[confidantlake]

A huge problem is the lack of public toilets. When I first lived there, I got locked out of my apartment and could not find anywhere to go to the bathroom. I had to wait until my roommate got back. If I did not have a place to go back to, what could have I done except poop on the street?

[blueadept111]

Wouldn't a restaurant or fast food outlet let you use their bathroom? I think if you make it clear that your options are to take a dump either on their toilet or right where you're standing, they would show you the toilet immediately.

[confidantlake]

I went to a fast food outlet, the toilet was so full of waste that it was overflowing onto the floor. Super disgusting. All of the restaurants did not have public backrooms. I guess I could have begged them, and they probably would have let me because I was not homeless. But that is not a sustainable solution. Do we really want homeless people begging restaurants to use the bathroom every time they need to poop?

[asveikau]

This thread is reminding me that the ease of finding a good toilet in SF varies a lot with the part of town.

In my experience the east side of town, especially the financial district, businesses start being cagey about letting you use the bathroom.

Going westward, when you get to the Lower Haight or so, I can start naming many coffee shops with decent bathrooms and no lock on the door. And decent park bathrooms too.