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A question for all New Yorkers (and americans in general)

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Posted 5/30/2008 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there,

I am about to take a trip to New York for two weeks and I was wondering what the public facilities are like there? The reason I ask is because I have just got back from a 2 week holiday in Italy and found that about a half to two thirds of their toilets did not have toilet seats!!! You can imagine the situation that this put me in on a number of occasions.

Also I'm beginning to get tired of leaving the loo cleaner after I'm done with it than what it was before i used it! Maybe it's just that blokes don't bother aiming for the water in Europe...

Regards

Dan.
Posted 5/30/2008 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
If you are near a hotel, they have the cleanest bathrooms. And there are hotels all over. That's my recommendation.

The restaraunts like Cosi and Starbucks have bathrooms, but I find they're not always so clean. I think the more "public" the place, the grosser the bathroon will be.

The nicer restaurants are usually decent, but you probably can't use them unless you eat there.


If I think of anything else, I'll post it.
Posted 5/30/2008 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
Starbucks.... they are everywhere and usually have clean bathrooms.

Here's some suggestions. http://gonyc.about.com/cs/atozinde1/a/bathrooms.htm


--Keith
Posted 5/30/2008 3:38 PM (GMT 0)
I visited NYC for a wedding. It was pretty harsh - some blocks are long w/ no restrooms.....and the mind starts to wander..."gotta poop....gotta poop"

Personally I dint like it.
Posted 5/30/2008 4:18 PM (GMT 0)
Depends on where you go in the city. In midtown Manhattan there are enough bathrooms almost anwhere between department stores, restaurants, and bars. Many restaurants will not let you use the bathroom without ordering but in an emerency find a bar or restaurant with a bar and order a water or soda.

Residential neighborhoods in Manhattan will offer almost NOTHING in the way of public facilities. And if you're traveling by public transportation make sure you go before you get on a subway because besides Grand Central, Times Square, and Penn Station almost no subway stations have facilities.

Good luck and enjoy NYC.
Posted 5/30/2008 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
On my last trip to New York City, I found that Burger King & McDonald's came to be pretty handy for me. We were waiting for a bus and I thought I was going to crap my pants, I ran into Burger King and used the bathroom which was kinda crowded, but I had to go soooo bad, I didn't even care. We missed the bus (after waiting about 30 minutes) and we had to wait and get another, had to make another trip into Burger King before that one came. (meanwhile, my daughter in calling my cell phone while I am in the stall, telling me come on, the bus is coming)
Posted 5/30/2008 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Dan I began the worst flare of my life right before my NYC trip last Sept. I never had a problem w/finding bathrooms, some are right next to where people sit, so I had to get over just going and too bad for them. When I flare they don't smell, just a little loud. Sometimes I turn on the water and/or flush the toilet.

btw, I was there for a long weekend and spent my time in little Italy and times square.

Posted 5/30/2008 7:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the tips guys. From the sound of things, it is very much like here in London. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to get burned like I did in Italy. Seriously why do they not have toilet seats??? (My girlfriend tells me they didn't even have seats in the ladies loo either!!!)

Dan.
Posted 5/30/2008 8:45 PM (GMT 0)
And make sure your hotel room has a private bathroom! New York city is a lot like Europe in that many hotels have shared bathrooms! EEEEEK! Have fun on your trip - I didn't have a problem when I was there finding decent restrooms.

Posted 5/30/2008 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
I would say about 90% of all public facilities have toilet seats. The other 10% are dives and holes in the walls that don't care. Of course, only about 50% of public facilities actually keep them clean but hey, if you in a pinch it's better then nothing eh?

I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I had heard that in India, Afganistan, or in the outskirts of the middle east that their restrooms don't have toilets. That you have to squat over a hole. If we have anyone from the middle east please correct me if I am wrong - but if it's true, be glad you didn't visit over there :)
Posted 5/30/2008 11:00 PM (GMT 0)
My favorite topic! I was in Italy too and was incensed about the lack of toilet seats. Italians told me either a)they didn't know why or b) no one sits, every squats because the seats are dirty. I found the latter very hard to believe. I refuse to think that so many people (old, young, pregnant, sick, etc) have super strong thigh muscles and can squat like that!

New York: You can check out www.thebathroomdiaries.com for a nice long list of bathrooms in new york and many other places. Click on "full search".

To add to the suggestions of Cosi and Starbucks cafes, you should also remember that Barnes & Noble Booksellers also have good bathrooms. The bathrooms are always in/near the children's department, often upstairs.

If you really want to get the best guide, there is a actually guidebook to NYC bathrooms. You can definitely find it at Barnes & Noble... after you've used their bathroom!

Enjoy your trip. :)
Posted 5/31/2008 12:35 AM (GMT 0)
NYC public toilets in hotels, dept. stores, major train stations, & museums are not as problematic as some places in Europe. I bypassed many reeking hole-only facilities in the south of France, not to forget Monaco's stench-emitting public john right below the castle. Then there are the tiny packets of toilet paper one gets handed for a fee in some august institutions in Italy. What CAN be annoying in NYC is getting to use a ladies' room during intermission in concert halls/theatres. 99% of the time there are huge lines for the ladies' facilities whereas the men's rooms seem to accommodate users fairly quickly. Hope you enjoy your trip in the best possible health! / Old Hat (nearly 30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])
Posted 5/31/2008 7:08 AM (GMT 0)
I think i know what you mean when you talk about the loos in India. When I first came over to the uk we stopped in Japan for a few days (Pre UC Diagnosis). Their bathrooms have a choice: either a small hole in the floor with a bar on the wall to support yourself, or a super high-tech toilet with about 10 different flushing options. Not sure why they offered the choice, as I know which one I'd choose every time!!!

Dan.
Posted 5/31/2008 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Yes Asia does have squat pots as well as "regular" toilets. Many prefer the squat pot. We had a post on here not too long back about the benefits of squatting over sitting. The squat pots looked very modern. They were ceramic with drains, not just holes in the ground. But I never ventured to try one.

They all also had hoses to clean yourself up with after.  I was to afraid to try it because I didn't want to get the whole place, and my clothes wet!!

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