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Washing Your Car

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It’s important to wash your car regularly, especially if you ever plan on selling it. Someone who is looking to buy a used car is more likely to buy a car that looks clean, and your paint job is the first thing people will see. A car that isn’t washed regularly will have its paint eaten through by sap, dirt, and other debris, which cause visible flaws in the paint and will make reselling the car much more difficult.

Photo by Sara Slattery

Washing your car by yourself can be a frugal and relaxing way to spend an afternoon. Getting all the necessary supplies to wash your car does have a small initial investment, but after you have all the supplies, you’ll be able to wash your car for about $1 each time (the cost of the soap and water). Much cheaper than a drive-thru car wash, and you have the peace of mind of knowing that everything was cleaned properly!

Washing by hand is the only way to wash a convertible car, and will save the paint job on any car! Drive-thru car washes that contact the paint with brushes strip your paint off each time and will cause your paint to fade prematurely. Washes that use high pressure nozzles have the same effect, albeit lesser.

1.       Supplies

You only need a few supplies to wash your car. You’ll need two buckets, three or four microfiber cloths, a wash mitten or car sponge, and some car soap. Do not use anything except car soap! Dish soap and other soaps can strip away the wax and clear coat on your paint. Additionally, microfiber cloths are ideal for washing and drying because they trap the dirt particles in their fibers, whereas a rag or a paper towel will drag the dirt along, scratching the paint.

You should be able to pick up everything you need at your local auto parts store for around $20.

2.       Preparation

Before you start washing the car, it’s best to find some nice shade to park under. If you can’t find any shade, you can go to a do-it-yourself carwash or wait until the right time of the day so that the sun isn’t directly blasting your car. Another option is to rinse your car in the sun, and then quickly park somewhere nice and shady.  If shade just isn’t an option, you’ll have to wash and dry the car one section at a time in order to prevent water spots from occurring.

Fill up one of your buckets with soap and water, and fill the other bucket with only water. Next, lift your windshield wipers up until they ‘click’ and stay off the windshield.

You’re almost ready to wash your car, but first double-check that all the windows are rolled up and all the doors are closed.

3.       Rinsing

When rinsing the car, don’t use a hose or a nozzle with too much water pressure: too much pressure will end up scratching your paint! A garden hose with a trigger spray attachment is perfect.

Start by rinsing the car from the top down. Start with the roof and work your way down to the sides of the car. This should remove or break loose most of the dirt, preventing scratches when you scrub the car with the sponge.

If you live in an area with snow, you’ll want to pay special attention to the wheel wells, as the salt used on the roads builds up and can cause corrosion if ignored.

4.       Washing

After you’ve finished rinsing the car, you’re ready to soap it. Grab your sponge and soak it in the soapy water. You’ll need to go around the entire car with the sponge, starting from the top and working your way down to the bottom of the car. Go section by section, making sure that you’ve removed all dirt and debris from each area of the car before moving on to the next. A good order is to start with the roof, move on to the hood/front bumper of the car, then work your way back along the passenger side until you reach the trunk/rear bumper, and then work around the driver’s side to the front of the car, starting with the top of each section and working your way down.

As you finish each section, it’s best to rinse the sponge off in the clean water bucket and then re-soap it in the other bucket. This prevents dirt from building up on the sponge, making it clean better and preventing scratches to your paint. Some parts of your car will be much dirtier than others, and you may have to rinse the sponge off multiple times in order to get one panel clean.

Once you’ve finished all the body panels, move onto the wheels. Grab a clean microfiber towel, dip it in the soap water, and wipe down the wheels, making sure you get the brake dust off of all the visible surfaces. Make sure that the towel you use for the wheels is kept as a wheel-only towel for all future washes, as leftover brake dust will scratch your paint.

5.       Rinsing (again)

This is the same as step 3, but now to rinse all the excess soap off. It’s important to rinse off all the excess soap because soap residue can cause damage to your car’s clear coat.

Instead of using a hose, you can choose to use a second sponge with the clean water bucket. Make sure to rinse the sponge out in the clean water often. Make sure not to use too much pressure on the sponge; all you want to do is break the dirt loose.  This method saves a lot of water, but can be a bit more time consuming.

