If you could explain to an Australian here: I have either a pub or a McDonalds every two blocks that any person can walk into and use a restroom. This would include industrial areas. Is that not the case in Seattle?
When I was in the states I found that a lot of places would have locks / codes on the bathrooms that required you to purchase something prior to using it. Not fun when you're desperate to go and there's a big queue.
The European model is normally coin operated which is still a little annoying but at least if you know and carry a few coins you can get in quickly.
America seems to have some challenges that most developed countries don't have. I don't entirely know why, but one factor seems to be we default to expecting people to do things privately at home that get done in public spaces elsewhere. This leaves our public spaces under developed.
We meet friends at my place or yours. We don't have a lot of pubs. Etc.
Surprisingly, yes, there's really not a lot of McDonald's or other chain fast food restaurants downtown. You can try exploring in Google maps to get a feel for it (consider eg the area around Mercer and Dexter Ave). You can get to one, but it may be a half hour detour on foot. What is closer will be awkward as they describe.
Thanks for that. I have to agree to being surprised. I've just looked on maps from my last Sydney office, for some comparison: There's a McDonalds at 377 George St and at 600 George St, both about a four minute walk. There's a third inside the Westfield which would have its own bathrooms. KFC is three minutes away with bathrooms.
The Marble Bar is a 3m walk, Century Bar is 5m, Ryan's Bar is 9m, Burrow Bar is 5m, and Papa Gede's is 3m. All of this excludes the mass of pubs and clubs that shutdown due to lockout. I definitely feel out of place with what you've shown me!
The European model is normally coin operated which is still a little annoying but at least if you know and carry a few coins you can get in quickly.