Rest rooms (toilets) in NY - and what is a cover charge?
 

are there plenty of public restrooms in NY, if not are you allowed to go into say a Macdonalds and use theirs (or only if you are ordering)? Also, what is the cover charge all about it's mentioned in clubs, etc. Is it different from admission charge or the same thing? Thanks in advance

I can't really comment on public restrooms in Manhattan, but on your other question: A "cover charge" is simply the amount paid at the door to get into a nightclub. It's essentially the same as paying an admission fee-- it's just been called that forever, everywhere. Not sure how it came to be called a "cover", but there you go.

Public restrooms can be hard to find in NYC. Try hotel lobbies (they can be tricky), department stores, Starbucks, and Barnes and Noble. I suggest you avoid restrooms in fast food restaurants. Also, do a google search for public restrooms in NYC.

Lynn there are hardly any public toilets in NY (not ones I would use!) Most hotels have restrooms off the lobby though so if you're dressed nicely, no one will stop you from going in. Also, all the department stores have them, the nicer the store, the nicer the rest rooms:) Macdonalds would not be my choice either.

A cover charge is usually in a place with live music & is a per person charge in addition to drinks or food. Not sure whether there are places with BOTH an admission charge & a cover charge.

mclaurie, you're right, but I'd go even further and say "cover charge" covers entrance AND entertainment-- which could be live music or DJ and dancing. The big discothèques in NY/LA/Miami charge "covers", for example.

This is going to sound crude, but I'm being very candid.

I'm sure the Ladie's restrooms are about the same cleanliness as the men's in NYC. That said, if I were a woman, I don't think I'd dare a trip in most bathrooms in NYC without a "Lady J", or similar device ... as you can guess, a funnel-like contraption that eliminates the need to sit when urinating. Sold in many camping supply shops. I have female friends who've used it on boating trips for some privacy, but I'd use it for sanitary reasons.

I don't know why U.S. cities don't do better with public restrooms, instead relying on "the private sector" to provide such a needed service.

Lady J? Puhleeze, just go to Saks, great big clean bathrooms, or any hotel lobby. Yikes!

If you are in such bad shape physically that you can't squat over a toliet for 30 seconds, I'm thinking you are in too bad of shape to walk around the city.

A Lady J? Just what I want to carry around with me all day.

rb..i can tell you're not a woman..women haven't sat on public toilets in i don't know how long!!!
ewwwwwwwwwww!!!
we just squat on top of it, without coming in contact with it...probably more information you ever wanted to know..but you started it!
Lynn: just go into a dept store or in a restaurant. you can use the bathrooms there.
and cover charge is the same as admission charge.

Most Public Restrooms in Department Stores, restaurants and Hotels provide the paper seat covers.

Jeeeez,
I would think that most women in the US know how to use a public toilet! I am amazed at the need for instructions here!
The questions being WHERE to go, the best places are museums, department stores and if in a bind, go into any bar, order a club soda and use the facilities!
Actually, this works in most cities in the US, not just in NYC.

OK, I'm sorry I suggested it - and yes, museums and better stores do seem to have the cleaner/nicer facilities. But sometimes one (especially with kids) doesn't have time to "shop"

I feel like I need a bath sometimes after I LOOK into some of the restrooms, even if I did not use it, so I wouldn't care what technique one uses to avoid contact...I just wouldn't want to "drop trou" in there. Yuck! Enough.

So why can't U.S. cities provide clean restrooms? European cities do. Look at the taxpayer-subsidized facilities we provide for CARS, but we don't provide for PEOPLE? Something is wrong with such thinking.

Whatever happend to those self-cleaning cubicles/booths that they discussed putting on the streets a few years ago? Was it ADA compliance?

I work in NYC and am in NYC on weekends and I have NEVER had a problem with finding a public restroom. And, as some of you may be surprised, there are actually some really clean bathrooms here. In some restrooms there are charts on the wall to show when they have been cleaned. Usually it is every couple of hours. Some people really need to get a grip. Are NYC restrooms different than any other restrooms in big cities? Please!!

Lynn: I am the queen of finding public restrooms because I travel alot and my bladder is the size of a pea. I find that when I have to go, I do not care whether it's clean. Hotel lobbies (large hotels) are the best, just walk in like you are staying there. Otherwise I use fast food restaurants. Many of them require a token, but I just wait at the door until someone comes out. Lastly, plan accordingly. If you are in a place, such as a museum, use the bathroom before leaving.

As for cleanliness of NY bathrooms compared to Europe -- I've seen plenty of dirty (and downright bizarre) bathrooms in Paris, Rome, London, etc. For the most unique, mosquitoe infested toilets ever, try Thailand.....that's the subject of another email though.

Trump Tower has a wonderful public bathroom downstairs.

As a major walker in NYC, I've often been caught in desperate need of a restroom. Starbucks has been my lifesaver many times.

There are public rest rooms all over the place in NYC. In some areas where there tend to be larger numbers of vagrants the management posts signs stating "rest rooms reserved for customers" (including at some fast food places) but as suggested above you can always order a beverage to qualify as a customer.
As to "cover charge" - my understanding is the term originated in restaurants, relates to the cost of the table linens and place setting. In the food biz one talks about how many "covers" are sold meaning how many customers are served in a given time period. Of course, that was when restaurants all had tablecloths! The term is now used to mean an admission fee. Some places impose an additional minimum as in "$10 cover and two drink minimum" - and of these, some collect a charge up front at the time of admission and give the customer a ticket(s) redeemable for the required minimum number of drinks.

Just had to offer an opinion on this one. Lots of great ideas here. Museums, fast food places, hotels, department stores all work. The concept of buying a beverage just to use the rest room is bizarre to me (kind of defeats the purpose don't you think--you'll be looking again in 2 hours). I certainly wouldn't buy anything unless confronted which is unlikely to happen.

Starbucks in NYC are hit-or-miss (often with long lines). The one near Union Square was the nastiest restroom experience I've ever had (including one of the "old fashioned" variety at Pere LaChaise in Paris and the subway station in San Francisco) by far.

Hotels are always a good bet (but often you must look way up to see the hotel signs). Ask at the door where the phones are located. More often than not, the restrooms are within view. If you're nicely dressed, just ask the doorman where the restrooms are located. Just last week, we hopped off the Grayline Bus (in full view of the doorman) at the Waldorf and asked where the restrooms were located. Not only did he direct us, he offered to find us a taxi later when we emerged!

Does anyone else find it absurd that RB states she uses her contraption in the name of cleanliness, yet she carries this used device which she has urinated on around with her when she feels the need to be "sanitary"?