6.       Drying

This is the part that becomes a race against time, and it is the reason for that nice shade you found earlier. When drying the car, start with the top and work your way down. This prevents water from the top running down to an area that you’ve already dried. Use one of the microfiber towels to wipe down the car and remove most of the excess water, making sure to wring it out as necessary. Once you’ve wiped the car down once with the first microfiber, grab another dry microfiber and go over the entire car again. This gets the car completely dry and prevents the water from evaporating off and leaving dirty residue or hard water stains.

After you’re satisfied that you’ve gotten everything dry, do a pass around the car to look for any water residue or streaking on the windows. If you find any residue or streaking, rub the second drying towel on that area and it should wipe off and shine clean.

7.       Waxing (optional)

Now is the perfect time to wax your car, if you so desire. When waxing, you want to use a minimal amount of wax. If white streak marks are visible after you’ve passed over an area, you’re using too much! Use a wax applicator pad to apply the wax, and wait approximately 5 minutes until the area hazes over before buffing with a clean microfiber towel. It’s best to apply and buff one section at a time. Waxing your car is important because it acts as a shield between your clear coat and the dirt, and your car shine for longer so you don’t need to wash your car as often.

If you’ve waxed your car using a high-quality wax (and followed the instructions properly), it will only be necessary to wash your car once a month. If you opted out of waxing your car, it’s best to wash it every week to prevent debris from eating through your clear coat and ultimately your paint.

Wax essentially acts as an extra layer of paint, keeping your car cleaner for longer while simultaneously protecting your paint and clear coat.

Things to note

Should you happen to have a convertible car, do not wash the soft top with a hose unless you’re absolutely positive you have no leaks. If you only have minor leaks, it’s ok to scrub it off by hand with a clean sponge and dry it off with a microfiber towel. Keep in mind that a fabric-like convertible top is not waterproof, it is just water resistant, while a vinyl top is waterproof.  If you’re unsure what kind of material your convertible top is made out of, you can ask your car dealership or a local auto parts store. It’s best not to use car soap on a convertible top, since most car soaps contain some sort of shine-enhancing oil, which the top will absorb and become a dust magnet.

If you have a truck, the steps above are almost the same. The only difference is that you will need to open the bed and rinse it out. If you have a bed liner, there’s no need to dry off the bed; but if your truck bed has no liner, then you need to dry inside the bed to prevent rust, residue, and hard water stains.

Transportation

Handling Public Transit

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Four years ago, I was in Singapore—arguably one of the safest countries in the world—when I found myself in the back of a stranger’s gray minivan heading back to what would (hopefully) be my hotel. After my friend and I left a bar and couldn’t find taxis, she had used her Mandarin to flag down the vehicle of a family driving back from an IT convention and convinced them to give us a ride home. We ended up getting dropped off at a chicken and rice restaurant because, well, priorities.

Photo by Sara Slattery

I vowed never to hitchhike again, until two years later, when I found myself in Buenos Aires on the back of a strange Argentine’s motorcycle, post New Year’s, heading to breakfast at 7 am because, again, priorities.

As I’ve gotten older and have traveled more, I understand that strangers’ vehicles do not really qualify as public transportation. Therefore, to safely explore a city, I have since opted to take the local tube, metro, or subway. Though it can be overwhelming, taking public transportation can give you the best insights into the nature and vibe of a town. Plus, it teaches you how weird people everywhere really are. While the train lines and the bus numbers change, there are some universal rules that I always follow when hopping aboard anything that moves faster than 2 miles per hour.

1. Always plan a second route.

When I was visiting London for a few days, I became a short-lived master of the specific routes of the Tube. However, one evening when I was rushing to get back to my hotel, the dreaded announcement of a technical difficulty came over the loudspeakers (I swear British English is its own language). The train was going to be parked at this random station indefinitely. Since I was in a rush, I jumped out at the station and came above ground. Realizing I only had a vague idea of where I was, I started walking down the street to find another Tube line and even attempted to navigate the bus system, both ending in utter failures. Annoyed, I tried to hail a cab but they were all taken. Just to add icing on my pathetic cake, it began to downpour because London sits under an everlasting cumulonimbus cloud. So, basically, I relived a horrible scene from an equally horrible Jennifer Aniston movie and walked five blocks in the rain to just turn around and go back on the original broken-down rail.

