Midtown Woodward is a cesspool

[davewindsor]

Midtown Woodward is a cesspool. Seriously. There's all this talk about the area being improved with new businesses and revitalization. But, they forgot one thing. And it's such a rudimentary, but important element part of this city--the washrooms. I went to downtown yesterday to see what's changed and what new developments have occurred and walked up Woodward to midtown.

After I crossed the bridge, I had to pee. Nobody seems to have a washroom open to the public in Midtown. And this is in the early afternoon. Store entrances have smelly fresh puddles of pee in front of them. It's unsanitary. It's a cesspool. But, can you blame people? No one lets you use their damn washrooms! Am I supposed to just pee in front of buildings along Woodward like everyone else?

Franchise restaurants lock their washrooms in the middle of the day. Can you believe that? The Starbucks had a 15 person line and the washroom was locked. I would have to wait in line to get a key. Went to Subway. They had a shared washroom and it was locked and the sign on the door of the washroom said washroom closed out of order. How can business leaders talk about cleaning up this city when businesses won't even let you use their washrooms? These are major franchises. Come on. I finally found a McDonald's with an unlocked washroom after walking 20 blocks and waiting an hour. I bought my lunch there out of gratitude, but they got my order wrong anyway.

I can walk into any major franchise fast food restaurant in downtown Windsor and find a washroom to use within a block and not a single washroom is locked. I mean really? Why bother visiting midtown? It's a cesspool.

[iheartthed]

Cool story bro.

[DetroitPlanner]

Next time ask for a key. Believe it or not they are locked for your safety.

[noise]

Restrooms for paying customers only.

[Richard]

You could get a bunch of porta pottys and charge a quarter to use.You saw a need,fill it.

[gnome]

Next time ask for a key. Believe it or not they are locked for your safety.

Second that... How would you like to walk in on a junky all nice and bluish, maybe with a relaxed sphincter having made a contribution to the walls and floor?

[Pam]

The library has bathrooms.

[Richard]

Next time ask for a key. Believe it or not they are locked for your safety.

Remember the days when there was a gas station on every corner ,you always had to ask for the key and it usually had a large object attached to it so it would not get lost.

Overseas it is not uncommon to have public pay toilets the costs off set the clean up requirements ,if you walk into a franchise and do not see self serve condiments and refills then asking for the key is a given .

[Patrick]

Cool story bro.

NewYorkCityYes.com

[michimoby]

This is almost like that Bowling for Columbine scene where Michael Moore walks up to a bunch of single-family homes in Canada and all their front doors are unlocked!

[French777]

Store entrances have smelly fresh puddles of pee in front of them. It's unsanitary. It's a cesspool.

I walk from Wayne State Univ. to Downtown almost 3 days a week, I have in 3 years only witnessed, maybe one or two instances of these 'puddles' you talk about. Next time, Check out the Detroit Public Library, Any of Wayne State's Buildings, or even YOBS grocer has a restroom you can use, just ask for the key.

[Zacha341]

Detroit has the either locked on no bathroom policy for many restaurants in an effort to keep out vagrants. It's been that way for many decades. McDonald's has a bathroom open in most of their stores. The one on Woodward by the Medical Center keeps things clean...

[Zacha341]

There's no place on earth I go about with my front doors unlocked...

This is almost like that Bowling for Columbine scene where Michael Moore walks up to a bunch of single-family homes in Canada and all their front doors are unlocked!

[Zacha341]

Yeesh, not 'surprise' I'd want to roll up on. As a rule I avoid public bathroom or I know where the best ones are. LOL!

Second that... How would you like to walk in on a junky all nice and bluish, maybe with a relaxed sphincter having made a contribution to the walls and floor?

[detroittrader]

Why bother visiting midtown? It's a cesspool.

Because there are lots of things to do......

where is your link that proves Cass Corridor is a "cesspool"?

[davewindsor]

Remember the days when there was a gas station on every corner ,you always had to ask for the key and it usually had a large object attached to it so it would not get lost.

Nope. Let's see. Last time I visited the 7/11 by the University of Windsor, Mac's on Tecumseh Rd, PetroCanada on Walker or any other major gas franchise with an attached convenience store in Windsor, you can walk right into the unlocked washroom. You might find a run down gas station that locks them in Windsor, but I don't trust their gas pumps and go there anyway.

But, gas stations are besides the point; I wouldn't have gone to the ones off Woodward anyway because I wasn't driving my vehicle at the time. I was on foot.

Overseas it is not uncommon to have public pay toilets the costs off set the clean up requirements ,if you walk into a franchise and do not see self serve condiments and refills then asking for the key is a given .

Nope, I guess we've traveled to different European cities if that's what you're getting at. I get libertarian point of it. But, pay toilets are like parking meters. Most people tend to avoid them on principle as much as they can. I'm sure most people would continue to pee on the storefronts if they put up pay toilets to deal with the issue.

Subway btw has self serve condiments. Starbucks, well, I'm not gonna wait in a 15 person line to ask for a key after walking around ready to piss myself because I couldn't go anywhere else. It'd probably be better to just walk to the McDonald's, which I did.

Why is the McDonald's washroom unlocked if it's a safety issue? I don't think that's the reason. I think employees are just lazy to clean the washrooms or they're trying to save on water so they lock up the washrooms without any concern for where people will go instead.

Midtown's a cesspool. People just piss right on the storefronts because of these policies. Who cares, right? I can't even fathom why anyone would want to live in Midtown unless they worked/went to school there and couldn't afford a car.

And I haven't even brought up all the homeless people that approached me in Midtown including the one that asked me for change while waiting in line to order at McDonald's. How can anyone get positive about midtown with the lack of pride businesses take in the basic sanitary conditions of this area?

[davewindsor]

There's no place on earth I go about with my front doors unlocked...

That's a myth. Unless you're talking about large farm tracts in the county. But, I'm sure that the case in many agricultural towns and villages in Michigan too.

[davewindsor]

where is your link that proves Cass Corridor is a "cesspool"?

Just walk down Woodward look at the pee puddles and smell the fresh pee from 8 feet away.

[jt1]

Yeesh, not 'surprise' I'd want to roll up on. As a rule I avoid public bathroom or I know where the best ones are. LOL!

The truth comes out. Zacha341 is George Costanza

[southen]

wear a diaper next time.

[jt1]

Just walk down Woodward look at the pee puddles and smell the fresh pee from 8 feet away.

Either you have the nose of a drug dog or you are prone to exaggeration.

[hybridy]

When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.

[davewindsor]

Either you have the nose of a drug dog or you are prone to exaggeration.

Well, I guess your nose has gotten used to it.

[davewindsor]

wear a diaper next time.

Or just pee in front of a storefront like everyone else. Nice area to live in, yo

[iheartthed]

NewYorkCityYes.com

That was lame.