Why Did America's Public Bathrooms Disappear?

Where Did All the Public Bathrooms Go?

The disappearance of public restrooms in the U.S. is rooted in 19th-century Paris, where ornate pissoirs were built to combat cholera. These urinals became clandestine meeting spots for gay men, leading to police crackdowns. In America, temperance advocates pushed for public 'comfort stations' to reduce saloon patronage, but as Prohibition ended, these facilities decayed, and private businesses became the default, making bathroom access a purchasable commodity.