Side note: I later found out there was a direct bus to the street of my hotel right near the train stop.

2. During peak hours, work your way to the door well before your stop.

In Mumbai, India, the trains are packed sardine cans with bold and desperate commuters clinging onto the outsides while racing to their potential doom (or home, depending on what comes first or what you actually want). My good friend was one of the those unlucky souls packed so tightly in the middle of the car that he was unable to maneuver his way to the front in time for his stop; he watched the door close from within the train and he hurdled on to the next stop. This happened two or three more times on the same journey, with each stop bringing him significantly further away from his home. By the time he was able to battle his way off the train, he had traveled over 35 minutes away from his intended stop, forcing him to cross the platform and jump right back on the train and backtrack his route. This resulted in an extra hour-and-a-half commute back to his destination and a few veins bursting in his forehead.

3. Always have ample money on your bus pass or subway card; never let the amount run low.

If you are vacationing in a foreign city, look into investing in a day pass or something long-term instead of just a single ride. This way, you will save money in the long run if you plan on taking the trains a lot, and you won’t have to worry about the zones or specific costs of each stop. In addition, if you miss your stop, you won’t feel particularly wounded that you have to buy another ticket again. Save your dignity-reducing actions for later in the evening.

4. Do NOT make eye contact.

As a human, I understand the urge to people watch and casually observe, but when on public transport, staring at someone in a close proximity is extremely uncomfortable and can warrant some unnecessary responses. I generally get really into staring at the same smudged spot on the door or begin a highly detailed analysis of my nail cuticles.

My dear friend made the mistake of looking at a disheveled man sitting across from her on a New York subway, catching his gaze for a second too long. I’m not sure in which animal world a lingering gaze is a cue for self-pleasure, but the man was inspired to stand up, move closer to her, and stare at her while shoving his hands under his trench coat (they are always in trench coats!) and fondling his unmentionables. Utterly horrified, my friend sat paralyzed ‘til the next stop, where she immediately switched train cars. I’m not saying every time you look someone in the eye they masturbate, but I’m not NOT saying that either.

5. Exercise caution when taking out all your Apple products.

Fine, maybe Android for you heathens, but either way, I wouldn’t recommend carelessly waving your iPod, tablet, or smartphone around. The more you take public transit, the easier it is to let your guard down, but try to make it a point to really be aware of your surroundings. This sounds simple, but as an ardent breaker of this rule, I’m speaking on experience. When my friends and I were in Chicago taking the L back home around 9:30 pm, my friend was telling us a story, holding her brand new iPhone in her hand. Just as we were approaching a stop, a boy no older than 14 walked by us and immediately tried to snatch the phone from her hand and run out the door. Luckily, my friend had an iron grip on the phone and glass-shattering screams, and the boy ran off sans phone and sans hearing. Naturally, everyone else in the car pretended to be dead and didn’t bother to even blink at her screams.

So, whether you are a daily commuter in Boston or a novice navigating the trains of Bangkok, I suggest you follow these simple rules of public transit to ensure a stress-free ride.

Or you could take a ride on a South American’s Vespa for breakfast. I promise you, you won’t regret that, either.

Transportation

What to do if you are hit by a car

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Traffic accidents are zero fun. Whether yourself or another driver caused them, it inevitably leaves you feeling shaken and vulnerable. But fear not, because it is not the end of the world! Here are a few tips if your car is hit by another vehicle.

Photo by Sara Slattery

Traffic accidents can range from fender benders (which are minor and can sometimes be worked out between the drivers without insurance or police) to full-on impacts that leave cars totaled. Though, hopefully, this piece will help you with your situation, it is important to remember that every accident is different and some situations might differ significantly from what is stated here.

Keep Calm and Pull Over

First things first—when a car hits you, do not panic. This may seem like a hard thing to do, especially if airbags have been deployed, but it is important to remember that staying calm helps other passengers or drivers remain calm as well. Check and see if your passengers are okay. Then, if you can, pull over to the side of the road and put your hazards on. In some cases, it may not be wise to move your car, in case of further damage. Depending on where on the road you were hit, you can determine if it’s safe to pull over or not. (Never leave the scene of an accident without first consulting the other driver or people involved in the accident. If you do, and someone or something is damaged, you could face charges for a hit-and-run, which is much, much worse than any traffic accident).

