Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe

The most terrifying moments often unfold in mundane situations. My own taste of horror emerges every time I enter a bar and I’m met with a prolonged silence after asking: ‘Can I use the toilet, please?’ In supposedly affluent Western nations, the dire state or absence of public toilets has become a universal nightmare, impacting the health and quality of life of all of us, but particularly for marginalised groups.