The article argues that public toilets are steadily disappearing from Britain and other Western cities, as cash-strapped councils close, sell or repurpose them to save money and cash in on prime real estate. This matters because toilets are essential everyday infrastructure, particularly for elderly, disabled, pregnant people or those with young children, and their loss can discourage people from going out at all, effectively excluding vulnerable groups from public life.

The piece highlights that London alone lost around 100 public toilets between 2015 and 2025, with fewer than 30 new ones opened in the same period. It describes people resorting to workarounds such as buying items at chains like Pret, McDonald's or Starbucks to obtain door keycodes, using department stores and supermarkets, or relying on social media and apps that share current bathroom codes, all while remaining toilets are often criticised as poorly maintained or unsafe.