When Steven Soifer was 11 years old, bullies tried to break into the bathroom stall he was using. The University of Maryland associate professor has been avidly interested in public facilities ever since: their construction, privacy and accessiblity - in short, their role in civilized life.
Soifer, who teaches community organizing at the School of Social Work downtown, is a co-founder of the Baltimore-based American Restroom Association, an advocacy group that demands more and better communal bathrooms. He is a man at ease discussing the phenomenon of toilet-seat hovering (for those fearful of direct contact), the sewage issues surrounding the Beijing Olympics and the British pronunciation of the word "urinal." He does not hesitate to charge into businesses of all descriptions and, just for the heck of it, say:
"I need to use the restroom, please."
He tried this line one day last week at the McDonald's at Paca and Baltimore streets; slowly, the woman behind the counter looked up. Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain, James Taylor crooned in the background, but this worker had clearly never seen the likes of Soifer, in his khaki jacket and tan fedora. He stands 6 feet 2 1/2 inches tall, which means, as he had noted earlier, that "if I go into a stall, most times my head is above the top - and that's a little bit embarrassing for me, frankly."
Soifer stared down at the woman expectantly.
"Calvin!" she yelled.
A young man with a mop materialized to lead Soifer to the closed bathroom at the back of the restaurant. Soifer stepped in and then immediately out. "Just had to wash my hands!" he called to the bewildered Calvin.
So it was throughout a brief tour of bathrooms in businesses on and around Baltimore Street. Sometimes, when Soifer felt that his request had particularly inconvenienced employees, he closed the men's room door and gave the toilet a ceremonial flush, just to make it seem worth their while.
The purpose of this particular survey was to illustrate for an observer the sad state of restroom availability in this city, but in private life Soifer makes a habit of using store facilities every few weeks, because the American Restroom Association views this as a citizen's right, and because the reactions Soifer gets remind him of how much work remains. Not every day can be World Toilet Day (although today actually is). ARA officials must be vigilant all year round.
