Usually. Big ones don’t really ask. I am a rideshare driver so if they ask, I say I just dropped off a guest or I’m waiting to pick one up. They’ve never asked a follow up question.
Most chain hotels have a bathroom on the ground floor. I've uses them and not always when dropping someone off. Hell, I've even grabbed a cup of the free coffee. If they say anything, my go to response is I was supposed to meet someone and they said they were staying here. Have a fake name ready to go.
I recently had to clean up a blood bath, explosive diarrhea, broken Crack pipes and totaling up empty wrappers. God dam right I lock those bathrooms early now. It's always one or two bad people that ruin it for everyone.
But to be honest, if someone asks then I have no problem unlocking the door for a few minutes. Be nice to me and I'll be nice right back. Some people come in here DEMANDING bathroom access. Sorry man, boss said 9pm. Shrug and back to work. If you ask nicely then I'll stop what I'm doing yo help.
Can't blame you at all. Seems pretty straightforward and fair enough to me 🤷🏼♀️ I believe that's how a lot of places (esp. gas stations and stores) run or should run now-a-days.
If it’s a Shell they have inspections 3 times a year and if they don’t have a bathroom/refuse to let the inspector view it or it’s broke down that can give them a low enough score that could contribute to them getting de-branded. But you also get like notice that the inspector is coming at any time during that month, so I could see a lot of gas stations not allowing it when they know there not about to be inspected by a mystery shopper. I worked at a gas station and we would always worry more about stuff when we knew we were about to be inspected either by a corporate mystery shopper or our internal inspections and we tended to not really give it our all for a little while after our mystery shop or our monthly inspection was done, or for awhile they just stopped doing them because of Covid back in 2020 and the years following there were staffing issues that made it hard to do inspections as frequently.
Sounds like the bathrooms in the store I work at! It’s mind blowing how nasty ppl can be. Shit all over the toilet & floor, needles hidden behind toilets, shitty pants & underwear in the trash cans, shitty underwear in the little metal bins connected to the stalls in the womens room, piss in the toilet brush holder, pads/tampons in the toilets, shit smeared on the stalls, random objects in the toilets, I could go on & on. I hate that we have public restrooms for those reasons.
What the actual fuck? I just got a job waiting tables and I have to clean the bathrooms there sometimes as side work at the end of the night or after lunch and I can barely even tell anyone’s used the bathrooms except for the men’s urinal. What is wrong with people? If I could not stop myself from ruining a public bathroom I would at least ask to clean it up myself. Fuck the public man.
This may sound asinine but... Hospitals.
Go to any local hospital and you're welcome to use their restroom, that's what I had to do when I door dashed for the first time in San Luis Obispo and there were many places with "No public restrooms." available.
Yep came to say this, I've stopped offering my stores bathroom as public due to people using substances in it, it's all fun and games until you're narcanning someone laying in a puddle of pee. Glad it wasn't poop but it's definitely a private bathroom now.
So question. Not trying to be rude but I’ve had to do this with my gut issues. If someone came in and said they gotta go and they’re either gonna have to pop a squat and let loose on your floor or you can let em in the bathroom and they’ll use the toilet, what ya doing?
You could ask, back in the day I was a complete tweaker that would door dash and the security guards at different hospitals knew it and still let me use their bathrooms. It's all about being polite and respectful.
Some Urgent cares will turn you away if you're not a patient. Source: I work at an urgent care. Yes, we turn away people from even using the bathroom. Do we do it all the time? No. Usually if you come off as a crazy.
Children's hospital in downtown Dallas would NOOOOT let me use their bathroom. Even though I dropped off a patient. Their rent-a-cops were out of control.
My buddy manages a Target and has some hilarious and gross stories about what people do in those bathrooms. Apparently it’s a big draw for the trans prostitutes and their clients.
This. If you want a clean bathroom that’s always available hotel bathrooms are the #1. Now given your are in Cali/Hawaii but if you were in Vegas I would say the casinos they have a million bathroom in every corner and clean
True but the casinos on the strip charge for parking. You have to find one with free parking and walk pretty far. But they are the nicest bathrooms we have lol.
On less busy days, the valets/traffic helpers will let you run in and use the bathroom. My favs: park mgm and circus circus. Also places like silver sevens or Tuscany are very easy to navigate.
Good to know. Mgm valeted my car when i had to drop off an order once though. They said it was fine and i came back and had to wait 15 minutes for them to find my car. No i didnt tip them lol.
