Public toilets

I'm a huge fan of McDonalds and am always looking out for the golden arches - I hardly ever eat there (though their coffee's pretty good), but have used their toilets in many parts of the world. In some countries they have installed toilet attendants, kittylester, so you pay as you go in. Some are very fearsome, particularly in Eastern Europe - DH was chased up the stairs by one who thought (wrongly) that he hadn't paid

greatbritishpublictoiletmap.rca.ac.uk/

I hadn't heard the expression 'key in the door' to describe this. My doctor called it 'stress incontinence'. My mother taught us to go to a hotel to use the toilets if one was available as they were usually clean and well looked after. I still follow that advice. I also nip into bars, stores etc. I don't feel guilty about it as we usually spend money in those places anyway over the course of a year.
One very good tip I got from the medics which I use to this day to strengthen the bladder muscles is this:
I was advised that every time you go for a wee, once you are on the loo, tighten your bladder muscles and count to 5 before you allow your bladder to go. Then increase it gradually to 10, 15, 20 etc as the muscle gets stronger. As you are already on the loo it doesn't matter if you don't last the full initial 5. You will eventually recondition your bladder to obey you. Be advised though, it doesn't happen overnight and can takes months to retrain but you do get improvements.
You can also get plastic, removable inserts a bit like a tampon to make you tighten the muscles by holding them in as you go about your housework etc. They do advise not using them outside until you have reached a certain stage. Your doctor could tell you if they still prescribe these.

Never heard of 'key in the door' syndrome but it does happen to me too at times - and I'm relieved to know it's a common occurrence.
At least it's easy to ask when you speak the lingo...
On one memorable holiday in France we stopped in a small town because I needed the loo. The public toilets were the hole-in-the-ground type, stinking and swarming with flies and made me retch - no way could I use them, desperate or not. Almost in tears and having searched elsewhere, I asked at a nearby hotel and was told brusquely 'NON!' even though they must have seen my distress. I finally found another hotel where I was treated kindly and shown beautifully clean toilets to use - I was so grateful I thanked the receptionist profusely in my rubbish French and explained I'd been turned away from another place.
I didn't find it easy to locate public loos in France - it's my main worry whenever we go abroad anywhere, but in Italy, for some reason, it was far easier and people seemed more accommodating.

Years ago, when I was a child, my mother bought me a copy of The Good Loo Guide. I loved that book.Henceforward we always graded public toilets in 'stars'. Wonder whether it's still in print?

In Kendal near where I live, they have removed the charge box, no longer need to pay which is marvellous not having to always make sure 20p was available, there are lots of toilets in cafees, larger stores etc, I am at the stage in life when I always check as soon as I get to a place, Towns etc. where the loos are, then if the "key in the door" syndrome sets in, there is no panic.

My husband had one of those cards, harrigran. He didn't often use it, but they do work. Nobody said no.

I'm absolutely brazen, and will walk into any pub or restaurant, (have to be really desperate to enter McDonald's) and go straight for the loos.
Occasionally, staff members have told me on my way out that the toilets are for customers only, but it's too late when I've already 'been'

The last time we were in York we were shocked to find the main toilets were no more. We used the nearby M&S ones but that is just not fair to the store. Needless to say everyone else had the same idea and the queue was enormous.

There used to be those 'underground' public loos, down a flight of steps, Victorian mainly and very well kept.A penny for the loo and sixpence for a 'wash and brush up'.

I remember that when I was young it always cost a penny to use public lavatories. I don't know when this practice ended but surely 20pence would be a reasonable amount in order to keep more public toilets open. I am now disabled and have a Radar key to use disabled ones. One I use in the car park was not locked but was used by drug takers and on one occasion I was nearly knocked over by a lad on a bike coming out. I wrote to the council and they then put a Radar lock on it. That "key in the door" syndrome happens to me when I get off my scooter to use the loo.

ggmarion - I witnessed something similar in Cornwall a few years ago. I was desperate for a wee so we stopped at a petrol station on a rather quiet country road,that indicated that it had a public toilet. We didn't even buy petrol,I just went in and asked to use the loo and the man behind the counter was charm itself. The toilet was spotlessly clean,and even had a vase of fresh flowers. I can honestly say it was the cleanest,nicest public loo I had ever seen. Pity there aren't more like that.

Apparently MacDonald's loos are popular with homeless people who want to have a wash.

Lots of us would probably be happy to pay quite an extortionate fee (say 20p) to use MacDonald's (or any other place for that matter)loos when we can't find an alternative so really they are missing a trick.

local community hub/library used by all 1 on each floor lift between ,plus free news papers. high st location .Open 9am 5am mon/fri sat am .Mac Donald's usually has one.

Here in Scotland a lot of the public toilets have an attendant who takes great pride in her 'establishment', often having fresh flowers beside the wash basin. O.K., we have to pay for it (20p) but it makes such a difference to have clean toilets that are checked every time they have been used.

