Where did all the public bathrooms go?
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Public bathrooms have largely disappeared in US cities, tracing a history from 1800s Parisian pissoirs to modern privatization.
The article traces public toilet history from 1850s Paris, where cholera outbreaks led to banning public urination and introducing ornate pissoirs for men only. These became meeting spots for gay men, leading to police patrols and blackmail. In the US, saloons served as de facto restrooms until temperance advocates pushed for public comfort stations, but privately owned restrooms then closed. Prohibition slowed construction and existing facilities fell into disrepair. Now, city pedestrians rely on semi-private facilities like hotels and coffee shops, making bodily privacy a purchasable commodity.
What commenters are saying
Commenters observe that public restrooms and water fountains closed during COVID-19 and never reopened, with trash cans also disappearing. Some blame counter-terrorism measures, cost-cutting, and drug abuse. A key historical reference: the Committee to End Pay Toilets in the US eliminated pay toilets but resulted in fewer public toilets overall, not free ones. Commenters note sanitation workers often have no say in such decisions, and that the pandemic eliminated many courtesy services as cost centers.