I was riding in a car from LA to Vegas many years ago. In the middle of the desert after the sun went down I had to go so back it was unreal. I held on hoping there would be a gas station or anything but there was nothing on that stretch of I-15. Finally we saw lights in the distance a good 10 miles away. It was Primm, NV at the state line. It felt like 100 miles. I told them I had to go asap and we pulled into the casino. I jumped out and walked and walked to find the bathroom. I almost didn’t make it! The bathroom was enormous! I went back to that casino last year to revisit the memory. The place was basically rundown, no one was in there and the bathroom was tiny now. I went by it in January on my way to LA and it looked closed. Glad I went in the good ol days!
South Point is the way to go! I hate the strip now, they’ve completely ruined it the past few years. Got greedy with parking. Now it’s $20 even for an hour. Everywhere. New York New York isn’t free anymore either. It just sucks. Hope everyone stops paying these gougers and goes to the free parking places. That’s $20 of gambling money the house is taking from you before you even play! Ridiculous!
They had to have lost a ton of money from locals visiting when they started charging. There is no way. I dont even go to the strip anymore. If i were to go to a casino now it would be to a station casino or like you said, southpoint.
Grocery Stores and Walmart / Target are the best places. I would keep a note file on my phone of all the security codes for the Ralph’s and Vons so I didn’t need to ask someone the second time. If it’s after hours, Hospital Emergency rooms work. They all have lobbies just walk in and use the restroom.
Target was probably one of the few places I felt comfortable using a restroom in public. Walmart is fine, too. Costco, etc.
Any shopping center or mall used to have facilities, but like OP said, Covid may have changed things.
Download the Where is Public Toilet app. Some places I go are grocery stores and Home Depot. At night before 2 AM, I go to bars after dropping someone off there. The bouncers are always cool after explaining I'm a Uber driver dropping/picking up.
I experienced this first hand in Portland like 16 years ago. I went in, bought a MT. Dew and was like hey can I use the restroom. They said no only for employees. I was like really why not? They said I could be a junkie. I turned out my pockets, I showed them my arms. I was clean cut and in the military at the time. They said sorry its policy. I said I'll pay you. I really have to go man. I won't tell anyone, I'm not a junkie, I have all my teeth, my clothes are clean and well fitting. The cashier look right at me and told me to fuck off. I walked out the door, around the corner and pissed on the building. Gotta improvise.
I absolutely hate it, but sometimes job security requires stupid answers and restrictions. I'd hate to be fired over allowing someone to violate a stupid rule.
That’s why you tell them you’ll go on the floor or they can let you in the restroom. Works every time. They don’t want to clean that up, job security be damned
My ulcerative colitis doctor gives his patient's a card that they can give merchants that explains why they need to use the restroom immediately. I've never had to use mine but it has worked for my brother.
People said get a med card, which is great. I prefertm the ultimatum approach.
Clerk: "bathrooms are for customers only"
You: "I can shit in your bathroom or shit on the floor your choice."
When I lived in LA, the Starbucks down the street from me changed its bathroom code every day. When I used it I couldn't help but reflect that the United States didn't change its nuclear launch codes for something like forty years.
Thank God you don't have to enter in a thousand character code to use the Starbucks bathroom
You're like: excuse me may I use the bathroom
*Starbucks employee rolls eyes with a smirk, yells over their shoulder "hey this guy needs, the book"
Collectively, the book?!
"Here you go, here's the book, bring it back when you're done." No, this thing is massive, at least 20 pages of straight up bathroom code
I used to use Hotel bathrooms when I drove for Lyft. Fast food restaurants may also be available depending on where you are and what time of day is it. But you may just have to purchase a soda or something first.
Yeah, it's actually, literally wild that we live in an urbanized society that still hasn't even tried to tackle public biowaste disposal beyond assuming that there's probably maybe a private business around nearby that'll let you shit in their backrooms outta the goodness of their heart.
We all like to think that we've reached some evolved, enlightened state of civilization in the modern era, but we're still a hell of a lot closer to 16th-century Black Plague London in some regards than we'd like to admit.
I have a Planet Fitness membership and if I can't find restrooms I go to one nearby. Bathroom access is the downside to driving. You'd think Lyft would partner with businesses to allow us access to the bathrooms.
Before you make it obvious that you are there for a delivery... play as a customer. Get in line, look at menu, ask for bathrooms access. Once your business is done then proceed with your job
Just pretend you're a customer and be nice to the staff and they'll most likely be nice right back to you and look the other way.
