{"id":347949,"date":"2025-11-01T12:23:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347949\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T12:23:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T12:23:10","slug":"chicago-will-benefit-from-new-public-restroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/347949\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago will benefit from new public restroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

The half-hearted editorial \u201cChicago gets a new public bathroom. What could possibly go wrong?\u201d<\/a> about Ald. Daniel La Spata\u2019s plan for one (one!) public bathroom somewhere in his ward, sometime in the next year or so, ignores a key fact: Things go wrong now all the time because of the lack of public restrooms throughout the city.<\/p>\n

This is especially the case on CTA elevated-train platforms. While most CTA stations have bathrooms for the CTA staff to use, they are not open to the public.<\/p>\n

But the platforms are. If I didn\u2019t know about the Tribune\u2019s understaffing, I would suggest the paper send some intrepid, and immune-to-bad-smells, reporter to check out the Jarvis or Howard Red Line platform late at night and early in the morning. Like it or not, these platforms are de facto public toilets.<\/p>\n

The argument against public facilities in CTA stations and elsewhere always boils down to: They cost money to keep clean and attract trouble. But trouble is already there. As I have seen countless times over my decades of commuting, CTA employees daily have to clean human waste off of these platforms. I bet that job would be less unpleasant and less expensive if they were cleaning proper restrooms.<\/p>\n

Finally, instead of focusing on what could go wrong, why not consider what could go right with more public restrooms? CTA passengers on these platforms would not have to endure the stench and play avoid-the-mystery-liquid hopscotch on the way to their trains.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bill Savage, Chicago<\/p>\n

Poor zoo experience<\/p>\n

Growing up, I recall school and camp field trips to Lincoln Park Zoo. Countless times, I left with disappointment \u2014 a vast majority of the animals were inside their habitats, out of public view.<\/p>\n

Not much has changed over the years. My wife took my grandchildren to Lincoln Park Zoo a few weeks ago.\u00a0 She paid $35 to park and had a similar experience as I did 60 years ago \u2014 too few animals to actually observe.<\/p>\n

The city has a laundry list of more serious issues other than the public viewing animals at the zoo, I get it, but zoo administrators need to figure out a better way to make visiting the zoo a more memorable experience.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bruce Nathanson, Glenview<\/p>\n

What \u2018woke\u2019 means<\/p>\n

Originally, being \u201cwoke\u201d meant being aware of your environment, your surroundings. Specifically, if you were Black and in the Jim Crow South: Obey sundown laws and avoid white-only restaurants, hotels, drinking fountains, etc. Then it evolved into how to properly act when confronted by police.<\/p>\n

Now being \u201cwoke\u201d means you are tolerant of LGBTQ folks. That you care that humans are treated with compassion, even if they have no legal status in the U.S. You take to heart what the \u201cI\u201d in DEI stands for, the inclusion of all people of all backgrounds and abilities. You care for the physical world that was created by God for all of us.<\/p>\n

In short, being labeled \u201cwoke\u201d means you are accused of being empathetic, compassionate, tolerant and welcoming. Sounds very New Testament. Do the people who want to call me \u201cwoke\u201d realize that is what I really do aspire to?<\/p>\n

I am a Christian by choice. And to be considered a Christian, I must try to live according to the words and deeds of Jesus Christ. Most simply put, to treat my fellow humans as I want to be treated. I try to live my life to be \u201cwoke\u201d like him.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Anth Lechiara,\u00a0Wheaton<\/p>\n

Human costs of Arch<\/p>\n

Regarding the op-ed \u201cThe Midwestern majesty of the Gateway Arch deserves celebration\u201d<\/a> (Oct. 28): Celebrate with St. Louis, we should, but we should also remember the cost of the Gateway Arch. Writer Michael Peregrine celebrates the majesty of the Arch. It should be noted, with at least a mention, that thousands of residents, mostly African American, and many businesses were displaced. This observation does not diminish the celebration. It merely provides an appropriate recognition of the human costs that are part of the marvel that turned 60.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Minch Lewis, adjunct professor, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York<\/p>\n

Not Christmastime<\/p>\n

Last year, the \u201call-Christmas\u201d FM station began playing holiday music on Nov. 2, and by Nov. 3, half of the listeners had already grown weary of hearing \u201cIt\u2019s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year\u201d for the umpteenth time.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s the problem with Christmas music. There\u2019s only a dozen or so really popular tunes, and no matter how many different interpretations exist, it\u2019s still the very same words repeated over and over again.<\/p>\n

And while the sentiment is great (even when the temperatures remain in the 50s and the chance for snow is even less than Da Bears finishing over .500), the fact remains that the season is being rushed for someone\u2019s commercial gain.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s my contention that holiday tunes should never be played until the \u201cfat man\u201d arrives at the local shopping mall and the annual family portrait has been taken following the ritualistic devouring of turkey and all the trimmings on Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n

Besides, it has to be awfully confusing for young children and older adults to see Christmas decorations being sold alongside Halloween masks even before the first snowflake has fallen.<\/p>\n

Enough already. I\u2019m finding it harder and harder to enjoy any holiday knowing that I always seem to be falling behind in preparing for the next event on the social calendar.<\/p>\n

Which reminds me: Steak or chicken for the Memorial Day cookout?<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bob Ory, Elgin<\/p>\n

Vaccination idea<\/p>\n

While senior citizens and others are encouraged to get COVID-19 and flu shots, many have mobility issues that make it difficult to walk into a pharmacy or clinic. To increase vaccination rates and make the process easier for those who need it most, it would be a welcome innovation if local pharmacies, health care providers or public health departments offered a drive-thru option specifically for individuals with mobility limitations.<\/p>\n

Eligibility for this procedure could be easily confirmed with a handicap placard or license plate. This simple step could help protect more people and make our community healthier.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Al Zvinakis, Lemont<\/p>\n

Portillo\u2019s woes<\/p>\n

The new owners of Portillo\u2019s need to begin by hiring people of quality. The other night, I placed an order with the Portillo\u2019s I have frequented for 10 years. I ordered an Italian beef, dipped and cut in half. When I got home, I had an Italian sausage sandwich, which I didn\u2019t want. Late at night, I don\u2019t feel like driving back there!<\/p>\n

The help they have hired recently is of poor quality, and that is what is driving their sales into the ground. They must start with much higher-quality help.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Arleen Boyer,\u00a0Burr Ridge<\/p>\n

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here<\/a> or email letters@chicagotribune.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The half-hearted editorial \u201cChicago gets a new public bathroom. What could possibly go wrong?\u201d about Ald. Daniel La…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":347950,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,5386,1818,7281,1269],"class_list":{"0":"post-347949","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-illinois","11":"tag-letters-to-the-editor","12":"tag-opinion"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115474425763026361","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=347949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/347949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/347950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=347949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=347949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=347949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}