The city of Seattle has a major problem. When nature calls, there is nowhere to answer it.
What is the issue?
Finding a bathroom in Seattle can be just as hard as trying to find a free parking stall in the city. With a population of 749,256 people and just six restrooms that are open 24/7, it isn't impossible to imagine.
According to QS Supplies, Seattle has just 24 public toilets per 100k people and five toilets per 100 sq Km. Whether these bathrooms are really open to the public, are accessible for all people, are clean, and are safe is up for debate.
Moreover, looking on We Can't Wait, and app created by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, there are just four toilets in Capitol Hill. Of the four, one is a portable toilet, the other is located in a library (which means it is not available 24/7), the other is a park bathroom, and the last is located in Whole Foods (their bathrooms require a code for access).
Whether there are restrooms available or whether we deny access to them, people must relieve themselves one way or another.
Will we force people to use the streets or will we be part of a solution that preserves people's dignity and right to have a safe place to answer nature's call?
If the numbers aren't jarring enough, hearing people's personal experiences shows just how much city planning has failed its community.
On October 8, 2023, the Seattle Times published a comprehensive article detailing the historical context and current state of Seattle's public restroom issue while weaving in personal accounts from locals. The article, "Where to go when nature calls? Seattle has a public restroom problem" is a must-read for anyone wanting to learn more.
Got2gonyc, which began as a TikTok account creating videos about the frustrating experience of finding a restroom in New York City grew to become an organization based on community, activism, and storytelling. Founded by Teddy Siegel, you can find powerful and real stories from New Yorkers.
To: Business Owners
Knowing the importance of this issue, When Nature Calls is launching the Open Stalls project. The Open Stalls project seeks to provide businesses with the resources and support necessary to make well-informed decisions about opening their restrooms to the public.
As business owners, you know firsthand what issues come with opening your restroom to the public. Whether figuring out the cleaning of the restroom or spending costs of keeping things stocked and the safety of your workers, there is a lot to consider. These are all important factors which we will soon address.
However, to begin, we must know why taking action in the first place is so important.
We don't always know why someone might need a restroom.
The restroom can be more than just a place to relieve oneself. People might need the space for privacy and sanitation for medical injections, to change their child's diaper, to breastfeed, or even just to wash their hands.
For some, waiting and finding another facility is just not an option.
We can't always assume or be aware of what others are dealing with personally. Some folks might have Irritable Bowl Syndrom (IBS), Crohn's disease, or a number of other medical conditions that require them to use the restroom at a moment's notice. Even for folks who are pregnant or have small children, having a restroom available to them at all times is incredibly important.
More than this, the regular person might not have the time or ability to wait and find another place willing to let them use the restroom. For many people living in the city, public transportation or walking is their primary means of getting around. When this is the case, their home or the nearest public restroom can be out of reach.
It can improve the public health of our city
Just because we ignore the issue doesn't mean it will disappear. When folks don't have a place to answer nature's call, they will often do so in nature (and nature really just means the streets of Seattle). If you've ever walked in Seattle, you know poop is a common thing to look out for and whether it's from a pet or a human is sometimes up for debate.
Having fecal matter on the sidewalks of our city isn't the best thing for the public health of our community and can even exacerbate disease outbreaks. When we provide spaces for people to correctly dispose of their biowaste as well as properly wash their hands, the health of our community is strengthened.
We all have a right to dignity
For some, the luxury of having a home to return to at the end of the day isn't the reality. Regardless of where someone lives and what they are going through, everyone deserves the right to dignity. Providing people with a restroom can be the difference between preserving that dignity and having it stripped away.
We all know how embarrassing it is to 'have an accident,' so we should do all we can to save folks from such an easily preventable situation.
In conclusion...
We all know substantial and sustainable change is going to have to come down to the city building more public facilities, but in the meantime, why not be part of the solution? Even if you decide not to open your restroom, if we can all operate with compassion for others, the world can be a kinder place for those who must answer nature's call (which is all of us)!
Thanks for sticking around and stay tuned for a pros and cons list of opening your restroom to the public coming next week!
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