On Thu, 01 Jan 2015 11:20:25 -0800, Carol DeVolder wrote:
Thanks, Mike, and yes, I really did want to know. I'm a terribly naive
Midwesterner who doesn't always see humanity in all its shame (we have
cornfields that hide a multitude of sins). What troubles me is whether
there is any way to prevent this absence of human dignity. Are there
public
restrooms available in New York (and other massive confinement
operations),
are they relatively save? Easily accessed? Are there ways of preserving
human dignity? Is it futile? I've become a bit (make that a huge bit)
of a
cynic, but I still hope to leave the world a better place when it is
done
with me. I know that I take basic restroom convenience for granted, but
never stopped to consider those who can't or don't.
Once upon a time, there were a number of NYC subway stations
with separate toilets for men and women but the number of these
has decreased over the years because (a) the cost of having
maintenance workers come and clean the toilets; the Metropolitan
Transportation Authority (MTA) which oversees the operation of
subways and buses has been cutting personnel, most obviously
the elimination of token booth operators when the Metrocard was
introduced, (b) when crime was at high levels, especially during
the 1970s, the subways were seen as dangerous places, especially
toilets where one could be attacked without others seeing -- similarly,
underpasses were closed (tunnels that went under tracks and connected
the platform on one side with the platform on the other side; the Astor
Place station had one but was closed down; the 66th St station that
is at Lincoln Center keeps the underpass at the south end open but
it could be creepy going through it alone at night), (c) illegal
activities
such as the "tearoom trade", selling drugs and other illegal items,
even gambling -- "floating craps games". There are probably other
reasons but the general attitude appears to be that toilets in the
subway was not worth the costs involved. So, "unofficial" toilets
took their place.
Jane Brody, who wrote a personal health column in the NY Times for
decades, noted in 2007 that NYC had a real problem with public
toilets going beyond the subway system. She compares NYC's
public toilets to those in Sydney, Australia which seems to be heaven
sent. However, the situation in London was looking like it was going
the way of NYC. Her article can be accessed here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/01/health/01brod.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0
NOTE:At the end of the article Brody refers to the website "Bathroom
Diaries" which was supposed to provide info on public toilets in cities
around the world. Although there seems to be such a website, it
has no information on it.
For more info on NYC subway toilets, see the following toilet guru's
website:
http://toilet-guru.com/subway.php
NOTE: There is a picture of what happened to the toilets on the uptown
platform at Astor Place: The women's room was converted into a
newsstand/candy/drink shop and the men's room has been closed to
the public. Several bus lines end around Astor place and I've seen
bus drivers and other MTA employees use the men's room as a unisex
toilet. As for customers, get an appropriately sized cup from the
Starbuck
next to the station.
-Mike Palij
New York University
m...@nyu.edu
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