The Traveling Wheelchair

Central Wharf
Boston, MA

After leaving the  New England Aquarium yesterday my friends and I realized that we needed to use a restroom before we headed back home. We saw a City Toilet right on Central Wharf. It looks just like the ones that I’ve seen in NYC. There was a wheelchair accessible logo on it so we were all happy about this. My friend Kellie read a sign on the City Toilet that said if you are in here for more than 10 minutes an alarm will sound and the doors will automatically open. Now that would be embarrassing.

There was an elderly couple from China waiting to use the toilet so we waited in line behind them. They placed a quarter in a slot and the doors automatically slid open! The man from China went in first and the doors closed. Then about a ‘half second’ later the doors slid open! He wasn’t done using the toilet so he just looked at the doors, walked out and stood next to his wife. We all looked on to see the doors slide open-close-open-close-open-close etc. The couple from China looked like they didn’t know what to do. Kellie, my friend asked if they were done and they shook there head no. 

My friends and I got a good look inside this City Toilet as the doors were sliding open and closed. There looked to be plenty of room for a wheelchair. The toilet has the required ADA safety grab bars yet the accessible sink does not have covering around the exposed pipes as is now ADA required. We won’t deduct a Star for cold water wouldn’t get the pipes too hot.

This City Toilet is very wheelchair accessible yet we all decided to go back into the Aquarium and use their restrooms. This City Toilet was obviously malfunctioning. We also noticed a strong foul odor when the door slid opened.

I give the City Toilet FIVE STARS for wheelchair accessibility. Personally I would never use this City Toilet due to sanitary reasons and fear of the doors malfunctioning.