If this is your first time in an accident, it may feel like the end of the world!  But believe this from someone who has been on the road for a while: as long as your car isn’t totaled, it will be fine (and might look even better than before!) after the insurance pays for it to be fixed up.

Check Out Your Car

The next step is to assess the damage to you and your car. If you don’t have any injuries, you can check your car next. Are there scratches that weren’t there before? What about a dent on the door? Are the mirrors still fully functioning? By running your eyes up and down your car and feeling the area of impact, you will be able to tell what kind of damage you are dealing with and how it affects your car overall. Many times, cars can fully function if it’s not a significant impact, but unless you are an automotive expert, it is better to be safe than sorry.

If you have a camera phone, it’s common to whip it out at this point and document the damage to both cars.

Get Their Digits

Next, exchange information with the other driver: name, phone number, email, address, license plate number, make and model of the car, and their insurance (if they have it). You will need all this information when you contact your insurance company to file a claim. You need to give your information to the other driver, so if you don’t know it off the top of your head it is wise to keep all this info in the passenger glove compartment. If you don’t carry a pen and a pad of paper in your glove compartment, use a camera to photograph their information, or type it into your phone. (And then throw a pen and a writing pad in your car for next time!)

You should also be aware of your state’s requirements: in California, even the victim of a fender bender can get a ticket if they are found without their insurance and registration in their car. To find out if it is required for you, just look on your state’s DMV website: they will give you an outline of requirements for owning your car.

Call the Police

After getting all the information, it’s time to call the police. It might feel weird actually dialing 9-1-1, but the police will be able to act as a mediator between you and the other driver. A police report will be filed with your information, too, which is always helpful when filing insurance claims. Officers are usually very nice when it comes to traffic accidents and will only ask one or two questions depending on the damage done. If your story is different from the other driver’s, don’t panic and stick to your story.

It is important to note here that it is wise to never admit fault to the other driver or the police until you talk to your insurance company or, if necessary, legal counsel. This might sound untruthful or wrong, but sometimes traffic accidents can be chaotic and it might not be evident whose fault the accident was. Just keep your cool, tell your story, and you’ll be fine.

Examine Your Witnesses

If you talk to any witnesses, get their information as well. If it is a significant accident, police will often do this job for you, but you might need the witnesses’ help if you have to proceed legally. Ask them what they saw and if they have witnessed other accidents in the same area before. Usually you won’t need witnesses unless there is significant damage done to you or your car, so it’s up to you whether you want their help or not.

File a Claim

Finally, it’s time to contact your insurance company. Call them and tell them exactly what happened, or go online and file a claim from their website. If you lie, you could be denied coverage in the future. This phone call is very easy, though tedious, but insurance workers are usually very helpful and specific about what they need from you. As long as you have all the necessary information for your car and from the other driver, it will be as simple and quick as possible.

If your accident is minor, then your insurance company should have the matter worked out within a couple of weeks. However, the more significant the damage to you or your car, the longer the matter can take to settle, so keep track of what’s happening! Keep any pictures of any injuries and damage to your car safe and organized. Get estimates of property damage, and cooperate with your insurance company. And be patient! Sometimes it takes a while for claims to be reported or settled. Your insurance company will be in contact with you when they need you.

Being hit by a car can be exhausting, tedious, and heartbreaking, depending on the damage. But as long as you and everyone else at the incident is okay, you will be able to get through it. And never buy a car unless you can also afford insurance: it could be what saves your life!

Transportation

Successfully Disputing a Ticket (aka Beating The Man)

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This is a story about having a vigorous—some might say pathological—need to fight a broken system. In case you didn’t notice the article’s title, I’ll tell you right off the bat that I ultimately won this months-long dispute with the New York MTA. And you can, too! The easiest thing to do, of course, is to not to get a ticket in the first place—this is not a how-to for criminals. But sometimes, these things are unavoidable.

Photo by Sara Slattery

My story begins on a relatively mundane evening in January. I was rushing out of my office—a startup in Chelsea—so I could get home for a scheduled work call. I headed to my regular subway station, where I pulled out the creased monthly MetroCard I’d been trying to iron out (mostly by putting it between two credit cards and sitting on it). The first time I swiped it, the turnstile told me to “Please swipe again.” The second time: “Just used,” with the smirkiest of smirks on its mischievous nonexistent face. It wouldn’t let me in.

