public toilets

i was at d. jose station of the lrt waiting for the train. the trains were late as usual and when they came, they're packed. i stood there looking at my watch constantly. i was already half an hour late, i need to get on the next train. i was ready to force myself in, elbows in the bow-out position, when i suddenly felt a rumble inside my tummy.

i walked away from the train and towards the guard on duty. i asked where the toilets are and he just answered me with a poker-faced "wala eh." i asked myself if i could just wait it out but with 7 stations left, i knew i wont make it. good thing there was a jollibee nearby that joyfully accomodated my duties.

so why are public toilets almost non-existent in lrt stations? almost, because i saw an employees only toilet at pedro gil station. if not for the on-going war inside my tummy, i would've argued with the guards and other lrta employees and ask them where they go when they need to go number1 or 2. this is surprising to me particularly at d. jose station which was renovated to have the lrt2 look and feel. while the lrt2 line is newer, it too lacks public toilets. at the lrt 2 cubao station, the guard on duty pointed to the disabled toilet but asked me to check first if it's open. he clearly wasn't sure if it was. fortunately the door opened when i pulled the rusty door handle.

mrt stations on the other hand have public toilets. but then again, just like the reviews on the naia 1 toilets, they all stink and their walls are full of phone numbers looking for sextmates. are we really that dirty? i see people cleaning the toilets regularly. it's either they are doing a lazy job cleaning or we really are dirty people. i believe it's both.

then there's the mmda urinals. it's an interesting idea to say the least.  many filipino men can't read or choose not to read the "bawal umihi dito" posts on almost every wall, sometimes next to the "bawal magtapon ng basura dito" signs. in response, bayani fernando started these public urinals in marikina and then the whole metro manila when he became mmda chairman. but while these public urinals save the walls, they don't save the public's noses from the stink they produce. they're always clogged up which actually defeats the purpose as piss bounces off the floor and into the sidewalk.

i guess for now we are stuck with fastfood outlets (and gas stations) as public toilets. i would like to thank jollibee, chowking, and kfc for always being there when i need to go number 1 or number 2, even if i don't buy anything. keep up the good work guys and keep 'em toilets clean.