poor facilities at the peoples park

Straycat

let me start by firstly saying the two playgrounds are fab, and the park is so well kept but what is with the one measly electronic toilet? what toddler is going to go in there on their own? (this is if you happen to have another child in a buggy with you, which i did) and no changing facilities. kinda defeats the purpose to have a fab play ground that is really busy but you dont have the proper facilities to go with it. i know the cafe has a toilet and changing facility but that is a seperat entity to the park, and people shouldnt have to be guilted into begging to use it or forced to buy somthing so you are a valid customer.

rant over.

KingLoser

the jacks are cat alright.

there's a fairly private bush down by the basketball ring. :pac:

abouttobebanned

Lol @ the jacks are cat

just in case I forgot I was in the Waterford forum

snuggles09

yeah i notice that when i bring the kids..have had to let mine to manies the piddle behind a bush

comeraghs

tis only 2 or 3 mins down to a pub ... them public toilets cost a fortune to keep operating with vandalism etc

Canis_Lupus

Its some pain arite. I was always pissing in the hedge when I hung out there as a young fella.

Yes Boss

Does the City Council not own the Cafe in the Park? Are they renting it out? If so, they should ensure that the toilets can be used by the Public as part of the agreement - or am i looking for too much here?

I would imagine the extra foot traffic will bring people into the Cafe and they may gain extra business from it!

Not The Real Scarecrow

Used to be public toilets there years ago.Were shut down because they were too much hassle to maintain and there used to be a bit of hassle ,ahem, in there as well which was frowned upon harshly at the time.

anplaya

Meatwad wrote: »

Used to be public toilets there years ago.Were shut down because they were too much hassle to maintain and there used to be a bit of hassle ,ahem, in there as well which was frowned upon harshly at the time.

unsavory characters used to hang around in them,i rem me dad wouldnt leave any of us go in there by ourselves when we were kids.

Psychedelic

Straycat wrote: »

let me start by firstly saying the two playgrounds are fab, and the park is so well kept but what is with the one measly electronic toilet? what toddler is going to go in there on their own? (this is if you happen to have another child in a buggy with you, which i did) and no changing facilities. kinda defeats the purpose to have a fab play ground that is really busy but you dont have the proper facilities to go with it. i know the cafe has a toilet and changing facility but that is a seperat entity to the park, and people shouldnt have to be guilted into begging to use it or forced to buy somthing so you are a valid customer.

rant over.

Why do you think it's begging to ask to use the cafe toilet? Do they give you dirty looks and you feel like you have to buy a ham sandwich or something? Just explain why you need to use their toilet and they'll understand.

As has been mentioned already, if the toilets were open all the time they would be full of graffiti, rubbish, underage kids drinking, and god knows what kind of creeps hanging could be hanging around in there. Just pay the 20 cent or whatever it cost, or use the cafe toilet.

Straycat

when there is a big sign on the door of their toilet specifically stating that toilets are for customer use only, this along with the fact you need a keypad code to get access is enough to let me know if im not a customer i shouldnt get to use it. now having said that i explained that the toddler wouldnt go into the electronic toilet on their own and i couldnt get the child, myself and buggy into it at the one time the girls let me use the cafe toilet. (and were lovely) but just that its not the answer.

as for peeing in ditches i spent many years of my childhood doing this, but if the city council can provide a beautiful parkland for everyone to enjoy could they not provide open, accessable public toilet facilities and provide proper security to ensure the unsavory practices are patrolled.

Psychedelic

Ah right that's fair enough so. Dunno why the cafe are trying to force people to buy something to use their toilet, unless they were getting absolutely loads of people in to use it, which I doubt they are. If they were getting loads of people in to use it they too could use a coin operated door and charge 20 cent or something, make a few quid back that way.

But if it is something you think the Council should do something about you should raise the issue with your local Councillors.

Psychedelic

Ah right that's fair enough so. Dunno why the cafe are trying to force people to buy something to use their toilet, unless they were getting absolutely loads of people in to use it, which I doubt they are. If they were getting loads of people in to use it they too could use a coin operated door and charge 20 cent or something, make a few quid back that way.

But if it is something you think the Council should do something about you should raise the issue with your local Councillors.

Cabaal

Straycat wrote: »

when there is a big sign on the door of their toilet specifically stating that toilets are for customer use only, this along with the fact you need a keypad code to get access is enough to let me know if im not a customer i shouldnt get to use it.

To be honest this is fair enough, its a business and as such is not public property so they are free to restrict use of the toilet as they see fit especially if they get ever joe soap off the street using it. After all its customers buying stuff that helps them stay in business, keep the place clean etc

Psychedelic wrote: »

Ah right that's fair enough so. Dunno why the cafe are trying to force people to buy something to use their toilet, unless they were getting absolutely loads of people in to use it, which I doubt they are. If they were getting loads of people in to use it they too could use a coin operated door and charge 20 cent or something, make a few quid back that way.

I see where your coming from but why should the cafe have to inconvience its paying customers by charging them for usage of the toilets, the customers have affectively already paid by buying something.

The solution is not using the cafe toilet, the solution is for the council to ensure the current one is safe and clean....if that means perhaps they get a larger version of what they have then so be it

Straycat

Cabaal wrote: »

The solution is not using the cafe toilet, the solution is for the council to ensure the current one is safe and clean....if that means perhaps they get a larger version of what they have then so be it

absolutely my point. prehaps the single automatic toilet is clean and sufficent for one person, but its not child friendly. and its just a pity.

snuggles09

we love the park and i agree with the original poster..i dont, however, have a solution..i can see both sides of the coin really

for me, i bring the kids down but i know we cant stay for too long because at some point one of them will need the loo or the youngest will need changing and i've no where to do it so we tend to just go down for maybe an hour and as soon as they start wanting to use the loo we come home again..in the summer i'd love to spend the day down there but can't with no loo and its hard when there are three of them playing to pack them all up and head over to the Three Shippes or all of us into the cafe (especially when we havent purchased anything, i'd be embarrassed) ..it ruins the fun and then they start on the whinge-path

on the other hand, i know the toilet facilities in the past have been the setting for manies a "liason" and maybe drugs etc i'm not sure on that score but it's sad that we can't provide such facilities and moreso that they won't be respected but thats the society we live in

i'd rather no toilets and head home after an hour than have my children (or myself) use dirty toilets with broken bottles and condoms littered about the place

Odats

Would it be just as handy for the council to approach the owners of the Park lodge cafe think it's the same crowd that own the New York Burger Company to say ok can people use the toilet in the cafe who frequent the park and give them an incentive like a reduction in their rates charge or some form of annual or quarterly fee for providing the service.
This would:

• Cut out the undesirables
• Provide hygienic area for nappy changing etc
• Be handy especially families