This column originally appeared in the Looped In NYC newsletter. Sign up here.

In a city where there’s perhaps no bigger thrill than locating a free bathroom the second you really have to go, news about more options rarely fails to catch our attention, especially when cool terms like “high-tech” and “solar-powered” get thrown in.

But these futuristic Throne robotoilets, two of which opened last week, aren’t without their downsides. They can only be unlocked with a smartphone or a tap card. The door flies open once a 10-minute countdown clock expires, which could pose a challenge for users with disabilities. And when the rollout is complete, Thrones will be operating in … only 17 locations across five boroughs.

Sure, other options technically exist. Restroom enthusiasts for years have been tracking, and mapping, the bookshops and churches and Apple stores with exceptional facilities.

But where do you go to the bathroom when there’s no other solution in sight? My colleague Brittany Kriegstein, who covers breaking news and crime from Fordham Road to Flushing, has an answer: The nearest bodega.

“ During the pandemic, all restaurants were closed, coffee shops were closed, everything was closed except for the bodegas where people were getting their essentials,” she told me. “And I quickly found out that, yeah, there are restrooms. It can be quite an adventure getting to them.”

For Looped In, she took us on one of those adventures in the South Bronx — watch this week’s video!

Below is an edited transcript of her guide to being a bodega bathroom all-star:

James: I’ll spoil the first big twist in our journey: The first bodega we approached had a sign that said “no public restrooms,” and two minutes later … we were in the restroom. What’s the secret to your approach?

Brittany: I usually walk right up to the counter with my press pass and tell whoever is working that I’m covering a story in the area. Speaking Spanish also definitely helps, especially in places like the Bronx! But in the end, it comes down to kindness and probably personal cleanliness. I think (I hope) they know that I’m not going to leave the bathroom a mess or steal anything from the back storeroom.

We got lucky at this first stop — Felix said he allows bodega visitors to use the bathroom on a case-by-case basis.

“ There are times, if you see someone who is truly having an emergency, you make the effort,” he said. “For example, if a woman comes along who is in a real rush, or a pregnant woman, or a child, you make an exception and let them through.”

When I asked Felix how he himself deals with finding a bathroom when he’s out and about, he admitted that he has horrible luck, so for that reason, too, he’s sympathetic.

James: Something we witnessed on our tour — which you’ve also documented on your TikTok for years — is that every bodega bathroom has its own personality. What might you expect to find, or not find, when entering one?

Brittany: The oddities are endless! I’ve peed next to cats in litter boxes, whole shower setups, nasty mop buckets, bizarre artwork, dead roaches — you name it. There are usually a variety of cleaning products, and toilet paper if you’re lucky. I try to bring my own.

Some of the bodega bathrooms are also tiny and wedged into awkward back corners that take some flexibility to get to, which is always fun.

James: Do you have an all-time favorite?

Brittany: I’ll go ahead and shout out the best bodega bathroom in the Boogie Down. But I think my all-time favorite (on the weirdness scale) was probably the only one I decided NOT to use: a bathroom in a bodega basement that had a man (presumably a worker) fast asleep on a mattress right next to the door. It was a little too close for comfort.

James: Glad he was getting some rest, he’d probably been working hard. Speaking of hard work — I appreciated that one bathroom we checked out had a sign that said “please wipe down the seat after using.” Basically, we helped you out, you gotta reciprocate.

Brittany: Exactly. Ultimately, using a bodega bathroom is a privilege, because you have no other choice. They really can say no if they want to. So I always thank the workers profusely and try to leave the place as clean as possible. It also doesn’t hurt to buy a little snack on my way out!