Dear Editor,
It saddens me a letter like this must be written! I realize that I’m not the only one that has noticed this issue and not the only one bothered by it. But dang, people! This issue is most definitely NOT confined to our little town, though certain of the populace of our little town are the main subjects of this short rant.
I understand the impetus behind certain businesses in town (honestly, probably the majority of them) closing their restroom facilities to the general public. Several years ago (at most), there were public restrooms everywhere you went. What has brought on this change?
Besides losing their common sense, it seems the general public no longer respects other people’s property. It’s almost like if it doesn’t belong to them, whether it’s free (public use?) or even if they’re renting it. There is not much concern for how it is returned or what shape it’s in when they’re done using it.
When I say general public, please understand that I’m not pointing fingers or even making a blanket statement; I’m simply saying a growing (disturbing) number of people seem to be manifesting this problem!
Unfortunately, education (signs, rules/laws, etc.) doesn’t seem to be helping. For the most part, anyway, unless these people know they’re under surveillance, respect for others’ property appears to have flown the coop, just like common sense!
In some sense, one can hardly blame the business owners for closing their facilities to the general public because of how their property has been treated by those who should know better. It’s not that people DON’T know better, it’s like they don’t CARE if it’s not theirs!
Thanks for listening and like I said, I’m not pointing fingers, but if some are enraged by this letter, they should wonder if they’re part of the problem!
Charles Haddon Shank
Whitehall, Montana
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