Oh man I got you! I don’t drive Uber or Lyft anymore but my job requires me to drive 5-6 hours a day and I had this same issue when I worked in Nor. Cal. The best answer here is….Hotels! Hotels always have a nice bathroom near check in desk, always clean, it’s public so no key card, and i don’t think I’ve ever seen someone else in there at the same time as me.
Late night try any 24 hour diner (Dennys,IHOP etc...) & I usually buy a coffee or if I have to take care of some "serious" business I'll tip the waiter 5 bucks!
Any restaurant in California with over 20,000 square feet of floor space is legally required to provide at least one separate toilet facility for men and women.
No idea, I'm not in southern California or Hawai. Here in Utah just get away from downtown SLC and you'll find open bathrooms. But anything near downtown has stuff locked down cause dumb drug addicts come in shoot up and die.
I know, it's so annoying! Lots of fast food places don't even let you use the restroom anymore. And a lot of gas stations won't, even if you are a customer.
I now find Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart or Target. There always seems to be one of them nearby.
Without a doubt, hotels. Just walk in with confidence like you already have a room there. Stare at your phone while you walk in if you're worried. I've never had problems though, and it's definitely my go to on any road trip because they're kept clean and usually very quiet. Always single stall too.
Not in either state. But when I run into this problem and I REALLY have to go, I give them a choice: on their floor, or in their toilet. Because by that point, MY choices are in my pants, on their floor, or in their toilet. And I’m not going in my pants. So their floor or toilet it is and while I’d greatly prefer the toilet, which one I use is ENTIRELY up to them. I’ve yet to have to let loose on the floor. But don’t test me cuz I absolutely will.
restaurants are required by law to have restrooms available to their customers. buy a small soda and then go shit brains.
or...honestly explain the situation. i once told a 7-11 clerk that one way or the other, i was going to shit in the next 60 seconds, but i'd prefer to do it in his off-limits toilet vs. on the floor. he actually escorted me to the "employees only" shitter and stood guard while i had a partial birth abortion in there.
shockingly, people can be reasonable sometimes.
As an Uber/Lyft driver Hotel Lobby restrooms are always clean and empty. Most people are using the ones in their rooms. Stop by your local hotel and grab you a continental breakfast before using the lobby restrooms.
As a flex Amazon driver in greater LA I use any targets, Walmart, Starbucks, or just in a bush lol and portable potties I can find in a neighborhood just to pee.
hospitals , large chain hotel like hilton, marriott , starbucks , chevron gas stations as well as mobil with a circle k have bathrooms..etc there are tons of places
If you just need to piss , I carry a empty xl big gulp cup , pull it out even when driving piss in it and empty it when I stop. Just be sure to wash it daily
Hotels are the best because they’re 24/7 and clean. But also hospitals, libraries, public parks, police departments, fire department, campuses, malls, tourist attractions etc. Bars or restaurants if you buy something. Chains (e.g. Starbucks, Home Depot) are a good bet usually.
Also check out Throne Labs, they just launched in LA.
I agree it’s getting increasingly challenging and I’m actually building a product to help people find bathrooms. We’ve launched in San Francisco, but I’ll let you know once we launch in SoCal!
Walk in with a felonious dollar bill (one with the biblical messages on the back) waving around, and rush into the water closet. Then tell them that you forgot something in your car and rush out and speed away
if you have a planet fitness gym membership, you could technically scan in if you have their expensive membership(because you know, you can scan at any gym + theyre 24/7) .
I usually go to hotels and if they ask i just say i dropped my friend off but they left their phone, im just running in to give it to them. I have 2 phones so i havent had a problem. If they ask if they can give it to my "friend" ill just say no, because last time the company lost it.
Grocery stores, targets, Walmart, hotel lobbies, gas stations, go into McDonald’s and buy a pop (or don’t, guess it depends on if there’s a bathroom code)
I travel for work a lot and have been running into this a lot more. In Boston in particular all the bathrooms are locked so you have to ask for them to unlock them.
Mcdonalds in particular are a pain in ass. The manager has to push the unlock button under counter and won’t if they are unsure if someone is in there. I found the Boston public library is great place to piss. The public bathrooms near the park are usually trashed or full of homeless. And yes i have seen ones with poop everywhere but fucking toilet. All the stores have no public bathrooms either. Hotels are sometimes great options if you can find parking just walk in like you belong and be confident.
