[Urban Adventures]
We’ve all been there—you’re out on the town, you’ve gotta pee, but you don’t know where to go. New York City has astoundingly few public bathrooms for a place that harbors so many residents and even more tourists. There’s almost never a bathroom in a subway station, so it’s often a choice between catching your train and walking one, two, or three blocks to find a restroom. And the situation may be even more dire if you’re intoxicated.
The most important thing to remember is: don’t panic. Here are some tips to get you through it:
1. Find a fast food place or a chain coffee shop
2. Find a department store
3. Stop into a bar you’re familiar with
4. Some churches are always unlocked
There’s no guarantee you’ll be able to get to the part of the church that has the bathroom, but if you’re desperate it’s worth a shot.
5. Only try a restaurant as a last resort
Restaurant bathrooms are usually strictly reserved for paying customers. They’ll probably either turn you away or demand you pay to use the bathroom. The best tip here is to get in the habit of going whenever you eat somewhere, before you go back out onto the scary bathroom-less streets.
6. If all else fails, there’s no shame in going outside