Pardon me...... can you spare a clean toilet?

I was watching the local news, which was telling the story of the lack of available public washrooms in the downtown core (of Calgary). This is of some interest to me, as I can somewhat identify with it. For example, while I was attending acting classes at the Epcor Centre, there were a few times that I could not find an accessible public washroom. The Telus Convention Centre, where I parked my car, had no accessible washrooms - they are blocked off except when events are in progress at the Convention Centre. When events are in progress, there are obvious signs beside the washroom entrances making it clear that they are only for the use of Convention participants. At the Epcor Centre, even with events occurring, all washrooms were locked.

So I watched the news story in order to see what the story was. They spoke about the city's plans to purchase high tech pay toilets. One city councillor spoke some truth when he said that part of the reason many washrooms were not accessible to the public was the presence of marginalized people - today's politically correct term for homeless people, etc. He mentioned their smell. I wonder how many city councillors have been close enough to a marginalized person to know what they smell like.

So, basically the reason there aren't enough public washrooms accessible to the masses is because tenants don't want marginalized folks to use them. Their words.......... not mine.