Please nominate comments by replying with “comment of the week” or “COTW” so I can more easily find them via search. Thank you.
We had another great week of comments. It makes me so extremely happy that after all these years we still have a solid comment section that is often just as illuminating — if not more so! — than the stories we share above them. When most media outlets gave up on comments, I doubled-down. And it has paid off. Nearly 600,000 comments later we have a platform where (almost) all perspectives can be shared, where we can learn from each other, and where respect is earned by the value of your ideas and how you choose to express them. Thank you.
With that, let’s get to the Comment of the Week.
We are making progress in brining downtown Portland back, but we need to do more. And no matter what city leaders do, people won’t hang out downtown if there’s nowhere to relieve themselves. Yes I’m talking about public restroom! I hoped at least one candidate would run on a “more bathrooms downtown!” pledge, but it didn’t happen. This is a huge issue that we must address.
The topic came up in the comments of my story about a recent trip to the Pearl District where a nice bike parking area had been besmirched by human pee. Reader Beth H. had a response that deserves more attention. Read Beth’s comment below:
I was on the citizens advisory committee many years ago that helped to advocate for the Portland Loos. Far fewer than the suggested number (originally 25 to 30) were installed, due to the cost of construction and maintenance. Of the original units installed downtown, a couple were completely destroyed by vandalism (which in one case included toilets plugged with quick-dry cement) within the first two years of operation. Maintenance on the remaining units has been inconsistent, probably owning to a combination of budget cuts and the pandemic.
Before the pandemic, when my trips downtown were far more frequent, I tried to use the Portland Loos and about half the time they were inaccessible because someone was sleeping or doing drugs in them. I was warned more than once by whomever was inside “just go somewhere else, you’re not gonna get in here anytime soon.”
The last time I needed to use one downtown was in June during the Bike Summer kickoff party. The closest one was chained shut due to extensive vandalism damage, and I had to ride until I found a temporary porta-potty eight blocks away.
I volunteered to be on that advisory committee because, as someone with Crohn’s disease, I can’t always predict when I’ll need to find a restroom. I figured there might be others with similar needs. In the end, it hasn’t really mattered.
Today, I only go downtown if I absolutely must, and I take public transit. I’m older and slower now, and there’s no point in putting myself in harm’s way if I don’t have to. When a place — a street, a bike lane, or a public restroom — isn’t safe enough for the most vulnerable, then it’s not really safe.
I feel your pain Beth H.! This is a major issue that isn’t getting enough attention. Hopefully we can make progress soon, so that more folks can feel relaxed and relieved while spending time downtown. Thanks for all the great comments last week. And remember to please nominate good ones by replying to them with “comment of the week” or “COTW.”
