A Miserable and Thankless Task

(Chronicle photo)

It's easy to make a joke here, but it's not funny to the City workers who have to deal with the problem: (bold added)

San Francisco workers say it’s hard enough cleaning up after the homeless, but having to share toilets with them is too much to bear...

Interviews with several Public Works staffers, who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, said that some of the 49 Pit Stop toilets installed by the city for use by the homeless and the public are at times downright scary.

“Someone heard banging coming from one of the toilets. When they unlocked it, they found a homeless man inside. He had been in the toilet all the way from the street to the yard,” [Theresa Foglio-Ramirez of Local Union 261] said. “If you are sanitizing after every use, how do you explain that?”

We approve of stories that criticize hypocritical politicians who won't use mass transit or send their kids to public school. Here we make an exception. These workers should not have to use public restrooms; they're not responsible for the mushrooming homeless population that befouls public spaces. The task is miserable and thankless enough.

The Chronicle had the good taste not to show pictures of the facilities in question. Like with horror movies, we're most frightened when the sights are left to our imaginations.