# Where do you use the bathroom if you are in town in a large city **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 5, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462 "2013-10-05T21:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/21 "2013-10-06T08:29:09Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > Oh, forgot to mention: you can also find bathrooms in university buildings. And they usually let pretty much anyone into a university building, at least during normal school hours (and sometimes on weekends.) Yeah I was going to say universities, libraries and in many European cities the museums are free, their loos are always clean (shh! :)) ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/22 "2013-10-06T08:36:38Z")
In my experience, shopping centres have plenty of well-maintained clean bathrooms. If I’m not in a fast food joint, that’s where I go. Indeed, most of the time if I’m in the CBD that’s where I am (not in bathrooms, in shopping malls). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/23 "2013-10-06T08:48:24Z")
> [@Blackberry](#): > > What’s a fast food restaurant going to do, chase you down as you walk into the restroom? They don’t know if you’re going to buy anything afterward anyway. Once they find out, joke’s on them because you already went. I went into a small McDonalds in a big city once (I think it was in London, but it might have been somewhere else) where they had some sort of weird airlock-type arrangement on the doors into the toilets. There was an ‘in’ door (which only opened from the outside) which led into a short hall, from which the gents and ladies doors were accessible, then there was an 'out door from that hall (again, only opening from the inside) which led out into the restaurant, but into a roped zigzag which was the queue for ordering. There was a guy manning both doors, telling people they could only go in if they were customers and were going to order - and yelling at people as they ducked under the rope and left having only used the WC. It was really weird, and a system with any number of glaring flaws - I mean, what if your kid decides he wants to go halfway through the meal? But I think this was in a really high footfall tourist area, where they had previously been overwhelmed by non-customers using the facilities, to the exclusion of actual customers. Another (probably smarter) system I’ve seen elsewhere is a combination lock on the door into the unisex single toilet rooms - the code for the lock is changed daily and is printed on the receipt handed to you when you buy something. ---
**Author:** ![DeweyDecibel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d26b3c/32.png) [@DeweyDecibel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeweyDecibel)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/24 "2013-10-06T16:14:57Z")
Rule 1 when traveling in an unfamiliar city: try to use the restroom whenever you’re in a place with one, even if you don’t “have” to go at that moment. After that, department stores always have free, accessible restrooms. Libraries. Malls/shopping complexes. Museums, if they are free. Drug stores and bigger supermarkets often do. Churches that have tourists (not necessarily a random local church). Hotels. Fast food restaurants/coffee shops are always findable (buy a soda or coffee if you have to in order to use the restroom). I’ve never had a problem in numerous US and European cities, even with small kids whose potty training was…iffy. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/25 "2013-10-06T16:23:07Z")
As for the OP’s question about downtown Chicago, use the [Pedway](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pedway). Plenty of restrooms and other interesting stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/26 "2013-10-06T17:21:30Z")
In addition to what others have said, a visitor’s center/tourist center will usually have a public bathroom. I actually use the visitor’s center bathroom in my own city fairly often, as it’s only about a block away from my favorite downtown restaurant and movie theater – both of which have very small, old bathrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/27 "2013-10-06T17:44:54Z")
One place that hasn’t been mentioned is a bus/rail terminal. The first thing many people do there is head for the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/28 "2013-10-06T17:49:29Z")
I imagine a lot has to do with how touristy the city is. I imagine finding open bathrooms wouldn’t be tough in say Houston, but New Orleans is hard. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/29 "2013-10-06T17:52:47Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Most office buildings, especially of the skyscraper variety, have very clean and easily accessible restrooms on each floor, including the ground floor. They do, but you can’t access them without a badge to get past security. In New York there’s a bar or Starbucks like every other block. You can usually use their bathrooms. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/30 "2013-10-06T19:15:45Z")
All the above, plus public parks and hospitals. But it is rare that I use a restaurant rest room without buying. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/31 "2013-10-06T21:44:15Z")
I’ve had very bad experiences with the public park restrooms in New York and Washington DC. Not recommended. . . ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/32 "2013-10-06T22:00:28Z")
If you see George Michael in the public restroom, leave immediately… ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/33 "2013-10-07T16:33:12Z")
Toys-R-Us. > [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > There are obvious places like fast food restaurants, although some will not let you use the bathroom unless you buy something. I was waiting for my food at Popeye’s in Old Town Alexandria when some dude came rushing in, yelled out an order, and continued rushing to the mens’ room. When he was done, he rushed through the dining area and right out the door. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/34 "2013-10-07T16:56:01Z")
Shopping malls, and you’re never far from one in Bangkok. It’s true hotels tend to have restrooms in the lobbies too, at least over here. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/35 "2013-10-08T12:54:32Z")
I usually walk into a bar or coffee shop, order a drink, then hit the men’s after my drink arrives. Nobody has ever “slipped me a Mickey”, but a guy can dream. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/36 "2013-10-08T15:01:20Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Another (probably smarter) system I’ve seen elsewhere is a combination lock on the door into the unisex single toilet rooms - the code for the lock is changed daily and is printed on the receipt handed to you when you buy something. While I sympathize with the issues they have with non customers using the washrooms as a customer this is truly annoying. If I am alone this means that even to wash my hands I either have to leave my food sitting alone on a table or take it into the washroom with me. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/37 "2013-10-08T15:15:00Z")
I’d usually go for Barnes & Noble or a mall. Fast food if it’s just to pee. ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/38 "2013-10-08T17:48:08Z")
We had to get a token at Harrod’s in London to use the bathroom (er, toilet). If you’re in Amsterdam and a male, just use an outside pissor: [Going in Amsterdam](http://blog.amsterdamcitytours.com/on-the-town/go-2theloo-in-amsterdam/) ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/39 "2013-10-08T18:19:50Z")
Even if you can’t find a place that will let you use them for free, pretty much any fast food place has things on the menu for a dollar or less. So I just buy something cheap. It helps pay for the minimum wage person who cleans the bathroom. If I’m not hungry, I’ll just give it to a homeless person who’s inevitably waiting outside the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462/40 "2013-10-08T18:27:16Z")
There’s an app for that. [Seriously](http://www.charmin.com/find-public-restrooms.aspx) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-do-you-use-the-bathroom-if-you-are-in-town-in-a-large-city/670462.md?page=3)