We’ve all been there before. Wading our way through a busy high street, heavy bags of shopping hanging from virtually every limb. Resisting with every fibre of our being to go into any shop ever again.
Drinking copious amounts of coffee just to live through the experience. And just when the end looks near, mercifully near, you realise your bladder is precisely two minutes and thirty seconds from exploding.
You search, frantically, for a public loo. Sometimes you spot what looks like salvation, only to discover the facility boarded up. You look one way, then another. Tears form at the edge of your eyes. You decide there’s nothing for it.
You lurch into the nearest shop and, like a naughty schoolboy, briefly pretend to browse their produce with one eye, whilst urgently spying their loo with the other. You find it, and sprint towards it with all the subtlety of a Soviet shot putter.
When the penny is spent, you keep your head low and make for the exit. Hoping, praying that some eagle eyed shop assistant hasn’t spotted you. Dreading the, “can I help you sir?” spoken loudly, in a disapproving tone.
My friends, it need no longer be like this. This week, major retailers such as Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Borders have signed up to my ‘Open London’ scheme. The aim is to increase access to public toilets. No longer will you need to create an elaborate subterfuge just to use their facilities. I hope many other businesses will follow the example set, and welcome you with open arms.
Indeed, if you are reading this and you own a shop, café or pub then I implore you to go to our website and sign up to the scheme.
Public toilets have been disappearing from our high streets and town centres at an alarming rate, and this most affects the elderly and those with young children. My ambitions for this scheme are that this trend is reversed.
When I was elected, I promised to focus on improving quality of life for all Londoners. Letting people know where they can use the toilet, and encouraging businesses to open their facilities to the public, will make our city a more civilised and pleasant place to live.
As I said to the retailers who signed up to the scheme; let them spend a penny, and they will spend a pound- thus improving quality of life and the economy!
P.S. I was in Chingford last week visiting local businesses and meeting residents. Watch the video here.
( 22 comments ) Tags: London
Comment by Karen.Stannard on March 23, 2009 at 2:23 pm
It’s a great idea about the toilet situation, not only in London but everywhere in GB. When I was in France last year the toilets had women who worked in there full time and you paid the attendent a small amount for using the toilet and she kept them clean. Why can’t we have that back over here. Well done Boris
Comment by Mark Horlock on March 23, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I think it’s a great idea encouraging shops to allow access to their loos (but I pity their cleaners!!). But I do not think more public loos is wise. The few that there are are generally badly abused by the public and are filthy and unsafe places!
Comment by Carla on March 23, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Thank you Boris for working so hard to improve life for Londoners and our visitors! Well done!
Comment by Colm Howard-Lloyd on March 23, 2009 at 3:16 pm
A great step and hopefully one that will encourage all businesses to be more welcoming to visitors, not just in relation to toilets. Particularly at this time of recession we all need to feel able to browse and use facilities without feeling compelled to buy. The goodwill that engenders reminds people which businesses want to develop a relationship with their customer and which only want money from them.
It’s really encouraging that some of the big retailers, who often seem unfriendly, have signed-up to the scheme first.
Comment by Fogger on March 23, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Nice thought Boris, but what do we do when the shops are shut.
Also, these retailers are not going to offer these services out of the goodness of their hearts…. either they will levy a charge of add the cost to their prices. Personally I would rather see the old facilities resurected and well maintained… The European’s can do it – why can’t we. Lets resurrect the Civic Pride that we used to have. everything now seems to be based on “doing it on the cheap”.
Comment by No Display Name on March 23, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Access to toilets is essential to older citizens, diabetics, many disabled people, travellers and anyone working away from home. Larger businesses should play a part, but councils should recognise their duty to the public, whether local residents or not, and ensure that people in their area, for whatever reason they are there, are not distressed, deterred or humiliated by the lack of toilet facilities. Civilised countries provide services to promote civilised behaviour. If a few (and it is always only a few) abuse those facilities, other measures should be devised to address that problem. Public services must be for the law-abiding majority who wish to live with dignity and avoid resort to actions that are both illegal and contrary to their ideas of responsibility.
Comment by Arthur Canal on March 23, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I agree with ‘no display name’. Access to toilets in shops and cafes etc iss Ok as far as it goes but there are places, like public open spaces which have no shops and they need more toilets than they currently have. we also need 24 hour toilets to cover times when the shops are shut. they have them on the continent, whynot here?
Comment by Colin Stewart on March 23, 2009 at 4:27 pm
I commend Mr Johnson for highlighting the sad fact that there are woefully few public amenities available in London and indeed throughout the country.
