I am sure I am going to hear the argument contra. No need. I know what it is, or what they are. It's because of Covid and it's unsafe to allow. It's because of the homeless. It's unsanitary.
What am I talking about? I took a very old friend out for lunch this week. 93. Had a stroke last March. Uses a walker. Want to make her life a little like the days when she could go out on her own. When she was independent. When she wasn't invisible to the world that claims its great woke-ness, but lacks even the most basic common sense or decency.
We were on our way, in an area near the Hollywood Bowl where alas there aren't a lot of choices for the bladder emergency of anyone, let alone an old person. I slipped into the one mall that I immediately saw. It had several well known entities, one independent restaurant and a mini mart. All have to have restrooms for the people who work there. And yes, I know, those bathrooms are not generally open to the public. That's fine. But in this strip mall there apparently was not one available place to pee. In one, a major chain, the sole employee, with my elderly friend standing on her floor holding it in as best as she could, said no, it's not open to the public. "I understand," I said, "but this is an old person with an emergency." "I can't," she said, "I'd get fired". This was already my third place. We got back into my new leased car, and tried two other places I found along the way. Same answer. I made a turn on Cahuenga that other drivers found offensive in order to try to make it to the Starbucks down the way that the two clerks told me really did have a public restroom.
My friend made it. As you may recall Starbucks that HAVE restrooms (many don't) got zapped a while ago for not making their restrooms open based on claimed racial bias, so happily this one did and it was open.
Let us look at the choices in this situation where we are protecting restrooms from the homeless and Covid infection. My friend could have lost control, easily, or anyone in this situation could lose control in this situation, and just let it flow. How is that sanitary? How is that a protection against Covid? And about those homeless? They are right outside your local establishment peeing and pooping on the sidewalk. And we cannot say a word about that because our wise leaders claim we are giving the homeless their dignity. Now before you say that I don't care about the homeless, over the years I have done my share to try to help. And I know it's a complicated problem. But trying to treat everyone exactly the same has resulted in treated many people, including the homeless, badly. The dignity of my older lady friend be d---ed. And common sense, that's in another universe.
If a homeless person pees in public, nothing generally happens. I know nothing generally happens because I've seen plenty of homeless people with their pants down pooping and not out of sight. But if my friend had to find an. . . .emergency place, an unauthorized place because finding an authorized place if you are a regular citizen is impossible, you could get arrested. And given what I have seen these last few years who gets arrested for what in this nation, I would almost expect it. Oh, yes, there are defenses. But it isn't going to help in the moment of need, is it?
I wonder what I would have done if I were that employee in that fast food place with a little old lady and a panicking friend on the edge of her own dotage before me one of whom really had to pee. Lord, I hope I would have taken the pity that the society will not. Would anyone have known if she had helped? Probably. Because there are cameras all over the place these days. So a good deed would be considered a bad deed, and thus we find the reality of our world.
In some states, there is a law, called Ally's Law, which applies mostly to people with Irritable Bowel Sydrome. Like old people, they never know when they will have to go. In those states that have this law---California, the wokest state outside of New York does not--your doctor provides a card which you present (assuming you have the time) in order to be allowed into a bathroom.
So, here are the choices when you are old.
Never go out again.
Go out and hope you don't need to pee or poop in an emergency. In legal terms we call that impossibility.
Always carry a small portable potty (a bucket with accoutrements to help you break down and carry away the remants) in your car when you are driving an old person around. Of course, even if in a bucket it would probably still be considered public indecency if not public urination.
Hope your family doesn't believe in euthanasia when you get old and your body starts inconveniently to break down and things get a little. . . .unsanitary.
You think I'm exaggerating? There is current talk of "rational suicide". There has been such talk for years, usually in relation to the elderly. If you get to old age, in 99 percent of cases, there will be health and other problems. It comes with the territory of life and death. I know and you know for a fact how many children refuse to take care of their elderly parents. So do you think in a world where an old person is refused the bathroom that I am exaggerating?
I don't think Orwell himself adequately predicted the insanity of our modern world.
My view? I got a dose of reality about our state, our nation, our world without pity, the other day that should make all of us sick.
But the most important thing in the world here in California is wearing a mask and getting a Covid vaccine. You will be happy to know then that my friend and I are both properly vaxed. That and 1.75 I think it is will get us a ride on a Metro. I wonder how they view it if an old person can't hold it in on the bus?
https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-07-25/public-restrooms-are-disappearing-here-are-survival-strategies
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