How are people coping without...

[aliceinsunderland44]

Public toilets?!?!

Sorry is this seems like an odd subject but I'm genuinely confused as to how people can be planning these long drives to places where they can exercise outdoors when nowhere is open for a toilet stop. Maybe I think about it more as I suffer from IBS and almost always need to visit a loo whenever I go anywhere for longer than an hour or so. I've had serious anxiety about having to queue to get into the supermarket because the wait (and anxiety) usually sets me off!

It's not just the general public though. Delivery drivers, lorry drivers, anyone that would usually work outdoors and be able to nip into a service station or McDonald's surely has this problem now?

It's not something we tend to talk about but I really don't know how people are coping with it?

I get bad bouts of anxiety and need to go NOW sometimes. Fortunately me and DS have never been too far from home out on our walks but you know, if it came to it, I would make like a bear and shit in the woods. I’ve always got DS’s changing bag with me anyway.

Toilets have been open at the train station the entire time

Tesco toilets are open

Supermarket toilets are open but sometimes I've had to queue for up to an hour before getting in and if I need to go, I need to go now unfortunately. There's been at least one occasion where I've had to abandon my shop and leave the queue to go home because I desperately needed the loo. The anxiety of knowing there'll be a wait and no immediately accessible toilets makes it worse.

It was starting to take over my life a bit before covid happened. I've been avoiding long car journeys and scoping out public toilets in any unfamiliar places for a while now. It's become a bit obsessive and I genuinely feel frightened to go anywhere at the minute. Obviously there aren't many places to go anyway but its not great mentally and I do worry about adapting back to normality after this.

I think it’s probably because the general guidelines are only to exercise anyway so in theory you shouldn’t need to be miles and miles from home. Here the beach car parks and toilets are shut, but all it’s meant is people parking in housing estates and leaving nappies etc on the beach

@Winnipegdreamer we live about 45 minutes drive from the coast and I've seen lots of people heading to the seaside lately. Nothing is open. God knows where them and their kids are pissing!

Are supermarket toilets still open?

@LittleRen yes they are but you have to queue to get in.

IBS here too. It's nowhere near as bad as it used to be (only making it to the bus stop and having to return home in a hurry) but worrying enough to keep me very local. It's awful as we can't just 'hold it in'. There is a nice big park a half hour walk away, but no point me even trying at present, with no loo available there.

Wow I've not had to queue for Supermarkt toilets, must have struck it lucky.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot sorry I meant you have to queue to get into the supermarket due to the restricted numbers. Once you're in you're free to use the loos or course but you can't simply stroll into the shop like you used to be able to.