Midtown Woodward is a cesspool

[MSUguy]

This no restroom thing isn't confined to the city. I ride the bus daily from the city to the suburbs. I have a mile and a half walk from the bus stop to my home in Clinton Township and there isn't one public restroom in that distance. Sometimes you just have to find a secluded dumpster. Walking a mile when you really gotta go is not an option. I think it is pretty rare to find a gas station or convenience store with a public facility until you get pretty far into the sticks.

Really? I have a job requires at lot of driving I've never had problem finding restroom in the at gas stations or chain resurants in the burbs. The city is another issue.

[coracle]

Here's how one large city manages a bigger problem.

You have seen those architectural wonders of Dubai .

However, none is hooked up to a sewer system!

The two minute video below passes a line of poop trucks and never gets to the end of the line.
An unbelievable amount of sewage is generated by the new high-rises and there is no place to dispose of it

Dubai doesn't have a sewage system for all those big new buildings so they haul it all away in tank trucks.

Look at the number of tank trucks that are waiting to dump their load. This is amazing.

You would have thought that by building all those huge skyscrapers they would have enough sense to put in a sufficient sewage system to haul away all that crap.

You would imagine that those building that look amazingly beautiful were built on a well-planned system of utilities. But, that' NOT TRUE!!

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/-pQdjwliLMA?rel=0"

[izzyindetroit]

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.

I am so confused?? What the hell is a washroom??

[Hermod]

I am so confused?? What the hell is a washroom??

A "pissoir".

[wolverine]

I am so confused?? What the hell is a washroom??

Always fun to see what people call it differently. Native Chicagoan's say washroom also, which is how you can tell someone apart that moved here from Michigan.

Before the homeless flogging continues, I've witnessed on MANY occasions, young, educated, white, males AND females, sports fans, drunken partyers, whizzing freely on the streets of Detroit. This smell being discussed being particular to Midtown, "where the action is", leads me to believe that's exactly what's going on. I've witnessed it in Joe Louis parking, after hockey games. "Hey, it's a long ride home, and I gotta go". "After all, this is DETROIT, MF'er!" So, the question is, where does the City's obligation stop, and the drinker's responsibility begin? I know people that work in clubs and restaurants in the Midtown area, and they complain about hordes of people coming in, using and messing up the "washrooms", not spending a nickel, then moving on. Are the owners and employees responsible to take care of these people and clean up after them? You have to deal with the mess a few times to understand why washrooms are locked, or signs posted "For Customers ONLY!" Ok then, Let the rock throwing begin.

And that's why the police patrol the alleys around bar districts here happy to hand out $500 fines, lol. And I don't want to hear complaints that the fine is too expensive. Everyday street sweeping and soap powerwashing comes with a price.

The only part to which you can blame the homeless is their destruction of restrooms. I've seen business staff have to barge in after a homeless individual has occupied a single occupancy washroom for 30 minutes. Sometimes they'll bathe in sinks, smoke or some mental illness affliction will cause them to go crazy and trash the place. That's where the paying customer thing came about.

[marshamusic]

I've seen business staff have to barge in after a homeless individual has occupied a single occupancy washroom for 30 minutes. Sometimes they'll bathe in sinks, smoke or some mental illness affliction will cause them to go crazy and trash the place. That's where the paying customer thing came about.

This is absolutely true. I remember the times before this restriction existed, and I remember when it began. Recently, I was in a Woodward restaurant that apparently tries not to totally restrict bathroom access, probably since they're near COTS. An obviously sick, bedraggled homeless person locked themself in the restroom and stayed for the entire time we had our meal, probably an hour. The staff had a heck of a time getting them out of there.

[davewindsor]

The only part to which you can blame the homeless is their destruction of restrooms. I've seen business staff have to barge in after a homeless individual has occupied a single occupancy washroom for 30 minutes. Sometimes they'll bathe in sinks, smoke or some mental illness affliction will cause them to go crazy and trash the place. That's where the paying customer thing came about.

I don't get your point. You can simply put a sign on the door that says time limit 5 minutes in the bathroom. Staff can have a master key and barge in after 5 minutes instead of 30. That's up to the business to set the time limit.

How can someone bathe in a sink? Sinks are normally only big enough to let you wash your hands. That doesn't even make any sense.

A homeless person can smoke anywhere. Do you think a homeless person cares who's watching what they are doing and what other people think? The police would also probably think its a waste of their time to process a homeless person doing it outside.

As for trashing the place, a homeless person can also throw a glass bottle or rock through a storefront window. There's a million things a homeless person can do to trash a business if they wanted to.

Those justifications for locking the bathroom doors are so weak.

[Honky Tonk]

Before the homeless flogging continues, I've witnessed on MANY occasions, young, educated, white, males AND females, sports fans, drunken partyers, whizzing freely on the streets of Detroit. This smell being discussed being particular to Midtown, "where the action is", leads me to believe that's exactly what's going on. I've witnessed it in Joe Louis parking, after hockey games. "Hey, it's a long ride home, and I gotta go". "After all, this is DETROIT, MF'er!" So, the question is, where does the City's obligation stop, and the drinker's responsibility begin? I know people that work in clubs and restaurants in the Midtown area, and they complain about hordes of people coming in, using and messing up the "washrooms", not spending a nickel, then moving on. Are the owners and employees responsible to take care of these people and clean up after them? You have to deal with the mess a few times to understand why washrooms are locked, or signs posted "For Customers ONLY!" Ok then, Let the rock throwing begin.

