Michigan Could Benefit From Toilet Bunkers, Similar To Forgotten Ones in Milwaukee
If you don't know what Urban Spelunking is, effectively, it's climbing, crawling, and exploring places in cities that are often lost, or have fallen in disrepair. A great example would be finding lost tunnels, or entire neighborhoods and cities underneath existing cities.
It's fascinating stuff, and I ran across a fun one the other day. Bobby Tanzilo, who writes for OnMilwaukee in Wisconsin. He was writing in an Urban Spelunking series about these underground toilets along one of the main drags in the city. REAL interesting story, but it got me to thinking... why don't we have these in other places, ESPECIALLY in Michigan?
I know they look rough, but if they could be maintained, these would be a valuable asset in Michigan.
Hear me out.
The story goes that these "potty bunkers" were built in Milwaukee for maintenance crews. Upon investigation, the "bunkers" were found to have a toilet and sink, some had barrels of "drinking water" stashed in the corners, and even some hooks along the wall for storing tools, coats, and other devices.
It was a convenient location along a long stretch of road for crews to take a break, and store their equipment while working on the landscaping, or on the road.
This is BRILLIANT, and I think Michigan could use these... everywhere.
Just look at the amount of construction this state has along the roads? And often times, in the same places, for long periods of time. Crews have to constantly cart in and service porta-potties, when they could just be using their own facilities. City workers could also store tools and equipment.
Even emergency workers could store equipment in these bunkers. Fire breaks out along the road? No need to haul the equipment halfway across town, because it's already there.
AND, they could even expand these bunkers, and make them available to the public in emergencies. I've seen highway pileups and massive traffic jams in the winter especially, that can last for hours, sometimes days. Imagine being stuck in one of those, you gotta go, and BOOM! There's a roadside toilet bunker you can use. It has power, it has supplies, running water... these are brilliant, and I can't believe they aren't everywhere.
It's a shame the City of Milwaukee let these get to the condition they're in, because they could provide valuable services to workers and citizens. Not to mention, if they put them on highways, I wouldn't have to stop at a gas station just to use the restroom on long trips... I NEVER walk out of there without buying something.