Bathroom Tissues - Bathroom Issues

"Always go to the bathroom when you have a chance."

King George V

Today’s entry was a challenge posed to me by my wife.  Last night she said, “Here’s a good title for your next post, ‘Bathroom Tissues, Bathroom Issues.’  You could do it!”

Despite her confidence I was certainly skeptical about my ability to make such a topic interesting.  And yet, with all the urban hiking I’ve done over the years I have learned a thing or two about public restrooms.  After all, if you’re out hiking for 11+ hours you are going to go.

The first thing to be aware of is what type of location is the rest room, or comfort room as it’s also called.  Is it in a public building such as a courthouse or museum, an outdoor space such as a park, or inside a retail establishment.

Public buildings can often be the best places to make your comfort stop, especially in the cold winter months or if rain is threatening. 

To begin with the comfort rooms are kept clean to a higher standard than some other indoor locations. 

And if it is cold outside, or you need to wait for a storm to pass, there is an added benefit that in a public building there are usually no problems with lingering about for a time.   As an additional bonus perhaps you can learn something while you are there. 

If you are in a museum take a few extra minutes to stroll around.  If you wandered into the local courthouse stop by the judges offices and volunteer for jury duty.  It will be a hoot!
 

In Des Moines the Iowa State Historical museum has free admission, and some picturesque views of the city from the upper floors.  And if you’re hungry there is a local Italian restaurant in the museum!

If you are in the heart of downtown Des Moines the Skywalk system is a good place to get some respite from the cold, but is lacking in proper facilities.  The Skywalk consists of four miles of corridors and enclosed pedestrian bridges between all the major buildings.   Yet in all those miles there is only one comfort room, and it is frequently closed.

Of course there are comfort rooms in some of the restaurants and other businesses that line the Skywalk.  But those facilities are for customers only, a frequent situation for comfort rooms in many businesses.  And I for one would rather forgo the nasty looks of the staff.

And I'm just too cheap to pay $8 for a cup of hot chocolate at the coffee shop.

The easiest places to find relief are probably the many convenience stores that dot the land scape.  They are plentiful, easy to find, and generally clean and well stocked. 

With convenience stores it is generally true that the newer the building the better apportioned are the facilities.  Stores that look as if they started life in the 1950s as a gas station will often have fixtures just as old.  Some comfort rooms in the older buildings look like they also have the original dirt.

The newer convenience stores have comfort rooms that are well lit and very clean.  They  feature such amenities as hot air blowers, anti-bacterial soap dispensers, and motion activated faucets and towel dispensers.   Usually even the, ah, primary fixture is automatic.   

If you do use the comfort room in the local stores you may feel obligated to make a purchase, at least a token one.  My advice to you would be stay away from the 64 oz. fountain drinks.  That's just a vicious circle waiting to happen.

Using the outdoor facilities at the local park can certainly be a nice bit of shade on a hot summer day.  But beware!  And no, I don't mean the odors. (well, that too). Comfort rooms in parks are often closed during the winter.  It's no fun walking a mile with your legs crossed only to be confronted with a sign that says "CLOSED FOR THE SEASON."

I never knew there was a designated peeing season.

Now, depending on your particular needs the quality of the paper consumables in the comfort room can be important.  In those cases I would recommend staying away from public buildings or parks and look for a friendly convenience store.  In the store they are likey to pull product off the shelf to stock the C.R., while a publicly funded institution will tend towards the functional and austere.

So next time you're out exercising in the fresh air be assured that when nature calls you'll be able to answer, one way or two.



And enjoy being on the go.