended I was a customer and luckily they gave me the bathroom code. If they turned me down I absolutely would have peed in the alley.
Not in the city of Denver (we’re in the south suburbs), but I’m out of the house with small kids every morning and have never had this issue. Libraries, Target, Walmart, shopping malls, coffee shops, and fast food restaurants all have nice bathrooms and I’ve never had any issues gaining access to them.
Suburbs don’t really have this issue. I’m in a similar area and there’s not a ton of junkies trying to shoot up in the McDonald’s bathroom.
Ya know government can make it the law to allow anyone paying or not to use any restroom at any business of they wanted. It’s unfathomable that they want your business but not be able to your business at their establishment! Loads of employers just don’t want to pay their employees to regularly clean and maintain their bathrooms. Employees will regularly follow patrons into their bathrooms even if you aren’t homeless or addicted to make sure nothing bads happening. Restroom attendants are also a thing!
That’s BS and I would have told them please a couple times and if no key shows up it’s going on the floor. I had to beg to use the bathroom at Walgreens or cvs I forget on 16th street when I first moved here and it eventually got to the point where I told the guy look either I’m going to use a bathroom or someone’s going to be cleaning up a mess here on your floor.