It was a retired Soviet diplomat that recently alluded to the fact that when first arriving in the UK in the 1970′s he was impressed by number of attended public toilets there were and that he felt that this was an expression of a civilized society. What would he think now?
Requesting commercial businesses and public buildings to open their toilets to the public is a step in the right direction but what is crucially needed is legislation to compel local authorities to provide such amenities where and when required.
Comment by Sue Doughty on March 23, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Excellent. I can never find an open loo when desparate
Comment by HeartsofOak on March 23, 2009 at 5:43 pm
Excellent idea. Let us also restore to their former glory all those magnificent Victorian temples of Convenience across the city, so that every widdle may become a cultural experience!
Comment by Helen on March 23, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Thank heaven: someone in public office is remembering that we are human beings with human needs. Well done.
Comment by Cybernewsmaniac on March 23, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Boris, you are dead right!
Every year there is an ‘International Toilet Day” in November, and the world-wide organisation for loos holds a convention. Last year, in the run-up to “loo day” I emailed Hazel Blears from the government web-site to ask what HMG was going to do to mark the day. Needless to say, I got no reply. (Perhaps they thought I was taking the piss.) The disappearance of public loos is one of the, not often noted, events that has happened on NuLabour’s watch. We rely on you, Boris, to have a word in David’s ear to ensure that a reversal of this is in the manifesto for the much-needed General Election .
Comment by Barry on March 23, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Boris has lots of practical ideas and this is another good one. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have had to head for home just because of a full bladder. However, I think that more public toilets are preferable to imposing this necessary facility onto shops and department stores. A small price to pay I think to keep shoppers shopping!
Comment by Charlie Farrow on March 23, 2009 at 6:47 pm
More power to Boris’ elbow!
And fantastic news that he’s celebrating St George’s Day with pride!
We love Boris!
Comment by Ross Nesbitt on March 23, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Cool, I Think Its A Great Idea To Be Able To Have More Flexibility On Using Other Toilets. Well Done Boris, They Should Expand It Two Other Cities In The Uk So People Dont Have To Head For The Nearest Park Behind A Tree. When Your Waiking Around London Trying To Find A Public Toilet On A Full Bladder, From My Experience It Can Be Painfull And It Can Interupt A Nice Day Out With Friends. For That Reason I Am For More Flexibility On Using Shop And Pub Toilets. Well Done
Comment by Max on March 23, 2009 at 7:46 pm
I understand even the Great Leader Mr G Brown would find such facilities useful…
Comment by Sally Stewart on March 23, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Life for many p[eople, including the elderly and tourists, can often be disproportionately improved by such small innovaations – congratulations on knowing that small changes matter.
Sally Stewart
Comment by congomouth on March 23, 2009 at 8:38 pm
I think the original initiative to CLOSE toilets came from “New Labour”. I remember old labour – didn’t understand economics, had a heart, and a message. “New Labour”: Illegal War, still don’tiunderstand economics (I give them an F-), totally heartless (even urination is an opportunity to exploit we, their victims). Only aim reelection, specialists in folly and nonsense. My home town gains £200million from tourism and intends to save a few £000 by closing the main tourist loos…
Boris, you deserve a vote for common decency. We don’t want to be criminalised or denied our town centres by the need to urinate. Women, pensioners, children, we thank you.
We can “thank” Gordon with our stubby pencils… Roll on election day!
Comment by Shaftmonde on March 23, 2009 at 11:29 pm
An enterprising idea. Could be a godsend as long as the places are clearly signed as a right for public use, with no strings attached.
But I can see that someone must pay for the amenity, and fear that users will probably be charged excessive amounts for their use.
Whatever happened to good old Public Health, where free toilets were provided by Authorities to prevent soiling the streets?
Comment by JJE on March 23, 2009 at 11:46 pm
How would the shops prevent abuse of the toilets by drinkers coming in off the streets and leaving them in a foul condition?
Comment by sandyd on March 24, 2009 at 2:09 am
Last time I got caught short like that was in Rugby! I foung the loo in the town centre and it had been permanently closed! I had to resort to a bush! How backward! How are people going to enjoy whole days shopping without a loo! isn’t that something mr selfridge gave us? from my experience sainsbury’s and m&s are always willing to let me use their loo but why shouldn’t we have the good old fashioned clean victian heatly safe public loo! A step in the right direction Boris! Now get the rest of your party in office and restore UK pride!
Start with toilets the very first place people see when they come here!
Comment by The Wise old Owl on March 24, 2009 at 7:44 am
Well done Boris, great idea, I visit London often and always find it difficult to find a toilet available, the tourists will be greatful too no doubt.