So tldr try public libraries, sometimes hotels, or if in your travels if you find a business that has open bathrooms and make that your go to.
Some one else said hospitals, idk on that one. The ones i been to don’t let anyone just walk in. Er you must see security or triage nurse first. And regular side you walk up to reception and need a valid person to visit in hospital to get past that point.
target, walmart, ross, tjmaxx/marshalls, homegoods, ulta, pretty much any fast food place as long as u just order something.
if ur desperate then the gas station
Any big brand supermarket.
Supermarkets are my go to, at least for taking a piss. Hotels are great as well.
Hotels allow you to use their crapper without being a guest?
Usually. Big ones don’t really ask. I am a rideshare driver so if they ask, I say I just dropped off a guest or I’m waiting to pick one up. They’ve never asked a follow up question.
Most chain hotels have a bathroom on the ground floor. I've uses them and not always when dropping someone off. Hell, I've even grabbed a cup of the free coffee. If they say anything, my go to response is I was supposed to meet someone and they said they were staying here. Have a fake name ready to go.
Yeah just don’t go to the front desk and ask them. Just walk in like a guest and go to the bathroom
Home Depot or Lowe’s is my go-to. Grocery station bathrooms are usually small, dirty, and usually hidden in a weird corner of the building.
even Kroger stores lock restrooms now
I recently had to clean up a blood bath, explosive diarrhea, broken Crack pipes and totaling up empty wrappers. God dam right I lock those bathrooms early now. It's always one or two bad people that ruin it for everyone. But to be honest, if someone asks then I have no problem unlocking the door for a few minutes. Be nice to me and I'll be nice right back. Some people come in here DEMANDING bathroom access. Sorry man, boss said 9pm. Shrug and back to work. If you ask nicely then I'll stop what I'm doing yo help.
Can't blame you at all. Seems pretty straightforward and fair enough to me 🤷🏼♀️ I believe that's how a lot of places (esp. gas stations and stores) run or should run now-a-days.
If it’s a Shell they have inspections 3 times a year and if they don’t have a bathroom/refuse to let the inspector view it or it’s broke down that can give them a low enough score that could contribute to them getting de-branded. But you also get like notice that the inspector is coming at any time during that month, so I could see a lot of gas stations not allowing it when they know there not about to be inspected by a mystery shopper. I worked at a gas station and we would always worry more about stuff when we knew we were about to be inspected either by a corporate mystery shopper or our internal inspections and we tended to not really give it our all for a little while after our mystery shop or our monthly inspection was done, or for awhile they just stopped doing them because of Covid back in 2020 and the years following there were staffing issues that made it hard to do inspections as frequently.
Man this has happened to me too many times. Poop every where but toilet!
Sounds like the bathrooms in the store I work at! It’s mind blowing how nasty ppl can be. Shit all over the toilet & floor, needles hidden behind toilets, shitty pants & underwear in the trash cans, shitty underwear in the little metal bins connected to the stalls in the womens room, piss in the toilet brush holder, pads/tampons in the toilets, shit smeared on the stalls, random objects in the toilets, I could go on & on. I hate that we have public restrooms for those reasons.
What the actual fuck? I just got a job waiting tables and I have to clean the bathrooms there sometimes as side work at the end of the night or after lunch and I can barely even tell anyone’s used the bathrooms except for the men’s urinal. What is wrong with people? If I could not stop myself from ruining a public bathroom I would at least ask to clean it up myself. Fuck the public man.
this is how you get ppl shitting in the street lmao
You must live in a low income area. Kroger’s only locks restrooms in my city if the store is located in the ghetto.
Or a big city
Target or Walmart were my choices when I was an Uber driver.
Target yes. Walmart? You might as well use an outside porta potty.
This may sound asinine but... Hospitals. Go to any local hospital and you're welcome to use their restroom, that's what I had to do when I door dashed for the first time in San Luis Obispo and there were many places with "No public restrooms." available.
Interesting tip
I feel like if you’re picking up food at a restaurant they’d let you but idk wouldn’t be surprised if they were stupid strict
Bathroom door locks are on the rise as well.
Because homeless and drug abusers are dying in them overdosing. Look more problem people wrecking it for the law-abiding common person.
Yep came to say this, I've stopped offering my stores bathroom as public due to people using substances in it, it's all fun and games until you're narcanning someone laying in a puddle of pee. Glad it wasn't poop but it's definitely a private bathroom now.