We had 4 lots of public toilets in our town, 2 were sold off,and are now Italian restaurants.They had lovely settings as they were on the edge of parks so the buyers kept the original building and changed the insides only ( obviously). The other one is in our town centre and down very steep steps not suitable for the elderly or mums worth pushchairs and the other one is only open set times of the day due to the wrong sort of people hanging out in them.

I understood a lot of public toilets went when government (or was it EU) rulings said a disabled toilet had to be included. Either there was no space, or it was prohibitively expensive, so the public loo was closed.

Vandalism and wrong use of toilets for drug dealing etc. has also closed facilities which is really sad. Like others on this list I dive into a coffee shop or restaurant/pub to use theirs, but still get caught at times as I've been left with a cystocele following pelvic floor surgery which cannot be corrected (just lived with and endured).

So relieved (!) to find 'key in the door' is a recognised medical condition!! It happens to me so often and until I get to the door, my bladder doesn't even send urgent messages, but, fumbling for my keys** and turning the lock...disaster!!
**before anyone suoggests I get the keys out in advance of reaching the door, in my own defence I have to state that I walk with 2 crutches and so can't 'multi-task' whilst walking and have to stand still to get the keys!!

I've just read about the "key in the door syndrome" and realise I have that. If I'm pottering about in the garden and need the loo I might think I'll go in a few minutes. As soon as I come in the house the urgency hits me and I barely make the bathroom. I didn't know this was common and I'm so glad to realise I'm not unusual!

Last year I took my three year granddaughter to the seaside. We went into an ice cream parlour and ordered an ice cream each. We had just sat down when she announced she needed to go to the toilet. I asked the manager where the toilet was, and he said they didn't have one! He sent us across a busy road to the town hall. We had to leave our ice creams melting at the table. I don't know how my granddaughter held on, as it took about 10 minutes to get across the road and find the toilets in the town hall. I was really cross as the cafe must have had toilets for their staff. I won't ever use that cafe again.

Public toilets have already suffered from the trickle down effects of spending cuts. Local authorities are increasingly short of cash and they have priorities they have to meet - safeguarding children, care for the elderly, education etc. Some of you may tell me off for being political - but you have George Osborne to thank when you find a public toilet closed until further notice. Ours are closing here even though it is a tourist area and the toilets have a Mission Statement on them!!
On the subject of "key in the door" urgency this started affecting me lately and very irritating it is too. GP suggested giving up caffeine but I don't know whether it has helped much.
Two things that do help - one is to train yourself out of that urgent feeling. You get to the door, you KNOW your bladder was fine 5 minutes ago. Just sit down on the stairs and relax until the feeling passes off. Distract yourself. The more you dash to the loo, the stronger the conditioned response becomes. The other thing is to work, work, work on those pelvic floor exercises so that you can hold it in. I used to be an antenatal teacher - but it is hard to remember to keep at 'em day in day out for the whole of your life. Try to "isolate" the front part of your pelvic floor when you tighten - imagine you are pulling the muscles upwards towards the pubic bone. Keep trying and visualising and soon you will start to feel it happening.

This is a very common problem, and though I always try and remember to go before leaving the house, inevitably I (or OH) may need to use a loo when out. I have become quite blase about going into a cafe/Macdonalds and going straight to the loo.If challenged, I would say that I will be buying something after using the loo. If I change my mind, there's not a they can do about it! Shops are often not allowed to let customers use staff toilets for 'Elf % Safety' reasons eg a customer might fall down stairs/ injure themselves somehow whilst doing so, which is understandable. I know there are various devices eg Shewee (SP?) which are available, and might look into buying one.

I went to a retail park recently and had to leave earlier than I would have done because none of the shops seemed to have toilets. My local Homebase has removed its customers toilet. It must be annoying if people just pop in to use it and then leave but they could put it at the back at the store with a notice at the front that they have one.
They seem to think that they it is a major favour and inconvenience to provide one but it seems a bit short sighted to me.
I've only recently realised that a Sainsburys I use often has one at the back and round a corner leading to the stock rooms where customers wouldn't normally go.
Vandalism of council loos in my area is pretty bad (in one instance I think the person doing it must have mental health problems because it is really disgusting) so I can see that there is a real expense in keeping them usable but just closing them all shouldn't be the answer.

I had that problem today while travelling. Stopped in a smallish town, found a public toilet that was locked up for the night (at 8pm ish). So followed a sign to Sports Centre, breezed in past the reception desk and used the loo in the changing room.
(No idea if I was meant to pay to get in or not.)

nina, I haven't had to use the card yet as I am not really well enough to be out of the house for lengthy periods. I was hoping that people will be kind and recognise that sometimes you just can not wait.