To think not opening public toilets is a mistake?

[KitKat1985]

So several open spaces near us have started to re-open (think some National Trust sites and beauty posts). Obviously cafes and shops on site remain closed, which makes sense. But I do disagree with not opening the toilets on site. I get the point is to try and discourage people from staying too long but it also means:

1. There's nowhere for people to wash their hands, which surely should be a priority.
   
2. It's really discriminatory for people who really need to be able to access a toilet at short notice and can't necessarily 'hold it' for long, such as people with certain medical issues or people with very young children.
   
3. I've heard that some people who haven't been able to 'hold it' are going for 'a quick wee in the bushes' in some of these places which is pretty poor from a hygiene point of view, at a time when surely hygiene is most important?

[purpleboy]

People are pissing and shitting on beaches, what on earth makes you think people like that will take care of their personal hygiene in a public toilet?

[ScrapThatThen]

Loos at work are not cleaned during the day, hand washing is sufficient.

[Chloemol]

@KitKat1985
You don’t think they need to be decontaminated between users as long as they wash hands after going

Don’t you get it, the virus may already be on their hands when they go into the toilet, so they go, flush etc and leave the germs behind, so washing afterwards is no use. And I dont believe for a minute anyone would stand there and wash hands before they go to the toilet, then again when they come out

What happens if they sneeze or cough in the toilet? How is that going to be cleaned

They are closed for a reason, people know and should plan journeys accordingly, including NOT going

[Idododoidadada]

I'm sure it would be possible for cleaners to operate still but why should they? Is that a job you would want to do with a pair of gloves, a flimsy mask and a bottle of disinfectant given that dozens, 30’s x 100’s will want to use these facilities.

as long as users properly washed their hands after using the toilet and touching the handles, seats etc, so that their hands were clean and any contaminants washed off
And there you have it. The amount of times I’ve been waiting in the loo to go in a hospital when I have an appointment and, on entering the cubicle, have heard the main door close without the tap even running after a person has left the cubicle.

Don’t judge that others have your own standards of hygiene-they don’t. That’s why it’s better to keep them closed than to risk hundreds of people spreading something they’ve picked up in the toilets.

People should stay closer to home, then there would be no problem.

[DahliaDay]

@purpleboy if thats aimed at my post i'm thinking they don't bother there either!

[cherryblossommorningstoday]

No one needs to go out for so long that they need to wee in a bush. This is a pamdemic. If keeping toilets shut is moderating outings then good. Some poor person would need to make themselves vulnerable to clean the toilets so you can go to the beach/on a longer than needed walk.

Take hand sanitizer with you if you need to wash your hands rather than touching taps everyone else has touched. Or just go out for an hour!

But I agree re disabled toilets that need a radar key, they should be accessible.

[Chloemol]

@pigsDOfly
It’s not irresponsible of the Government to say you can travel miles if you wish to, it’s irresponsible of those who do drive miles knowing no toilets are open and knowing that they intend to be out all day and a toilet break is likely to be needed

You dont have to travel miles, you are choosing to travel miles,

[KitKat1985]

@Chloemol you are missing the point. Even if someone with covid did visit a toilet and did touch handles etc, as long as other subsequent users cleaned their hands properly after using the toilet and the surfaces they had touched, it should be manageable, so any contaminants are therefore removed before leaving the toilet block. As I say, I can promise you toilets are not decontaminated between users in most hospitals, it's just expected that people will use hand hygeine. If people are really worried I guess the councils could put alcohol gel outside the toilets so people decontaminate their hands before and after using the toilet to minimise risk, but really anyone who properly washes their hands after using the facilities shouldn't have much to worry about.

[TheLette]

Anyone with a toileting related disability can apply for a RADAR key which allows them to unlock disabled toilets. My mother has one and has needed to use it recently, she has a stoma bag. So probably not discriminatory against people with actual disabilities/healthcare issues. For everyone else - don't travel far! I'm not planning entire days out right now as I know I would need a toilet at some point. Although I disagree that having a wee in the woods is unhygienic - animals do this, and I'm not sure that human pee has some unusual health risks attached!

[purpleboy]

@DahliaDay it wasn't actually, it was at ops post when she said toilets didn't need to be cleaned between people because they would wash their hands before/after touching flushes, door handles etc..
to me that's a lot of faith to put in people who are happy to shit on a beach.

[DarkMintChocolate]

No one needs to go out for so long that they need to wee in a bush.

DDIL is 8 months pregnant. From what we can gather, she can't go very long at all, without needing a toilet. Are pregnant women not allowed out of the house for exercise?

[DahliaDay]

how have pregnant women been managing for exercise since lockdown ???

