Day 14

Day 14: The loo

One of the most frequent questions I’ve been asked is, “What are you doing about the toilet?” 

Remember, I am not homeless. I have had 14 churchyards to sleep in. Most have given me access to a toilet, though I have had some nights with no loo in sight. Toilets are a problem.

Walking from the car park to our centre at Sheffield Cathedral one morning, Patrick was stood gloved up, bag in one hand, shovel in the other and a bucket of soapy water on the ground. “Just dealing with a pile.”

“Oh, that’s unpleasant.”

“I know, fancy needing to go and there being nowhere!” His sympathy was with the leaver of the deposit. Mine was with him. 

I went into this fourteen days of homelessness knowing I have occasional problems with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). There are moments when my body gives me little warning of the need to go. Sometimes it’s an immediate demand. At others I can manage about fifteen or so minutes of concentrated effort to get me to a loo. I’ve been lucky. IBS has only bothered me twice, both times within range of an accessible toilet….. accessible to me. But most rough sleepers don’t have the access I’ve had.

One of my rules for the last two weeks is that I wouldn’t go into places to eat or drink that I believe people who are homeless wouldn’t use. Needing the toilet made me really question that decision. If you are desperate, surely you take a risk. I remember being in a high street coffee shop chain and seeing someone who was a known street drinker come in and make his way to the toilet. He carried all the traits of someone who lives on the street and I looked around to see the response of those he passed. They all looked at him. And he stared defiantly back. He knew he was out of place. He looked uncomfortable, but he needed the loo. Since that time many shops and coffee shops have fitted code locks so that toilets are for customers only. City centre public toilets have closed.

When I was thinking about this blog I mentioned to a couple of people that I have a 57 year old bladder, generally in good condition but with a faulty stop/start function. A much younger woman responded, “I’ve got a ‘three baby bladder’ and that’s useless.” She had survived homelessness.

I realise toileting and health are individual issues but they impact each other too. Someone else mentioned being coeliac. It was only when they were diagnosed that they realised how unwell they had felt for years, with an impact on their bowels.

Over fourteen days I’ve shared much which I think is hidden about homelessness. We don’t wear badges telling our histories. Our health needs are invisible. Maybe this is the most important thing. It allows us to overlook important things and make unwarranted assumptions. It’s probably the worst part about being homeless. 

If you want to know more about changing the lives of people who are homeless visit www.archerproject.org.uk 

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