Spend a penny

[Miss Chicken]

I am listening to David Crystal's 'the History of English in 100 words'. In the chapter 'Money' he mentions the term 'spend a penny' which he states doesn't take into account that it costs more than a penny to use a toilet nowadays, he suggests it costs at least 20p, maybe more.

I haven't had to pay anything to use a toilet for about 20 to 25 years though a friend told me that one place she knows of charged up to about 15 years ago.

So, I am asking people here do you ever have to pay to toilet/restroom?

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

If I recall correctly, it costs 30p (new pence) to use a toilet in London railway stations nowadays. In terms of pre-decimal money, that's 6 shillings or 72d (old pence). That's 7,100% inflation. London Victoria station made more than £2M over three years on its toilets:

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/07/train-station-toilets-make-millions-every-year

More info on toilet charges and how to avoid them:

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTo..._public_toilets_in_London-London_England.html

 

[hux]

There are pay toilets all over Britain. Last one I used was 40p. The toilets at Leeds train station are about that too (or was it 30p?). Anyway, it's pretty common.

 

[T'Girl]

I can't remember ever seeing a pay toilet, except in old movies and historical pictures.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I've never paid to use a toilet in my life and I've never seen a pay toilet. I've only heard about these evil things being overseas. But we have something close to it in America: businesses that only let you use the toilet if you are a paying costumer. If it's a taco place and you buy a taco, you can use the restroom; however there aren't any that I know of in my state (Florida( since as I recall Florida law says that businesses whose profit is 10% of more from sales, must provide a public bathroom.


Thinking litterally about the thread title: I'm not sure what, if anything you can get for a penny these days. Well, you can get a penny of gasoline, but you better pull and release that pump handle fast!

 

[Squiggy]

But we have something close to it in America: businesses that only let you use the toilet if you are a paying costumer.

That's not close at all.

 

[Starkers]

Last time I paid for a toilet was, I think, in Whitby earlier in the year. I'm pretty sure the last time I went to London the ones in St Pancras were free, but it might vary between stations, can't say about Leeds but Nottingham and Leicester are the two I use most and neither charges.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

There used to be some pay toilets in NYC decades ago. I remember them from the Port Authority Bus Terminal and/or Macy's in the '60s. The only pay toilets I recall encountering since then were in Turkey last year.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I seem to remember having seen one before, but I can't remember where and it was a long time ago. They don't seem very common and to be honest I hardly see public toilets at all, free or not, except for highway rest stops and in San Francisco. Gas stations in California are required to provide a free restroom, even for non-customers, so I feel like the public toilet need is mostly fulfilled in my area.

As to the question of what you can get for a penny, I am reminded of when pogs were a huge deal when I was a kid. There was a store in town with a big sign on the window indicating that you could get a pog for half a penny. I was confused by this and pondered it often, eventually coming to the conclusion that the customer must be forced to buy at least two pogs, since there is no change smaller than a penny, and that this was a very unfair business practice.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

When I was a kid, there were paid toilets all around Northern New Jersey. I remember going to Woolworths and having to pay a dime, 10 cents to use the bathroom.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I have never even seen a pay toilet, let alone used one.

I can't remember ever seeing a pay toilet, except in old movies and historical pictures.

And on stage.

 

[Kor]

I have never encountered them in the US in my brief time on this earth as a member of Generation Y, though I have seen them overseas.

Wikipedia says they declined in the US in the '70s.

I never really gave this too much thought until I saw this thread. Actually, when I visited San Francisco and saw those big self-cleaning public toilet stalls, I expected to have to pay to use them, and I was mildly relieved because they were free. Wait, I think there might be a pun in there somewhere... or at least two-thirds of a pun.

Kor

 

[Timby]

Florida( since as I recall Florida law says that businesses whose profit is 10% of more from sales, must provide a public bathroom.

Generally speaking all of a business' profit would come from sales.

 

[Kor]

^ Perhaps it specifically means retail or food sales to the public, as opposed to businesses that only do wholesale or online sales operations. And then there are businesses that provide services such as CPAs and law firms.

Though I would imagine that retail stores in a shopping mall or similar environment would not all need to individually provide public restrooms, since the shopping center provides them.

Kor

 

[Timewalker]

I have never even seen a pay toilet, let alone used one.

I can't remember ever seeing a pay toilet, except in old movies and historical pictures.

And on stage.

I vaguely remember seeing pay toilets in Woolco, several decades ago. They cost 10 cents.

I saw a recent article in which it said something about having pay toilets in Edmonton, in the rapid transit stations. If that happens, I predict an increase in people just going outdoors.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Although I have heard of them, I don't recall ever seeing a pay toilet in real life.

 

[WillsBabe]

20p seems to be the going rate for a whizz in my neck of the woods. The new (ish) loos in town are lovely, clean, well-maintained, and I'm happy to pay 20p for a visit. I do actually remember when it was a penny (1p) to use public toliets, and I remember the coin-locks that they used to have on the doors. I recently came across public loos that you didn't have to pay to get in but if you didn't put 20p in the mechanism, they wouldn't lock!

 

[Starkers]

Those self contained loos that cleaned themselves that made an appearance in the UK in the 90s(I think) seem to have mostly vanished now. Disquietingly they looked a little like suicide booths from Futurama.

 

[Astra]

Toilets you have to pay for seem to have increased in London since I started visiting there some years ago. That is my personal opinion. I know for sure that the one behind the tourism shop at Tower Bridge had a turnstile you needed to put money in. But once we also used the one at McDonalds without eating there and nobody interferred. And I also asked at an Italian restaurant and was allowed in.

It is very common in Germany. Be it highway rest stops or malls or underground parking or toilet containers at city festivals or single public toilets hidden in advertising pillars on the street, you have to pay everywhere. And a lot of restaurants and cafés ask for payment if you come in from the street (not for the people who eat there). The highest price I have found so far was 1 Euro (which is 1 Dollar) at the main train station. My boss once avoided that by hopping into a train and out again before it went away.

But with some of them like on the highway reststops you get a voucher which you then can spend for the next coffee. After which you need to use the toilet again...

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I am an expert at swanning into any establishment and acting like I'm just popping into the loo before I order something and then leaving.