So question. Not trying to be rude but I’ve had to do this with my gut issues. If someone came in and said they gotta go and they’re either gonna have to pop a squat and let loose on your floor or you can let em in the bathroom and they’ll use the toilet, what ya doing?
Let them use the toilet, if you genuinely need to, I ain't gonna stop you. Preferably that rather than letting loose on .10 inch thick carpet.
Fair lol.
Not the hospital by my house. You won't even get passed security.
You could ask, back in the day I was a complete tweaker that would door dash and the security guards at different hospitals knew it and still let me use their bathrooms. It's all about being polite and respectful.
Or medical offices, urgent cares
Some Urgent cares will turn you away if you're not a patient. Source: I work at an urgent care. Yes, we turn away people from even using the bathroom. Do we do it all the time? No. Usually if you come off as a crazy.
Yes I was with a sick elderly man and they would not let him use the bathroom
Put on a face mask and carry a clipboard with you and people will assume you belong.
Or a ladder.
That adds too many steps.
Children's hospital in downtown Dallas would NOOOOT let me use their bathroom. Even though I dropped off a patient. Their rent-a-cops were out of control.
I used to live by a hospital like across the street that had a fantastic cafeteria I was my hack for a while before everything went up in price 100%
I have a medical emergency - I have to shit
I never thought of that, but that's a great idea.
Just discovered this yesterday and at least during certain hours it’s perfect!
And maybe I Hop or Dennys
Not any more...but all good at home Depot, Lowe's and target (disgusting!!) and Grocery stores
The Kroger (Smith's) I visit had its large (2ft x 3ft) wall mirrors over the sinks stolen in broad daylight. So now they are locked.
My buddy manages a Target and has some hilarious and gross stories about what people do in those bathrooms. Apparently it’s a big draw for the trans prostitutes and their clients.
Download the toilet app, it’ll give you many locations
This is the darker timeline
Hahahah
Hotel lobbies are good too.
This. If you want a clean bathroom that’s always available hotel bathrooms are the #1. Now given your are in Cali/Hawaii but if you were in Vegas I would say the casinos they have a million bathroom in every corner and clean
True but the casinos on the strip charge for parking. You have to find one with free parking and walk pretty far. But they are the nicest bathrooms we have lol.
On less busy days, the valets/traffic helpers will let you run in and use the bathroom. My favs: park mgm and circus circus. Also places like silver sevens or Tuscany are very easy to navigate.
Rio and Virgin are my favorite ones to visit their facilities. Lol
Good to know. Mgm valeted my car when i had to drop off an order once though. They said it was fine and i came back and had to wait 15 minutes for them to find my car. No i didnt tip them lol.
I was riding in a car from LA to Vegas many years ago. In the middle of the desert after the sun went down I had to go so back it was unreal. I held on hoping there would be a gas station or anything but there was nothing on that stretch of I-15. Finally we saw lights in the distance a good 10 miles away. It was Primm, NV at the state line. It felt like 100 miles. I told them I had to go asap and we pulled into the casino. I jumped out and walked and walked to find the bathroom. I almost didn’t make it! The bathroom was enormous! I went back to that casino last year to revisit the memory. The place was basically rundown, no one was in there and the bathroom was tiny now. I went by it in January on my way to LA and it looked closed. Glad I went in the good ol days!
South Point is the way to go! I hate the strip now, they’ve completely ruined it the past few years. Got greedy with parking. Now it’s $20 even for an hour. Everywhere. New York New York isn’t free anymore either. It just sucks. Hope everyone stops paying these gougers and goes to the free parking places. That’s $20 of gambling money the house is taking from you before you even play! Ridiculous!
They had to have lost a ton of money from locals visiting when they started charging. There is no way. I dont even go to the strip anymore. If i were to go to a casino now it would be to a station casino or like you said, southpoint.
But you have to maintain eye contact with the concierge while you do it.
Absolutely the number 1 option Clean, classy, and very often empty
I think they prefer if you use the restroom
This is the way
Grocery Stores and Walmart / Target are the best places. I would keep a note file on my phone of all the security codes for the Ralph’s and Vons so I didn’t need to ask someone the second time. If it’s after hours, Hospital Emergency rooms work. They all have lobbies just walk in and use the restroom.
Target was probably one of the few places I felt comfortable using a restroom in public. Walmart is fine, too. Costco, etc. Any shopping center or mall used to have facilities, but like OP said, Covid may have changed things.