This is not an infrequent occurrence, as I’m sure New Yorkers can attest; generally when this happens, one shouts some brief exasperated explanation to the station attendant, who then unlocks the emergency door. At that particular station, though, there is no attendant; and a rush-hour crowd of straphangers (doesn’t that sound like an old-timey sex term? Straphangers. Straphangers.) amassed behind me, their irritation palpable. So, I stepped over the turnstile. Whatever. And I was immediately greeted by a plainclothes cop—which is fine: it’s their job, after all. I explained the scenario, not thinking that it would necessarily end with us laughing over a couple of beerskies, but at least expecting him to let me go with a warning! It must have been quota day, though, because I got no sympathy from the cop, who issued me a $100 ticket.

I asked him, “Sir, I know you saw what you thought was me flouting the laws of this city and you were required to take action, but do you understand why, as a civilian, this feels very unfair? For me to purchase a MetroCard every month, never deceive the system [which is true, by the way], be in a rush to get home to continue my workday, and be punished for that?” To which he repeated some stuff about being a “Police Officer of the City of New York” that clearly indicated he was not about to toe the blue line for me. So, furiously, I got on the next train, commiserating with a bike messenger who noted the yellow slip in my hands with a knowing smile and was immediately subjected to my blustering all the way to Essex/Delancey.

I don’t consider myself an angry person—“excessively vengeful” may be a better term for it. I knew, on principle, there was no way I was going to pay $100; also, I’d told the cop in the heat of my excessive vengeance that I would “absolutely fight!” the ticket, and I felt obligated to follow through.

So I called the wrongdoers’ hotline on the back of my ticket, found out where the Transit Adjudication Bureau is (Brooklyn Heights) and the best time to go (8:30 am, preferably not Mondays or Fridays), and began the long slog of disputing the ticket.

A few mornings later, I found myself in a large room at the TAB waiting to be called for my hearing. I had no idea what to expect—behind that metal door, were there a bunch of little courtrooms? Where would I sit in the little court? Would I be held in contempt if I texted a photo to my boyfriend? What about my parents? What if I just took a photo and didn’t text it until I left the premises?

As it turned out, I was seen by only one hearing officer, a very nice lady, in a small room with a tape recorder on the table. After verifying on the record that I was telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me Oprah, I explained the scenario (see above). She sent me back to the waiting area while she deliberated. After a few minutes, my name was called again and a man behind a very thick glass window told me the case had been adjourned until I could get a record of that dastardly MetroCard’s activity on January 10.

Now, here’s where it gets really fun: I sent the necessary paperwork to an MTA vortex, including handwritten requested dates. The adjournment was through April 30, which seemed like plenty of time, except that an entire month passed before I got a report back from the MTA. The report indicated that my request was processed on February 14, and attached was a list of the MetroCard’s full activity… on January 14. Which was completely useless except perhaps as a nice walk down Recent Memory Lane, because, as I mentioned, the incident occurred on January 10. Excessively vengeful words were uttered. I thought about just giving up and mailing in a $100 check, but at this point, I was too invested in probing the bureaucratic inner-workings.

A few mornings later, I found myself in a long line at some MTA building in the Financial District—incidentally, also where you can go if you lose your MetroCard, as I found out from the 60 people in front of me who had all suffered that plight. I was eventually seen by a clerk who seemed very angry, presumably because he was going for the company record in MetroCards-replaced-per-hour and my unrelated request was slowing him down. After scanning the first activity report and the ticket, he finally agreed to re-process. Off I went to wait some more… another month, in fact.

Version 2.0 of the MetroCard activity report finally came and I opened it with my heart pounding, like someone receiving their STI test results. Success! No MetroCard swipe was registered on the evening of January 10, but the swipe number jumped from #13 on the morning of January 10 to #15 on January 11. Glitch! Don’t get too excited, I told myself. Just because you had a nice hearing officer the first time doesn’t mean some jerk won’t throw this report aside and say that you should still pay a fine for setting a bad example. Good point, self.

