The writer says plenty of Lubbock restaurants and stores have bathrooms, but those are not necessarily public. Some places make customers buy something before handing over the key. Others keep the doors locked and give reasons like truckers using the women's restroom or fixtures being out of order.
Some restrooms do open to anyone, the writer says, but many look like nobody has cleaned them since the Clinton administration. Gas station bathrooms get singled out as especially filthy. Park restrooms are nothing special, yet the writer credits them with rescuing parents in the middle of a game of catch with their kids.
For people experiencing homelessness, the column says, finding a place to go can be incredibly difficult. The writer asked a friend who spent several years on the streets of Lubbock where they used the bathroom most often. The friend said most homeless people in downtown Lubbock use the restrooms at Stripes, Walmart, United, and CVS. Those options help, but they are not open 24/7.