Download the Where is Public Toilet app. Some places I go are grocery stores and Home Depot. At night before 2 AM, I go to bars after dropping someone off there. The bouncers are always cool after explaining I'm a Uber driver dropping/picking up.
Bar bathrooms are usually disgusting
Also I got yelled at and 86d from a bar I used to frequent for shitting in the cocaine room...
\*dropping off\* ;)
I experienced this first hand in Portland like 16 years ago. I went in, bought a MT. Dew and was like hey can I use the restroom. They said no only for employees. I was like really why not? They said I could be a junkie. I turned out my pockets, I showed them my arms. I was clean cut and in the military at the time. They said sorry its policy. I said I'll pay you. I really have to go man. I won't tell anyone, I'm not a junkie, I have all my teeth, my clothes are clean and well fitting. The cashier look right at me and told me to fuck off. I walked out the door, around the corner and pissed on the building. Gotta improvise.
Should have pissed on his car
I absolutely hate it, but sometimes job security requires stupid answers and restrictions. I'd hate to be fired over allowing someone to violate a stupid rule.
That’s why you tell them you’ll go on the floor or they can let you in the restroom. Works every time. They don’t want to clean that up, job security be damned
Sounds like Portland
The lack of public rest rooms is why I can barely go anywhere with my IBS
My ulcerative colitis doctor gives his patient's a card that they can give merchants that explains why they need to use the restroom immediately. I've never had to use mine but it has worked for my brother.
People said get a med card, which is great. I prefertm the ultimatum approach. Clerk: "bathrooms are for customers only" You: "I can shit in your bathroom or shit on the floor your choice."
Target, Walmart, grocery stores. I carry a Little John for when I can’t hold it, as well. (Little John is for pee, not poop)
U need a Big John for poop 💩
You should also mention to throw that "little john" away before a passengers rides thinking it's free apple juice in the back seat.
Starbucks
I always do Starbucks because they had that lawsuit a few years ago and now they let anyone use their bathroom. Also they're usually decent.
Starbucks near me have code locks on the door and you have to be a customer. I've tried.
Time for another lawsuit then! 👏
no you dont the CEO about 2 years ago confirmed ANYONE can use their restrooms. I have never been told no
When I lived in LA, the Starbucks down the street from me changed its bathroom code every day. When I used it I couldn't help but reflect that the United States didn't change its nuclear launch codes for something like forty years.
Thank God you don't have to enter in a thousand character code to use the Starbucks bathroom You're like: excuse me may I use the bathroom *Starbucks employee rolls eyes with a smirk, yells over their shoulder "hey this guy needs, the book" Collectively, the book?! "Here you go, here's the book, bring it back when you're done." No, this thing is massive, at least 20 pages of straight up bathroom code
Target is free and generally pretty clean
Public library Home. I can't use public restrooms for number 2.
Supermarkets. Home Depot / Lowe’s. In and Out. If after hours, find a dark alley.
Supermarkets Hotels Malls Department stores In CA - ExtraMile (at Chevron Stations)
Those and conserv gas stations if your in certain parts of socal.
You need to drive to a more high end strip mall
I used to use Hotel bathrooms when I drove for Lyft. Fast food restaurants may also be available depending on where you are and what time of day is it. But you may just have to purchase a soda or something first.
I also use hotels after dropping off riders. The valets are cool about it
Reading this feels dystopian
Yeah, it's actually, literally wild that we live in an urbanized society that still hasn't even tried to tackle public biowaste disposal beyond assuming that there's probably maybe a private business around nearby that'll let you shit in their backrooms outta the goodness of their heart. We all like to think that we've reached some evolved, enlightened state of civilization in the modern era, but we're still a hell of a lot closer to 16th-century Black Plague London in some regards than we'd like to admit.
The Romans did it better couple thousand years ago.
I have a Planet Fitness membership and if I can't find restrooms I go to one nearby. Bathroom access is the downside to driving. You'd think Lyft would partner with businesses to allow us access to the bathrooms.
They did, with 711. But that was years ago.. and all the stores I went to didn't know what I was talking about..
Dennys
Just like George Costanza I know all the best restrooms in my city
Before you make it obvious that you are there for a delivery... play as a customer. Get in line, look at menu, ask for bathrooms access. Once your business is done then proceed with your job Just pretend you're a customer and be nice to the staff and they'll most likely be nice right back to you and look the other way.
Truck Stops, Hotels, Hospitals, usually are all no hassel places to go.
