THE ADVENTURES OF USING A PUBLIC RESTROOM... NOW SERIOUSLY

In Mexico, one can encounter public bathrooms in all states of comfort, cleanliness and repair--or disrepair. The nicest ones are usually found in the best hotels, resorts and fancy restaurants, but there are no rules. Some restaurants will let you walk in and use their facilities, others reserve them strictly for customers. In hotels, there is usually a bathroom near the bar or restaurant area, and it is relatively easy to sneak in.

And then there are the other public restrooms.

At gas stations. Some can be quite unusable: dirty, smelly, no toilet paper, no soap, no water… others can be surprisingly clean and equipped with all necessities. I had the best luck with restrooms located in convenience stores like Oxxo, and they are free of charge.

In long-distance buses. Only the higher-end bus lines offer restrooms. They are usually at least somewhat cleaned before departure, but very soon they run out of toilet paper and water. If your bus is not direct and has a few stops before reaching the final destination, a better option may be to use…

Bus station restrooms. To enter, you will have to deposit 2-3 pesos in the coin operated passage opener, so remember to have some change with you. The state of cleanliness varies greatly, but generally you can count on toilet paper and water. IMPORTANT: sometimes toilet paper is only available at the entrance, either distributed by an attendant or on a roll, and there is none in the stalls.

Airport restrooms. Those aren’t as large as in other parts of the world. Even at the Mexico City airport, the restrooms only have 2-3 stalls. They are usually very clean and have all the necessary supplies, but the lines can be really long, so if you think you might have to go soon, don’t wait until the last minute :)

Street restrooms. Those are few and far between. In San Miguel de Allende, a city of almost 100,000 inhabitants, there is only one.

General rules. When you are on the go, especially when traveling or visiting a new location, expect the worst and come prepared. Since many Mexican towns don’t have adequate water supply, and the standard of many public facilities leaves much to be desired, check the reservoir before using the toilet to see if you will be able to flush it. Also, check for toilet paper before it’s too late. The majority of stalls don’t have hooks, so unless you travel alone, leave your purse with your companions. Do not assume that if there is a sink you will be able to wash your hands afterwards. And always make sure that there is running water before covering your hands with soap. So to avoid public restroom mishaps and disasters, carry a bottle of hand sanitizer and a package of Kleenex with you at all times…just in case.

And another important thing: Mexican plumbing, except in newly constructed or updated buildings, cannot handle paper, even toilet paper. For whatever reason, the pipes clog very easily. So please, don’t add to the problem; deposit all the paper in a basket that you will invariably find next to the toilet, instead of flushing it down.