People who squat create splatter. Be the solution, not the problem, op. Sit when you pee.

I've spent a lot of time in the Third World. A lot of D.C. Government workers remind me of the civil "servants" in a number of those inept, inefficient and corrupt counties.

DC restrooms aren't clean because kind and concerned citizens like you, OP, don't clean them. It's obvious you're passionate about this issue and that's what we need throughout our fair city - more passionate sanitation and janitorial workers.

Are you presently employed OP?
Ever considered a career change?

Anonymous wrote:Agreed you can keep toilets clean. No need for paper waste and smells all over the place if they are regularly sanitized. However, unless you have someone come in and wipe down the seat between each visitor there is a sanitation issue for those who need to sit on the toilet seat. I don't actually sit on public toilet seats because I am strong and tall enough to "squat", but for little ones the alternative is laying down toilet paper--probably more wasteful and causing more mess than the flushable tissue thin toilet seat covers. CA. is pretty "green" and they have them in every bathroom I visited. The bathrooms were also remarkably clean, as compared to DC.

I don't understand. Why don't you sit on toilet seats? Why can children not sit on toilet seats? I have been sitting on toilet seats for 41 years.

Anonymous wrote:When are public restrooms ever clean, outside of Japan, Switzerland or Germany? They are pretty much disgusting everywhere #tragedyofthecommons

That said, DC is soooooooooooo much cleaner than SF, LA, or NYC. (I've lived in all of them)

Hi-so maybe I was in the "right" part of San Francisco (Union Square, the waterfront, the pier which I thought would be disgusting) - but it was spit clean, bathrooms too. After all I had heard about SF filth I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe the pleasant climate just makes everything feel nicer, but in general I found CA streets and bathrooms very clean - except for Oceanside where the conditions of the streets, piers and beaches were poorer. Bathrooms were still nice there though. Do they do more inspections of facilities? Even the gas stations I visited were just fine. I agree about NY and the East Coast in general. Is the East Coast just dirtier than a lot of the rest of the country? How embarrassing.

Something that disappoints me is when a place that gives a lot of visitors possibly their only glance of America is filthy--NY airports need an overhaul and so does DC generally. Our swampy humid climate and vermin problem--roaches, mosquitoes and rats--don't help to contribute to a sanitary feeling. In the summer when you step out into the humid blast it just enhances any smells and trashy sights, and any litter and overgrown foliage just exacerbate our vermin. Is there anything worse than walking through a DC sidewalk urine cloud while traffic blasts you with exhaust on one of our busy boulevards? Or going through what should be a nice public circle and being overwhelmed with urine and trash? Or stepping into a trashy Starbucks with water and toilet paper all over the floors? I feel like our elected officials do very little to address environmental quality of life issues that aren't specifically "green" or social justice. In fact ironically, possibly because they are so social justice, I don't think they acknowledge how our chronic homeless impact the sanitation of shared spaces: our libraries, bus stops, parks and shared bathrooms. DC seems to be something of a mecca for chronic homeless (based on our position as the center of government which attracts some and our welcoming policies which attract others) without our politicians examining all sides of how to support them and the impacted community structures around them.

For our taxes we pay, and for our unemployment levels that are oft cited by the pols--I see a path forward for things to be cleaner. We need to step it up aesthetically and sanitation wise.

They need to enforce litter laws. The bathrooms are a mess partially because of all the tourists from all walks of life and homeless people (who are often strung out or mentally ill). They had to put signs in the men's rooms on the mall to remind men that urinals are for urine!

When are public restrooms ever clean, outside of Japan, Switzerland or Germany? They are pretty much disgusting everywhere #tragedyofthecommons

That said, DC is soooooooooooo much cleaner than SF, LA, or NYC. (I've lived in all of them)

Agreed you can keep toilets clean. No need for paper waste and smells all over the place if they are regularly sanitized. However, unless you have someone come in and wipe down the seat between each visitor there is a sanitation issue for those who need to sit on the toilet seat. I don't actually sit on public toilet seats because I am strong and tall enough to "squat", but for little ones the alternative is laying down toilet paper--probably more wasteful and causing more mess than the flushable tissue thin toilet seat covers. CA. is pretty "green" and they have them in every bathroom I visited. The bathrooms were also remarkably clean, as compared to DC.

Okay, but you can keep restrooms clean without having extra paper products to cover the toilet seats.

I think DC is really beautiful. I love the green carpet of foliage and the efforts made to improve city wide facilities like parks and recs by Fenty (that's the one thing I'll concede him). But it is filthy. And filthiness can be addressed by policies and systems. Mandated toilet paper covers for public restrooms is a policy. The city shoveling the sidewalks by its own grassy strips and public land (they lecture us but never take care of their own areas) is a policy. The city landscaping or adding flower baskets etc is a policy. Knowing that gum builds up in heavily trafficked areas and having a plan (whether a partnership with businesses or the city investing in some cleaning machines) is a policy. Combatting those urine smells is a policy. All of these are potential areas of employment as well-especially considering what we spend on social services, these could be avenues for job training and beginner salaried positions. When you travel in a 'clean' city it is such a pleasure. Given what we pay in taxes in DC, I think it could be a cleaner city with good administration.

Low IQ heterogenous population.

In Japan, restrooms are very clean.

That's a function of high IQ homogenous population.

I use public toilets all the time and see no need to squat. Covers for toilet seats are a fantastic waste and completely unnecessary. Wash your hands and you'll be fine.

I guess because we pay such high taxes, and have politicians (who are able to work 2 jobs, so they should value their positions even more-what a bonus) working on national issues such as minimum pay raises, marijuana legislation and right to die. I guess I would expect the city to be clean and livable before they spent much time on that.

DC's streets are covered in filth, urine, and fast food trash. Why would you expect the toilets of DC to be clean?

Maybe I notice it because have a toddler who must sit on the seat rather them use strong thigh muscles to squat as an adult can without using the seat, so I have to go through such a ritual everytime of laying down toilet paper on filthy seats- as DC toilets are generally held to no consistent standard. I've traveled in some cities where every bathroom supplies paper covers (obviously an ordinance), airports where the toilet seats are fresh plastic wrapped. In D.C., it's just the luck of the draw. Some places (Union station comes to mind) - embarrassingly horrific for a spot so many tourists see. I wish our Councilmembers would focus on some quality of life issues like aesthetics and sanitation, perhaps starting with bathroom standards. Compared with much of the country -not all- DC seems rather filthy. Horrible bathrooms, urine smells on streets downtown, gum all over the sidewalks (check out Columbia Heights or 14th St) and of course our rodents feasting on restaurant garbage pails. Nasty. I think the council could pay more attention to our city meeting some basic cleanliness standards. When you visit an actual well tended city, its pretty noticeable and pleasant.