The ethics of pay to use toilets in Europe

[Jamjai]

In the airport they don't pay a fee

[SaintB]

In the airport they don't pay a fee

It's hidden in the ridiculous costs of airline tickets.

[Viritica]

The worst part is that it unfairly penalizes women. Men are totally capable of finding a discrete bush and relieving themselves quickly and without much fuss. This is much more of a challenge for women.

Though actually, when I was in Vienna, the men's bathroom attendant at a festival wasn't charging my male companions to use the bathroom, but he did make sure I paid up. Perhaps it was to prevent them from just using the bushes, but that was some serious bullshit.


edit to add: It also wasn't even the case that the bathrooms were super nice. I've seen much nicer free ones in North America and Japan. They also seemed to be staffed exclusively by creepy old men.

The ultimate advantage of men over women: we can pee standing up.

[Giovenith]

There is no greater evil.

[Herrebrugh]

In the airport they don't pay a fee

It's hidden in the ridiculous costs of airline tickets.

Or not.

I recently heard a story of a Ryanair flight where the passengers weren't allowed to use the toilet.

To apologise, the company gave the travellers some juice afterwards, though, it turned out to be past the expiry date

[Viritica]

In the airport they don't pay a fee

It's hidden in the ridiculous costs of airline tickets.

"Your ticket cost is $499. Plus $1 for the bathroom.

[Dakini]

The worst part is that it unfairly penalizes women. Men are totally capable of finding a discrete bush and relieving themselves quickly and without much fuss. This is much more of a challenge for women.

Though actually, when I was in Vienna, the men's bathroom attendant at a festival wasn't charging my male companions to use the bathroom, but he did make sure I paid up. Perhaps it was to prevent them from just using the bushes, but that was some serious bullshit.


edit to add: It also wasn't even the case that the bathrooms were super nice. I've seen much nicer free ones in North America and Japan. They also seemed to be staffed exclusively by creepy old men.

I certainly wouldn't go to Europe, then, if I were you.

I don't remember these existing in Italy.

As far as I know, no major feminist movements here have combatted the tyranny that is paying the toilet lady.

What toilet lady?

Like I said, the employees in the toilets were always creepy old men.

[Dakini]

The worst part is that it unfairly penalizes women. Men are totally capable of finding a discrete bush and relieving themselves quickly and without much fuss. This is much more of a challenge for women.

Though actually, when I was in Vienna, the men's bathroom attendant at a festival wasn't charging my male companions to use the bathroom, but he did make sure I paid up. Perhaps it was to prevent them from just using the bushes, but that was some serious bullshit.


edit to add: It also wasn't even the case that the bathrooms were super nice. I've seen much nicer free ones in North America and Japan. They also seemed to be staffed exclusively by creepy old men.

The ultimate advantage of men over women: we can pee standing up.

No longer.

[Shilya]

Well, someone has to pay for it. Often enough they've been handed to other companies now, trying to make a profit. Other cases again, they want to load some of that toilet traffic on nearby restaurants, because that means less costs for them.

Capitalism Ho! Let's ruin everything for a couple dollars saved!

[Viritica]

The ultimate advantage of men over women: we can pee standing up.

No longer.

How dare you attempt to remove us of our advantage! Kill this device before it lays eggs!

[Dakini]

No longer.

How dare you attempt to remove us of our advantage! Kill this device before it lays eggs!

All of your conveniences and advantages are ours now!

[Herrebrugh]

I certainly wouldn't go to Europe, then, if I were you.

I don't remember these existing in Italy.

As far as I know, no major feminist movements here have combatted the tyranny that is paying the toilet lady.

What toilet lady?

Like I said, the employees in the toilets were always creepy old men.

They're just about always women, here.

[Planeia]

1) Where do they get the money to pay for clean toilets?

2) Have you seen the hideous mess that free public toilets in the US are? The public does stuff in public toilets they would never dream of doing at home. Having had to use one because I was ill in Grand Central Station, (and on Amtrak trains since, and in parks) I can say that paying a nominal fee for an immaculate toilet is absolutely fine in my books.

3. It's nothing new.

Would they prefer I just take a dump on the seat?

Much worse.

[Dakini]

I don't remember these existing in Italy.


What toilet lady?