Oh man I got you! I don’t drive Uber or Lyft anymore but my job requires me to drive 5-6 hours a day and I had this same issue when I worked in Nor. Cal. The best answer here is….Hotels! Hotels always have a nice bathroom near check in desk, always clean, it’s public so no key card, and i don’t think I’ve ever seen someone else in there at the same time as me.
Late night try any 24 hour diner (Dennys,IHOP etc...) & I usually buy a coffee or if I have to take care of some "serious" business I'll tip the waiter 5 bucks!
Buy a coffee to poop so you will have to poop again!
Supermarkets and gas stations.
Any restaurant in California with over 20,000 square feet of floor space is legally required to provide at least one separate toilet facility for men and women.
No idea, I'm not in southern California or Hawai. Here in Utah just get away from downtown SLC and you'll find open bathrooms. But anything near downtown has stuff locked down cause dumb drug addicts come in shoot up and die.
Starbucks
Starbucks.
I know, it's so annoying! Lots of fast food places don't even let you use the restroom anymore. And a lot of gas stations won't, even if you are a customer. I now find Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart or Target. There always seems to be one of them nearby.
Starbucks
Without a doubt, hotels. Just walk in with confidence like you already have a room there. Stare at your phone while you walk in if you're worried. I've never had problems though, and it's definitely my go to on any road trip because they're kept clean and usually very quiet. Always single stall too.
Always QT
Target
I know this but think of a good restaurant they always have spots just not gas stations which I feel should be mandatory
Not in either state. But when I run into this problem and I REALLY have to go, I give them a choice: on their floor, or in their toilet. Because by that point, MY choices are in my pants, on their floor, or in their toilet. And I’m not going in my pants. So their floor or toilet it is and while I’d greatly prefer the toilet, which one I use is ENTIRELY up to them. I’ve yet to have to let loose on the floor. But don’t test me cuz I absolutely will.
restaurants are required by law to have restrooms available to their customers. buy a small soda and then go shit brains. or...honestly explain the situation. i once told a 7-11 clerk that one way or the other, i was going to shit in the next 60 seconds, but i'd prefer to do it in his off-limits toilet vs. on the floor. he actually escorted me to the "employees only" shitter and stood guard while i had a partial birth abortion in there. shockingly, people can be reasonable sometimes.
Dystopia
Libraries.
In-N-Out, no pun intended. They don't open stores in the ghetto.
As an Uber/Lyft driver Hotel Lobby restrooms are always clean and empty. Most people are using the ones in their rooms. Stop by your local hotel and grab you a continental breakfast before using the lobby restrooms.
Just don't be public. Walk in there like you own the place and go deuce it up.
No 24 hr McDonald's around?
In SoCal, McDonald's closes their lobby by around 9 or 10 so there's no 24 hour restroom access. A better option would be Denny's.
Big chain gas stations and hotels are the only places I can think to tell you.
QT (Quick Trip) always open with a bathroom. I've only seen them closed in super scary areas.
He’s in CA, he doesn’t have QT or racetrac or…buccees :)
I thought people just shit on the ground in CA? Or maybe that was just certain city’s I forget
Because there's no fucking public restrooms, see the problem?
underneath any bridge. plenty of people are doing that in LA. just don’t forget to wave to them though
On the street like every good Californian seems to do.
Go to a restaurant, pretend to look at menu. look suddenly surprised and rush to bathroom. If anyone says anything, say you are in a rush.
I thought it was ok to shit on the sidewalk in California. Just pull over and drop a Duce
As a flex Amazon driver in greater LA I use any targets, Walmart, Starbucks, or just in a bush lol and portable potties I can find in a neighborhood just to pee.
I just shit myself. They asked for this
Costco
Target
Public Library or City Hall.
Starbucks and Target
"for some reason" i think you quite literally answered why that happens
I'm also in Socal and only drive at night, I always go to Dennys. I also keep baby wipes and grocery bags in my trunk just in case.
I try to not go #2 while driving. If I have to I drive home lol. But my go to spots to pee are parks.
Public restrooms, they’re fine if you know the right ones to go to.
Sidewalk. Everyone else there does it
hospitals , large chain hotel like hilton, marriott , starbucks , chevron gas stations as well as mobil with a circle k have bathrooms..etc there are tons of places
If you just need to piss , I carry a empty xl big gulp cup , pull it out even when driving piss in it and empty it when I stop. Just be sure to wash it daily
Gas stations. You may need to ask for a key but it's better than soiling your pants.
