Pearl Jam guitarist lobbies lawmakers for restroom access

OLYMPIA — As the lead guitarist for Seattle rock band Pearl Jam, Mike McCready has toured the world, won a Grammy and performed with the Rolling Stones.

But as McCready knows, there are some things fame can't get you. And sometimes, that means getting to a restroom in time.

McCready suffers from Crohn's disease, a painful gastrointestinal disorder that can make finding restrooms an extremely urgent and embarrassing task. On Thursday, he asked Washington state lawmakers to mandate emergency access to businesses' private restrooms for sufferers of Crohn's and related disorders.

"Imagine the worst diarrhea you've ever had, and then times it by 10, with a knife in it," McCready said after testifying before a legislative committee. "You have maybe a half-a-second to find out where a bathroom is."

The proposal would require retailers without public restrooms to allow people with inflammatory bowel diseases to use employee restrooms, provided an identification card or a letter from a doctor or nurse is shown.

There would be some exceptions for small businesses, but if the bill becomes law, those who refuse to open up their restrooms to qualified people could eventually be fined $100.

Illinois, Michigan and Texas have passed similar laws, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, said the idea came from a constituent with Crohn's disease. Statistics show nearly 30,000 people in Washington are affected by inflammatory bowel disease, Liias said.

"In general, as a society, we are loath to talk about the restroom and going to the restroom," Liias said. "For many people, the simple act of going to the restroom can be an excruciating experience."

McCready said his Crohn's attacks often happen at the most inopportune moments.

"I was in the middle of a solo and it hit, and I can't go anywhere because I'm playing in front of 20,000 people," McCready told The Associated Press after he testified. "So I just let go. I went back stage and cleaned up, because the show must go on."

Another attack happened just before McCready took the stage during a Pearl Jam-Rolling Stones concert, leaving him rushing for a portable toilet.

Pearl Jam made its name in the early 1990s, part of an explosion of grunge rock acts that helped put Seattle on the map.

The band also is known for publicly fighting ticket-sales giant Ticketmaster, but McCready said he was still nervous testifying at the state House Judiciary Committee.

Officials from bank and restaurant associations raised some concerns about the proposed law.

Washington Restaurant Association lobbyist Michael Transue said allowing members of the public with inflammatory bowel diseases to use employee restrooms could create safety issues, particularly if they had to travel through busy kitchens during peak business hours.

"We're very sympathetic to the issue presented," Transue said. "To allow folks in these situations to use our employee restrooms is the humane and compassionate thing to do ... that said, imposing mandatory requirements" is not fair to businesses.

McCready said a law is needed because many businesses are insensitive to the needs of people who have diseases like Crohn's. He said there are a number of businesses he won't patronize because they've denied him emergency restroom access.

Over the past 20 years he estimates that he's had "hundreds" of accidents. But while Crohn's disease has been a public embarrassment for him, he said officials should remember the everyday people who suffer with similar disorders.

"I'm 42 years old. I'm doing fine," he said. "But when you're 13 or 14 and you're going through those years with the shame and indignation — it's embarrassing."

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said the bill will likely be passed out of his committee.