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60p for visits to the toilet !

(71 Posts)
Kupari45 Fri 10-Jul-26 12:23:58

Just come back from a week in the Lake district. Had a great time.
I have to drink lots of fluid during my day for health reasons.
Every time I used a public Toilet I had to pay 60p - with a credit card!.
Just checked my statement this morning, and had to laugh at all the entries of 60p . My bank must be wondering what is she buying in great numbers for 60p !

MissAdventure Thu 16-Jul-26 16:33:09

If i need a piddle, I'm happy to pay whatver it costs, within reason.

I'm wary of using a card to pay, because tech doesn't always play ball when you need it to.

Nurseundercover Thu 16-Jul-26 16:32:14

I agree with paying, but could they not nationally charge 50p. That way you would carry your coins at the ready, similar to how we carry £1 coins for a shopping trolly. Mind you it’s clear there are fewer public toilet these days not surprising as the local authorities had left them to decay. You see more and more cafes etc with notices in their windows “toilets for customers only”. So if need be I’ll buy something and become a customer I’m okay with that. I have seen some appalling toilets with the latest one is the public toilet on the promenade in Argostoli in kefalonia sadly.

Grammaretto Thu 16-Jul-26 12:33:03

I do have a problem with paying.
We also pay council tax which ought to provide toilets in town centres.
They shouldn't need to be manned but unfortunately due to vandalism it's almost impossible to avoid some supervision.

Along the East Lothian coast there are excellent toilets beside the carpark in Longniddry. Free, clean, individual unisex.

yanda Thu 16-Jul-26 12:25:38

When you think about it we pay to pee at home. I assume we all pay water rates. Why do some people have a problem with paying to pee outside the home?

Margiknot Thu 16-Jul-26 10:52:40

Our nearest small cathedral city - popular with tourists and visitors has closed most of the public toilets, due to the cost of maintenance. There is one left, which now closes at 4pm- ( including disabled loos) which is quite a while before the shops close! People waiting for buses home or finishing shopping later have nowhere to pop to before heading home.
I would rather pay to use a clean well maintained loo than the alternative!

Luckygirl3 Thu 16-Jul-26 10:39:23

It will be "I am just going to spend a pound" soon!

Witzend Thu 16-Jul-26 10:10:31

In our town centre I have taken the Gdcs to free loos in a) John Lewis, b) M&S, and c) the church, where there’s also a relatively quiet and peaceful cafe.

Flippin2 Thu 16-Jul-26 09:49:04

40p to use the toilets where we live,couple of weeks ago there were complaints about a lady collecting money to use them..turns out she was a con artist but she had a card machine,a lanyard with photo , whatever next ?!

Grammaretto Thu 16-Jul-26 08:04:28

You do feel obliged to buy a coffee so that's about £3 or more BlueBelle.
That's what happens in France too.

Interesting toilets by a Cathar castle in SW France StoneofDestiny . They looked almost as old as the castle itself. A hole in the ground. My small niece came running out calling for me to rescue the furry animal which must have fallen into hers!😂

Needless to say, I didn't.

BlueBelle Thu 16-Jul-26 07:37:32

Why don’t men have to pay
Grammaratto I read recently that Starbucks is going to make it customers only

Maremia Thu 16-Jul-26 06:41:22

With a 60p charge, that is two coins.
Just thinking of the machinery.
50p or £1 would be simpler.

StoneofDestiny Thu 16-Jul-26 05:14:35

It’s a £1 in France

Grammaretto Thu 16-Jul-26 04:25:40

Inverness bus station has recently removed the paying turnstile. They were reasonably clean but inadequate for the amount of traffic.
Edinburgh bus station and main railway station are both free now but at Glasgow it's not.

I think it's dreadful to charge for toilets.
Cafés such as Starbucks you must get a code before you can use their loo.
At least there are still facilities. In my town the 2 public toilets are boarded up.

