It seems like there is a link between income level and personal cleanliness. At least when you're out in public, anyway. I've noticed for a long time, that in low income neighborhoods, the public bathrooms are beyond disgusting. There is pee on the floor, garbage, feminine products on the floor, shit on the walls (literally, shit), pee on the toilet seat, and not enough handsoap for us to wash the filth off of us.
Right now I am temping in Perth Amboy, NJ. It is a low income, mostly hispanic immigrant neighborhood in central NJ. The building I work in has several law offices (for immigration, go figure), pregancy centers, and the WIC office. So needless to say, alot of hood rats from off the street come in here,and are permitted to use the bathrooms. That's where the problem starts. Now, I don't know many people who I would classify as ''poor'', although I refer to myself that way now that this recession is in full swing (oh wait! the recession ended in 2009. *smacks head*. Thats right. How silly of me! *sarcastic eyeroll*). But whenever I go places where poor people congregate, mostly the low income medical clinics, dental offices, work, fast food bathrooms etc, they are soooo disgusting! Kind of like the picture below.
But why is it that lower income people don't give a shit about keeping a bathroom clean? I mean now that I'm low income too (hopefully not for too much longer), it doesn't mean I'm gonna destroy bathrooms and pee all over everything. If anything, won't that get all over YOU as well as the floor/toilet seat? I throw my garbage away, and leave everything as I left it, sometimes cleaner! Do poor people think that this is how they take their frustrations out against THE MAN by peeing all over everything? I really wish someone had answers because if you go to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, NJPAC, and other venues where hoodrats generally DON'T go, the bathrooms are clean! Not as immaculate as the ones in the pic below, but they're in good shape for public bathrooms. People respect themselves, and the place they are visiting.
I wonder if some of these people who pee all over the floors and fuck up the bathrooms do this at their own house. I remember when I lived in NY, when I walked past the section 8 housing on my street, it reeked of piss. A few people got offended that I wrote that. I understand not ALL people do it. But enough to make you wonder WHY. Did the inside of their houses smell like piss too? Were they too lazy to walk inside to use the bathroom, so they just unzipped on the side of the stoop. Even animals don't go to the bathroom near where they live/sleep. I heard stories from some of the maintenence guys that people would come in the building and shit in garbage cans,or shit on the floor of vacant offices. The 10th floor is completely vacant, and is just one big office space with great acoustics (maybe can sneak in a flute performance for youtube inthere, as long as it's clean! haha) My apartment has horrible acoustics. Too much carpet, rugs, and draperies, bla bla bla. Anyway, someone relieved themself, or just wanted to cause trouble in the middle of the concrete floor.
I get calls all the time from tenants (this is a commercial bldg, and again alot of the business' clients use the bathrooms too) that there is pee all over the floor. I just went in the bathroom on my own floor and it smelled like pee. WTF?! I really want to make a sign, and have it in english AND spanish. I don't know if the sign would make a damn difference to these people. I don't like having to wipe down the soles of my shoes w/ clorox cleaner, but no way in HELL am I going into my house after knowingly walking thru a bathroom with pee everywhere!I usually leave my shoes outside too.
I just wish people would respect others, themselves, and the establishments they're in. I dont want to deal with your pee. YOU deal w/ it, put it where it needs to go, and clean it up! >=/
I feel like going to Carvel for happy hour for $2 shakes, now. While this job lasts.