[KitKat1985]

Well according to some posters on here DarkMint anyone disabled or pregnant or with young children or any other reason that they might not be able to 'hold it' should just lump it and stay indoors forever because it's better for them, and screw their mental health needs or need for exercise. Those things are just reserved for the fortunate and healthy.

[gluteustothemaximus]

If they open them, then more people will go to these places.

That is not what we want.

No way can you have social distancing whilst queuing for the toilets. What system would it be, one in one out? 2 metres between each person going on for how long?

If people are happy to shit on a beach and queue 40 minutes for a disabled toilet even though they are not disabled, then there is no hope for some of us.

[notalwaysalondoner]

Cleaning toilets is an inherently unhygienic job, you should be using the utmost caution as a cleaner anyway to avoid catching norovirus and all the other shit that can be spread from humans... so I find the argument that they can’t be cleaned really weird. I get that maybe they need to be cleaned more often but then you could start charging people 10p or something - most people would rather pay a little than have to go in public or be very uncomfortable.

I do also agree it’s discriminatory - I have very mild IBS and one of the only symptoms is when I have to do a #2 I REALLY REALLY have to do it within the next 5 minutes. I live a normal life and normally it’s done before I leave the house in the morning, but the thought of if I got caught short I’d have to poo myself or poo in a park/on the beach just because the operators don’t want to figure out the logistics is unacceptable.

People are going to work with shared toilets in hospitals, factories, supermarkets - so it’s not insurmountable.

[hellohungryimmummy]

I live by the coast and they said on the news tonight that the council are opening up the toilets this weekend, as last weekend there were dirty nappies, piss bottles and piles of human poo left on the beach (in quite a nice and relatively quiet area). People are idiots.

The last thing you do is wash your hands upon leaving so that should reduce the risk?!

[Hadenoughfornow]

I always need to go to the toilet when out for any length of time.

So I don't go far at the moment.

Sorted...............

[user1493494961]

Who on earth would want to use a public toilet at the present time, they must be mad.

[converseandjeans]

I think the toilets are still closed to discourage people from travelling far away from home.
It's supposed to be lockdown so opening toilets would just encourage more people to go out and about.
Agree as well about the cleaners. I think it's bad enough recycling lorries have to carry on handling waste. I don't think it's fair for people to expect someone to work for minimum wage cleaning toilets during a pandemic.
Just stay near home?

[AnotherEmma]

"People are pissing and shitting on beaches, what on earth makes you think people like that will take care of their personal hygiene in a public toilet?"

This is a completely illogical statement.

People are relieving themselves on beaches because they need to go, but the public toilets are closed.

If the toilets were open and people were still choosing to go on the beach, your comments about their hygiene standards might be justified, but as it is, you're just being nasty.

But then again nasty and judgy is the "new normal" now

[DahliaDay]

there aren't that many public toilets these days anyway......covid or not

[Dadnotamum72]

However much we agree or disagree with the guidlines on travel as far as you want, that was the decision the government made so the councils should accept that open the toilets/ car parks.

[EatDessertFirst]

Public toilets are not safe to use. I imagine a lot of the employees that clean them have been furloughed. The government gave no notice to any of the relevant people (councils etc) that the travel restrictions were being lifted.

Its not discriminatory to not open toilets. You should check if they are open before you travel. Its not hard. Make a phone call, check the website. If you can't manage, don't drive hours to get to somewhere. Stay local.

I cannot believe that people driving out of Essex to Kent for example (past various, closer beaches) all have mental health issues which means they can't get exercise and fresh air locally. Shitting on beaches and pissing in bushes is just not acceptable. Stay local.

[pigsDOfly]

@Chloemol I can assure you I am not 'choosing' to travel miles.

As I said in my post I don't go anywhere that is so far from my home that I would need to use a loo while I'm out.

The furthest I've been since lockdown is the nine miles I had to drive to get to the nearest available branch of my vet for an unwell pet.

People shouldn't be travelling long distances for days out at the moment, the country is not set up for it. A lot of car parks are still closed, there are no lavatories open and most touristy type places want people to stay away.

Yes, it's irresponsible of the people who are travelling to these places, but frankly, a lot of people are pretty stupid and need to have rules and regulations put in place to make sure they don't do stupid things, which is why I think the government is irresponsible to tell people that they can travel wherever they want.

[Rhodri]

this will stop people going out
That’s the whole idea. They don’t want people going there. Keeping facilities closed is being done on purpose as a deterrent. Opening public facilities will just encourage people to go. Cleaners on min wage shouldn’t have to clean loos during a pandemic where the virus can be spread by faeces. Even if they were told to return to work, how many would just quit because it’s not worth the risk for the rubbish wages?

Someone had a poo in the fruit aisle in Sainsbury's last week
Er, what?!!