Like I said, the employees in the toilets were always creepy old men.

They're just about always women, here.

Well, that would have made the experience significantly less creepy and disturbing, but alas, in Vienna, they seem to mostly hire creepy old men to hang out in women's washrooms, waiting to collect money.

[Page]

When my girlfriend and I were in Amsterdam, we used .50 euro to open the door and one of us used the bathroom while the other held it almost shut. Gotta get creative!

Also, there are charge toilets in the US, especially in fucking Boston.

[Smoya]

What a bad idea. I expected more.

But if someone is complaining how the free toilets in the US are bad, then you should just see a free portapotty in Mexico. The US bathrooms are a paradise compared to that.

[Skeckoa]

Actually, I have seen one pay-to-use restroom in the UNited States. It was in a Taco Bell™, not the best idea. They actually had a coin with a string behind the desk that they gave you since the practice was outdated. Really though? Toilet quality... I mean, it is the right of the owner to charge for the bathroom, but is it necessary? Absolutely not.

ALso, for those who have not seen it, the play Urinetown was thought of when an American saw one of those pay-toilets in Paris.

[Atlanticatia]

It was in a Taco Bell™, not the best idea. They actually had a coin with a string behind the desk that they gave you since the practice was outdated.

That just sounds terrible.

[Charlotte Ryberg]

It depends: as a paying customer to a restaurant you would not expect to pay a premium to use toilets but when it comes to the train stations, how would Network Rail get the money to keep the toilets from smelling bad?

[Chernoslavia]

I remember being absolutely horrified during my first vacation to Europe to discover that public toilets throughout many train stations throughout Europe require coin payments to utilize and access. This seems wrong to me on so many levels.

The right to be able to relieve oneself at a public area funded by the gov (such as train stations) is a fundamental human right. It's unethical to charge desperate people who really need relief to pay to access these stations. For god's sake Europe is supposed to be the world leader in human rights (European court of human rights, Hague etc) and yet here sits a human rights
catastrophe. Are European governments THAT desperate for public funds? Europe is a developed country for god's sake. If I can go to more authoritarian and less developed country and expect free toilet use in public facilities, I think the same egalitarian rights should be available in Paris, Brussels, Rome etc. this is a bad joke and clearly this is exploitation. People who are really poor and really need to take a piss at a station should AT THE VERY LEAST be given the right to do so without having to resort to breaking municipal by laws. Do people who are really poor and need to piss REALLY have a choice but to pay? This is exploitation.

This is one area where Europe's brothers across the Atlantic have the right idea. Americans and Canadians should be really really proud of their free toilets. Europe, I think you should really make some reforms in this area. I mean come on, if you can have free toilets in less fortunate countries, Europe has no excuse.

NSG what do you think? Do you think it's ethical to charge people to use toilets in train stations? Is Europe justified where they do this? Is there a human rights issue?

Since when was Europe the seat of human rights?

[Riftend]

It's a tourist destination - so a lot of these people aren't going to be paying the taxes used to maintain restrooms. Instead they have a coin entry...I don't get what's wrong with it. If your gonna shit somewhere - it'll need to be cleaned by someone...people don't work for free.

[Vicious Debaters]

I've never been to Europe (not yet, at least), but there are several places in the U.S. where I've seen pay toilets. They're generally in ghettoey areas. It's also pretty simple to hold your bladder or take a short walk to a nearby location without pay toilets if you don't approve of the (small) fee.

And pay toilets are usually quite clean; you get what you pay for after all, and I'd rather pay my .50c to use a nice clean toilet than use a toilet covered in hobo urine for free.

[The Sotoan Union]

Not a bad idea to fund better restrooms. There should still be free alternatives though even if they are shittier.

[Riftend]

Not a bad idea to fund better restrooms. There should still be free alternatives though even if they are shittier.

They still need money to care for them:

- Cleaners
- Toiler Paper
- Soap
- Paper Towels
- That blowy thing
- Cleaning materials for toilets
- Urinal Cakes

You would find it's rather expensive so they make you pay a little.

[Casinoria]

"John Nevil Maskelyne, the inventor of the pay toilet."

Fuck you John Nevil Maskelyne D:

Actually invented around 74CE by Roman Emperor of the time Titus Flavius Vespasianus, although John invented the modern pay-bog.