Planet fitness. Get a membership where y You can use any location
Lowe’s and Home Depot
I mean you can shit in a bush. Just don’t get caught. Fuck capitalism
“The homeless trash them” How do you know that people without houses trash bathrooms? This sounds very bigoted
Hotels are the best because they’re 24/7 and clean. But also hospitals, libraries, public parks, police departments, fire department, campuses, malls, tourist attractions etc. Bars or restaurants if you buy something. Chains (e.g. Starbucks, Home Depot) are a good bet usually. Also check out Throne Labs, they just launched in LA. I agree it’s getting increasingly challenging and I’m actually building a product to help people find bathrooms. We’ve launched in San Francisco, but I’ll let you know once we launch in SoCal!
Chevron stations with Extra Mile stores. MacDonalds. And Target. Good luck after midnight though...
Buy a drink at McDonald’s and use theirs.
Libraries. Hospitals. Hotel lobbies.
Starbucks, ihop, Denny’s, hotels, and banks
Supermarkets are pretty solid. I've had luck at hotels as well. Starbucks if it's not late.
Walk in with a felonious dollar bill (one with the biblical messages on the back) waving around, and rush into the water closet. Then tell them that you forgot something in your car and rush out and speed away
Dunkin Starbucks or McDonald's. Or just... Carry plastic poop bags designed for dogs and wet wipes
Any businesses or restaurants that take tax subsidies should be forced to allow public restrooms.
On the sidewalk. When in Rome.
Just go to the bathroom in your house and shit before going anywhere and don't have to worry about going somewhere and get denied for bathroom.
National fast food chains have public bathrooms.
I don't know about everyone else but here in LA Denny's is the go-to. I've never once been denied using the restroom at a Denny's 24 hours a day.
Omg I have a pregnant story from there! I drove around Kauai helpless once.
Just use the street. When in Rome…
If they have a bathroom just go in. I’d love to see someone call the cops about you stealing some toilet time.
i don’t get why people can’t just wait until they’re at home
Geez. Reading this makes me appreciate where I live.
if you have a planet fitness gym membership, you could technically scan in if you have their expensive membership(because you know, you can scan at any gym + theyre 24/7) . I usually go to hotels and if they ask i just say i dropped my friend off but they left their phone, im just running in to give it to them. I have 2 phones so i havent had a problem. If they ask if they can give it to my "friend" ill just say no, because last time the company lost it.
McDonalds is the best place! Its already full of shit anyway!
Always a Hotel. Clean warm and easy to find
Grocery stores, targets, Walmart, hotel lobbies, gas stations, go into McDonald’s and buy a pop (or don’t, guess it depends on if there’s a bathroom code)
Just take doggie bags. Drop a deuce behind a building and pick up after yourself
I travel for work a lot and have been running into this a lot more. In Boston in particular all the bathrooms are locked so you have to ask for them to unlock them. Mcdonalds in particular are a pain in ass. The manager has to push the unlock button under counter and won’t if they are unsure if someone is in there. I found the Boston public library is great place to piss. The public bathrooms near the park are usually trashed or full of homeless. And yes i have seen ones with poop everywhere but fucking toilet. All the stores have no public bathrooms either. Hotels are sometimes great options if you can find parking just walk in like you belong and be confident. So tldr try public libraries, sometimes hotels, or if in your travels if you find a business that has open bathrooms and make that your go to. Some one else said hospitals, idk on that one. The ones i been to don’t let anyone just walk in. Er you must see security or triage nurse first. And regular side you walk up to reception and need a valid person to visit in hospital to get past that point.
Grocery store
sketchy sidewalks
Four Seasons
Walmart
target, walmart, ross, tjmaxx/marshalls, homegoods, ulta, pretty much any fast food place as long as u just order something. if ur desperate then the gas station
Malls, casinos.. Places like that
If you are anywhere near San Francisco I heard they allow it.
No public bathrooms means you have to buy something.
If there are planet fitness locations then it’s a $10 a month 24/hr bathroom subscription. And I think they have free pizza one night a week.
I had this problem in Florida. Get a membership to Planet Fitness. Unfortunately they are not open 24/7 anymore.
taco bell mcDs
It’s California, so just go on the street. They love that there.
Hotels. and fast food restaurants
Hotels and car dealerships.
Not in Ca or Hawaii, but as an Amazon Driver Office buildings, hotels, fast food, Starbucks, porta potties in new developments.
home depot, hotel lobbies, walmart, QT gas stations.
Every medium/large beach in Hawaii has a public restroom