Again, a few mornings later, I was back at TAB. I greeted the security guards on my way in, now old friends. After a brief wait, my name was called by a different hearing officer (thankfully, another nice lady) and the process was much the same as the first, except this time with Exhibit B. The officer reviewed the report, raising an eyebrow at the missing swipe number just as I’d dreamed she would, and twenty minutes later the clerk behind the thick glass told me with a smile that my case was dismissed! “You’re a free woman,” he said, in my imagination. I left the building with my head held high, and spent $10 of my hard-kept money on an extravagant breakfast. Take that, somebody!

Transportation

How I (Accidentally) Suspended My Drivers’ License

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January 2012.

The squad car’s floodlight glares through my rear-view mirror. I wait, berating myself for being stupid enough to talk on my phone while driving in California. It’s night, so no one can see you, right? Wrong. The cop returns to my window with my registration and license.

“Ma’am, are you aware that your license is suspended?”
Wait, what? “Uh, no, it is?”
“It looks like it has been since last May.”
It’s been suspended for EIGHT months!? …WHAT?!

Rewind to November 2010, almost two years ago, in sunny Santa Cruz, CA. I executed a perfect California stop at a stop sign as I was turning right. Excellent form. Unfortunately, the motorcycle cop sitting across the street wasn’t impressed. I waited to get my ticket notification in the mail, cough up a painful amount of money, and just forget the whole thing. But the notice never came. I even called the traffic court (months later), but the line was always busy. I couldn’t find the citation number on my receipt, so I thought, “Great! He didn’t actually cite me. Case closed.”

Fast forward to August 2011. (My license is already suspended but I won’t find out about it for another six months.) I was lost in Berkeley and accidentally crossed Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard at 5:28pm. This is important because I, and the three other cars getting tickets, missed the tiny sign telling us it was illegal to cross MLK, Jr. Blvd. between 4 pm and 6 pm on weekdays. As expected, I received a citation notice in the mail (several months later) and planned to pay it on time like the law-abiding citizen I am.

So here we are again in January 2012. I now have two tickets—one forgotten, one yet to be paid—and I’ve just been told my license has been suspended. (Ironically, I was about to pay MLK, Jr.’s ticket before this all happened.) I’m essentially on house arrest for the next week and a half. I stew and fume and tell the universe exactly what I think of it for being so unfair…you try being stuck inside your parents’ house for a week. Then I decide to be an adult about the whole thing and look up traffic citation policies. I find out that notifications are mailed to your address as a “courtesy.” Apparently, in California at least, the driver is still responsible for paying the fine or going to court even if they don’t receive a notice. Ugh. Humbled by the traffic gods, any sense of ego is reduced to a pulp as I try to explain to my friends why they have to pick me up so we can hang out.

Nevertheless, I gather together what sense of self I have left, and start calling the various traffic courts and fee collecting companies. In case you find yourself in a similar situation, start by calling the traffic court in the county where you got the ticket that you forgot to pay. I call the Santa Cruz traffic court, because that ill-fated California stop happened there. Make sure you ask questions and understand how to best pay your overdue fine–every county operates a little differently. If it’s been more than a month or two, it’s likely you’ll have to pay an outside fee-collection agency, who will then let the traffic court know that you paid the fine. Once that’s done, the traffic court will clear your record, and you can have your mom a friend drive you to the nearest DMV to pay another fee to reinstate your license. They’ll give you a provisional piece of paper like they did when you were 16, and then you’ll get your new license mailed to you. So, a few days—and hundreds of dollars—later, I’m able to drive again.

Morals of this sad story? Always pay your traffic tickets, even if you don’t get a notice in the mail about your citation. Don’t cross MLK, Jr. Blvd between 4 pm and 6 pm on weekdays. And for goodness sake don’t hold your cell phone to your ear while driving…ever. (You can check your state’s specific cell phone laws here.) Especially in small towns where cops don’t have anything better to do than watch people drive around in the dark.

Oh, and there’s an epilogue! It’s juicy. I was moving out of my house in Santa Cruz a few months ago and happened to be sorting through a box of old papers and documents. You know, that box you keep for official-looking things that you probably won’t need again but feel like you should keep because you’re supposed to be an adult and that’s what adults do. Well, I came across an official-looking envelope, unopened. Guess what was inside? The original citation.

keysHero

Photo by Meaghan Morrison

Transportation

Where To Go When You Gotta Go?