[detroit12]

Before the homeless flogging continues, I've witnessed on MANY occasions, young, educated, white, males AND females, sports fans, drunken partyers, whizzing freely on the streets of Detroit. This smell being discussed being particular to Midtown, "where the action is", leads me to believe that's exactly what's going on. I've witnessed it in Joe Louis parking, after hockey games. "Hey, it's a long ride home, and I gotta go". "After all, this is DETROIT, MF'er!" So, the question is, where does the City's obligation stop, and the drinker's responsibility begin? I know people that work in clubs and restaurants in the Midtown area, and they complain about hordes of people coming in, using and messing up the "washrooms", not spending a nickel, then moving on. Are the owners and employees responsible to take care of these people and clean up after them? You have to deal with the mess a few times to understand why washrooms are locked, or signs posted "For Customers ONLY!" Ok then, Let the rock throwing begin.

funny thing is, I've witnessed this in almost every city I've been to where there are drunk people of any color. People stop exaggerating. If you don't like midtown, fine, don't go....problem solved. but its no cesspool

[Zacha341]

Thank you...

funny thing is, I've witnessed this in almost every city I've been to where there are drunk people of any color. People stop exaggerating. If you don't like midtown, fine, don't go....problem solved. but its no cesspool

[davewindsor]

funny thing is, I've witnessed this in almost every city I've been to where there are drunk people of any color. People stop exaggerating. If you don't like midtown, fine, don't go....problem solved. but its no cesspool

Do we have a reading comprehension problem? I was talking about early afternoon, not at night after a hockey game or party goers coming from nightclubs. Midtown is a cesspool.

[detroit12]

midtown isn't a cesspool but you are an asshole who just needs any reason to pick on Detroit. People drink all hrs of the day, don't believe me? just visit New Orleans, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Chicago etc stop exaggerating.

[davewindsor]

midtown isn't a cesspool but you are an asshole who just needs any reason to pick on Detroit. People drink all hrs of the day, don't believe me? just visit New Orleans, Daytona Beach, Orlando, Chicago etc stop exaggerating.

It's a cesspool; it's not an exaggeration. People being pigs in other cities doesn't justify anything. If you are going be a name calling ignoramus, then you are both blind and dumb.

[RickBeall]

I can't believe how you guys have been dumping on DaveWindsor. But I guess its a Detroit thing. He brought up a very real problem. Chinman put it in a larger context. The Dubai reference is rather mind boggling.

I suppose some of the problem is that Detroit has no resources, so that excrement take care of itself. Let it rot on the sidewalk or be washed away by the rain, or fall out of your hair.

It's not exactly something to be proud of.

[downtownguy]

I can't believe how you guys have been dumping on DaveWindsor. But I guess its a Detroit thing. He brought up a very real problem.

Seriously? Does the title of this thread, "Midtown is a cesspool" make you think he really cares about our problems? Then opening and closing his post with the same line is sooooooooooooooooooo constructive, isn't it?

[davewindsor]

Seriously? Does the title of this thread, "Midtown is a cesspool" make you think he really cares about our problems? Then opening and closing his post with the same line is sooooooooooooooooooo constructive, isn't it?

I care enough to talk about it, not turn a blind eye to it and ignore it.

[RickBeall]

And by not having public restrooms, Detroit is ruining good journalists like Charlie LeDuff.

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2013/03/esquire_how_charlie_leduff_tri.html


Who knows how many college professors, automotive engineers, etc. have turned to the dark side due to lack of public toilets?

Maybe it explains the entire Detroit automotive downturn. For want of a nail ...

[RickBeall]

I would call his language vivid. Enough to get everyone talking.

[jcole]

cess·pool

/ˈsesˌpo͞ol/

Noun An underground container for the temporary storage of liquid waste and sewage

I don't know why his terminology is a problem other than the liquid waste in question seems to be on the ground not under it.

[davewindsor]

I don't know why his terminology is a problem other than the liquid waste in question seems to be on the ground not under it.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cesspool

2.	cesspool
	synonym for shithole, dump, trash, and hell. can be used to describe a neighborhood or a city. For a real life example of a cesspool, see Tallahassee, Florida. 3. cesspool an underground area for liquid waste [[such as sewage) Isabelle your apartment is so dirty it looks like a cesspool Steve, when is the last time you cleaned your car it could be confused with a cesspool

[RickBeall]

jcole. --Ha ha hahaa ha ha.

[coracle]

Some years ago I came across http://traveljohn.com/ and purchased a few after experiencing a multi hour snarl-up on I90/I94 around Chicago. You get 2 Disposable Urinals suitable for children and adults in a carton about 4.5" by 4.5" by 2". They do the job if you if you really need to "go". You can use them in a traffic snarl, and although it may attract some interest from the next lane you can see they would give you a $100 for one! I always keep a box in my car but haven't used one for some time because my traveling has taken me more to Detroit of late.

[noise]

Anyone else notice this problem in Midtown?

[DetroitPlanner]

Next time I am in Windsor, I will make sure to pee in public! Have not done that since that bar on Walker with the volleyball near the Willistead shut down.

[davewindsor]

Next time I am in Windsor, I will make sure to pee in public! Have not done that since that bar on Walker with the volleyball near the Willistead shut down.

I've seen Windsor police ticket Michiganers for everything from J walking to public urination in downtown. Be my guest.