Lack of public toilets in towns.

Thank you nicenanny, I have downloaded the app. I always need to know where the toilets are before I go anywhere

Perhaps that is why my small town is thriving, we have a good clean central public toilet and our car parks are also free

I'm on antibiotics at the moment and my IBS is worse than ever .
I have a change of clothes in my trolley when I go out .
I always think "loo" before I plan my journey anywhere !

I live in London and the main train stations all have good free facilities. McDonald’s and any busy pub are also good places to pop into. If shopping, Selfridges have swish toilets, but John Lewis are a bit on the tired side. The best ones I’ve checked out are those at Claridges. A lot of local councils have done away with public toilets due to lack of funding, which says it all about this nation’s priorities.

That’s one thing good about Australia. Toilets in every single town, no matter how small. They are usually spotless,too. Hopefully they don’t start cutting down on that service!

Not just toilets but also seats to sit down. I recently had a knee replacement and just before the op I got to the stage of needing to sit down often as couldn't keep going. I remnember having to ask a book shop owner to find a seat for me just to have ten minutes to rest! Thankfully a lot better now after the op but I am one of the lucky ones who didn't wait too long. RunaroundSue, agree - we need more loos everywhere! Even when there IS a loo, there aren't enough cubicles.

RainbowsAndUnicorns1 I recognise your description of your town - it’s where I live too. The disgusting state of the park toilets is particularly distressing as they are next to a cafe, in a park visited by many families with young children. Provision of public toilets in the Borough is an item on the local Lib Dems agenda and they are urging the Council to publish a list of cafes and other places where toilets can be used without purchasing anything.

I have Ulcerative colitis and frequently need to use the loo urgently. Wetherspoons is my friend as they are in most towns as they are big enough to not notice/ care if I don’t buy a drink. Their facilities are always clean and never have a queue.
Otherwise it is Costa or Nero but their loos are usually fairly grotty. M&S always have a queue.
I also have a radar key for disabled facilities which you can obtain easily on line.

I agree and am so sad to watch the decline of public facilities.
In our town with a population of 20,000
There used to be 2 public toilets. One closed and the other was, for a while, a place to be proud of. There was an attendant and fresh flowers on display.
Now that's closed due to Council cuts.

There are 2 supermarkets which have toilets, a couple of cafés, the public library and sports hall, and probably a pub or 2.

I haven't seen any sign of a community scheme but I will enquire.

Other towns are similar. 😒

18:37RunaroundSue

Your welcome just remember to have small change with you usually about 20p, not a penny anymore 😊

Also a lot of toilets on trains are out of order, which makes travelling more difficult.

Everyone needs to use toilets. In my local town before Covid there were 7 businesses signed up to the Community Toilet Scheme. After Covid only the local station and Waitrose still have Community Toilets. The other Community Toilets either closed (when the shop did not reopen) or conveniently 'forgot' they were part of the scheme.

The local town toilets closed and were sold by the council and are now a cafe. There were two sets of toilets in the local park. One closed and was turned into an Information Centre and the other toilets are just disgusting and emergency use only.

I can remember public toilets with an attendant which were spotless and often had vases of flowers and pictures on the wall.

The need to urgently use a public toilet doesn't just apply to the elderly though does it? Anyone with a urine infection or pregnant women to mention but two examples might need a toilet in a hurry.
I have just downloaded the App that NiceNanny recommended too.
Since the closure of the bigger retailers, BHS, Debenhams etc, shoppers are restricted as to where they can find a toilet, particularly accessible ones and why should we have to use a cafe and buy products simply because we need a loo?

Thank you very much Nicenanny3, I will download the app on to my phone now.

ALSO Someone has posted called CHESTNUT stating that it is not my own experience, but it IS my own experience and I am at the end of my tether as I am a fit woman for my age, can walk miles but needs a toilet when I am out and about.

I have cheated and gone into McDonalds, and used their toilets but when I want to visit a new town or city for a few hours, I think I will take the advice of Nicenanny3 and look for the app telling me how to find toilets. The problem is, it should not come to this, when my late husband was ill and we went out with him in his wheelchair, we had a key to use for toilets but we found that more and more of them had closed down or were out of order. Using the toilet is a basic need for everyone and I thank god that there are shopping centres that have a few toilets in them but my problem has made me think twice about going anywhere new and people should not have to become housebound because they are afraid of there not being a toilet when they go out.

Hi Shelflife.

Thank you very much for your advice, but my problem is a vaginal prolapse and the only thing they recommend at my age is a ring fitting which I tried and I ended up with ulcers inside my body as they had not fitted the correct size, I went down the same route three more times and the ring kept falling out so I just gave up and I now stay at home more than I go out. It has become a solitary life as my husband died a few years ago. If there were toilets in the towns and cities there would not be a problem but there isn't.

It doesn’t solve the problem, but council buildings generally have toilets and most pubs don’t mind, if you ask

I complained to a council a couple of years ago about some disgusting public toilets. We had quite a conversation but he did tell me that councils are not obliged to provide public toilets. I always assumed they were.

App is called Where is Public Toilet

Download this App from Playstore called Toilet near me, it's free to use.

Shelflife the message posted by RunaroundSue is not her own experience but someone else's. She said she agrees with it as I'm sure we all do. Your advice sounds very useful for anyone with that problem.

However, I don't think it is necessary to buy food just to use the toilet. I'm sure any tearoom or shop would allow an elderly person to use their toilet if they ask politely and say it's an emergency. Although I'd be quite happy for an excuse to buy a teacake myself. 😋

Most towns are part of the community toilet scheme , you can look them up. It is local businesses that receive a fee from the council to allow their toilets to be used. Our town uses Costa and McDonald's.

Tell your GP how you are having to restrict your fluid intake !

RunaroundSue , clearly you need to use the toilet is having a severe impact on your social life. Have you seen your GP, I am in my 70s and a few years ago I was in a similar situation to to you. Each step I took was like someone bouncing on my bladder! Found myself in cafes for the same reason you do. My GP prescribed Vagirux , a vaginal tablet taken at night. Easy to use with the applicator provided. WOW!! what a difference it has made , it is a form of HRT but does not flood your body as an oral tablet would. I was very hesitant at first but so pleased I went ahead . I initially was prescribed Vagifem but I am now given Vagirux - same stuff just a different name ! Do speak to your GP and tell him exactly what you have told us, and ask if Vagirux can be prescribed. If you do take it , persevere as it will take a while to have the desired effect. Please make that appointment and let us know how you get on . Good luck .

I have the same problem the shortage of public toilets is very inconvenient. My husband does describe me as a old Labrador as I need to pee so often