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Maybe I have high standards when it comes to public restrooms: clean. But I refuse to sit down on a grody ass toilet. Combine this with my small bladder and a penchant for road trips, and finding suitable bathrooms can get rather tricky.

I tried to give fancy technology a chance, with apps/websites like: Have2P, WhereToWee, WC Finder, and Imodium’s Bathroom Finder. (And while I did enjoy that Charmin’s SitOrSquat asked me if I had been potty trained, as a ploy to get my birthday, I was less than charmed with its attempt to access my Facebook info.) Overall, I found all these lists to be weak alternatives to logic. Because no, I do not consider a list of all the restaurants in town to be a useful restroom map. If I wanted to spend $10 on a meal just to pee, I wouldn’t be looking up bathrooms in the first place.

So I use the following guide instead:

1) PUBLIC BUILDINGS (Libraries, City Halls, etc.)

Personally, I consider libraries the absolute best public restroom option. I’ve always found them easy to find, free, and blessed with great parking. Thank our well spent tax dollars for providing you with this clean, guilt free bathroom location.

This can also apply to any public government buildings (City Halls, County Court Houses, etc.). Be warned, sometimes these buildings, particularly in larger cities, may require you to go through some sort of security. Another option, if you’re not intimidated, is to walk into any police station and ask to use their restroom. (I’ve never tried this last one myself, but it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re desperate.)

Keep in mind though, depending on where you are, the downside to all of these is their hours.

2) GAS STATIONS / CONVENIENCE STORES / REST STOPS

These are not my go to spots (see my standards above) but they are usually the best (and sometimes only) road option.

If you have the choice between a rest stop or a gas station, ALWAYS choose the rest stop. Rest stops were made for this activity! If you are lucky enough to find yourself in one that also includes food sellers and kitschy stores, bask in the comfort and enjoy its (hopefully) clean bathrooms.

If you’re stuck choosing between a myriad of gas stations, two good rules: (1) a convenience store increases the chances for a clean bathroom exponentially, (2) if the gas station looks 90% sketchy their restroom is probably going to be 99% gross.

3) CHAIN COFFEE SHOPS – Starbucks, Peet’s Coffee, Coffee Bean etc.

I’m all about the independent coffee shop, but you can’t always guarantee they’ll have a public restroom. So, for purposes of alleviating your bladder, you might want to stick to the chains. I usually go for Starbucks (they say there’s one on every corner for a reason.) If their bathroom needs a key, prepare yourself for a $3 drink surcharge or that awkward I’m just here cause I need to pee moment at the counter. Good rule: the smaller the town, the less likely the bathroom will require a key.

4) LARGE RETAIL STORES - Target, Barnes & Noble, Kohl’s, Costco (if you’re a member), grocery stores, etc.

Ranked below coffee shops only because these might not be your fastest options. Bathrooms in these stores can sometimes be buried in far corners, on 2nd floors, or in basements. But if you don’t mind walking (and even a little shopping) these can be great, clean options.

Hate talking to people? If so, I don’t recommend using a grocery store. Their bathrooms are usually inconspicuous and you’ll often have to ask someone to find it. (Though, I’ve found Whole Foods to be the exception to this rule.)

5) RESTAURANTS

If all of the above have failed you, consider any of the following, but be warned, you might have to pay for these options:

Fast Food Chains

Swift and easy to find, these are a standard bathroom option, particularly when traveling. They will probably be the cheapest if you are forced to buy something (remember most McDonalds still have a $1 menu.) But, like gas stations, your basic fast food chains can rank pretty high on the disgusting scale.

I like to lean towards the slightly classier options: Chipotle, Panera, Panda Express etc. I usually approach Panera like I approach Starbucks: if I can sneak in great, if not (or if my guilt has set in), I’m quite partial to their strawberries and cream scones.

Sit Down Restaurants

Unless you’re planning to eat at said restaurant, accessing these bathrooms can be difficult. If you’re attempting to just run in, aim for chains (guaranteed bathroom and lowered guilt factor), establishments without a dress code, and places with lots of families. I like the Olive Garden, bathrooms are usually located right by the front doors and long wait times provide excellent crowd cover.

Do you have a favorite place we missed? Let us know below! 

bathroom

Photo by Meaghan Morrison