Kartush Thu 16-Jul-26 02:04:41

Here in Australia as a rule public toilets are all free, but I remember on a trip to the Vatican i had to laugh, half way up St Peters Basilica there were public toilets, the toilets were free but at the door sat a little nun selling you toilet paper

Puss Wed 15-Jul-26 23:03:32

50p in Scotland last year. They were very clean but travelled to Sterling and what a difference . They where blocked water everywhere. No attendee.

Cabbie21 Wed 15-Jul-26 22:55:34

Last year I was in the Lake District and suddenly urgently needed the loo. I have IBS. Fortunately I was near a loo. It took cards only, but it was as quick to use a card as to use a coin. I was greatly relieved ( pun intended) to be able to use a very clean toilet with decent facilities for 60p.

Gran22boys Wed 15-Jul-26 22:36:09

JenniferEccles

I know what you mean about inflation but if it means the toilets are kept well stocked with paper and soap and are clean then I would rather that than a free one which leaves much to be desired.

I absolutely agree!

Deedaa Wed 15-Jul-26 20:28:17

If they are clean, with an attendant I am happy to pay. About 20 years ago we went to the Monaco Grand Prix (20 euros to sit on the hillside) We found a public loo where a wizened crone charged us 50c each and handed us each two sheets of paper.

Fallingstar Wed 15-Jul-26 20:10:07

Cambia

Just spent ten days in Wales, plenty of clean conveniences everywhere and no charge at all. Well done Wales. Do think that when you pay to park free toilets should be available.

I agree with this and though some railway stations have toilets neither West Ham or Stratford which are major hubs do and people pay a lot to travel by rail. And have yet to go to a bus depot which has toilets that are not locked or out of order and again people pay a lot to travel by bus unless they have a bus pass.

jocork Wed 15-Jul-26 19:55:18

monk08

In Bulgaria you paid the lady on the door and she handed you one sheet of toilet paper.☹

That happened to me in Venice back in the early 70's. We were struggling for cash as we went on a day trip from Croatia by hovercraft, but it was the day the pound was devalued so all the banks were closed and we only had £s and whatever the currency was in Yugoslavia as Croatia was then. I was still a young teenager so it was mum and dad who had to juggle the cash but I still remember the miserly single sheet of 'trracing paper''!

Rocketstop2 Wed 15-Jul-26 18:39:41

When my GC were small and we would take them for a seaside day out, it was really costly as they needed the toilet quite a lot, at that time it was 40p each and a battle axe making sure you paid for each child over and over.

Cambia Wed 15-Jul-26 15:17:21

Just spent ten days in Wales, plenty of clean conveniences everywhere and no charge at all. Well done Wales. Do think that when you pay to park free toilets should be available.

Sleepyhead52 Wed 15-Jul-26 15:09:11

ViceVersa

I live close to a bus terminus. There used to be a little public toilet next to it, which was used by the bus drivers, but it was demolished several years ago when they built a new housing estate next to it. I dread to think where they 'go' now. There is a designated bus drivers' toilet (which they have their own key to open) in a lay-by just on the outskirts of Edinburgh, but apart from that, I guess they've just got to hold it in!

She wees and milk bottles?!

Sleepyhead52 Wed 15-Jul-26 15:04:44

yanda

Why do you think it should be free? Public toilets are usually pretty disgusting and I guess they have been closed because of this. Who wants to clean public toilets for minimum wage anyway.
I clean offices where social workers work and those toilets can be pretty grim sometimes. I wouldn't want to clean up after the general public for £12 and hour. So if you want clean facilities then you have to pay more for them.

I have always thought that people in this day and age knew how to use toilets 'properly' Having had to use some more frequently recently (especially disabled ones) I now wonder if there isn't a whole raft of people who don't even have indoor plumbing ...

jakuss Wed 15-Jul-26 15:01:25

Should have used wetherspoons or mcdonalds, or a supermarket