Should People Have To Pay To Use Station Toilets?

[ScotTrains]

I've heard that if you say you are on business and need to claim all costs they will let you in for free as they are unable to give you a receipt.

The Glasgow 1st class lounge offers plenty of hot and cold drinks but doesn't have a toilet. Should these passengers get to use the toilets for free?

Personally I think ALL toilets should be free. Council toilets should be free to use and paid for by the council using council tax. Toilets in shopping centres should be paid for by the shops who operate there. Bus stations, train stations, airports, ferry terminals, etc should all have free toilets and paid for by the businesses that operate there.
Having chargeable toilets is not only an inconvenience, but also encourages public urination. Yes, toilets cost money but they should be paid for by either the council or the by businesses where the toilets are located.

PS. I don't think I have EVER paid to use a toilet.

 

[shredder1]

I grew up in a period where toilets were free, the use of a toilet is something we all need at times and if outlets wish you to use their premises then I`ve always felt they should provide free facilities, it only seems reasonable. I travel a lot in Europe both West and East and in many countries you have to pay and have always had to, many people however just appear to go anywhere and urinating on the streets is common in a number of countries I visit. In the UK we are suppose to be more civilised. Now in my 60`s like many the old prostate is giving up and we need to go more regularly, many of us get caught short looking for change. Price targeted for being human, if you want our business and to make profit out of us then at least provide the facilities we need, we are suppose to be civilised after all.

 

[najaB]

Interesting difference of opinion:

I dont know why STP is free, they shouldnt be as last time I was in they were in a sorry state

In addition the free toilets at St Pancras are always in a better condition than the chargeable ones at other London terminals.

 

[SpacePhoenix]

Down this way the local councils must have closed at least 50% (wouldn't be surprised if it were more like 75%) of public toilets

 

[Bletchleyite]

Down this way the local councils must have closed at least 50% (wouldn't be surprised if it were more like 75%) of public toilets

That's all a symptom of capping. The Government cut their funding and won't let the democratically elected Council increase Council Tax to pay for necessary services, so services get cut to the legally mandated minimum. It's disgusting.

 

[Mordac]

That's all a symptom of capping. The Government cut their funding and won't let the democratically elected Council increase Council Tax to pay for necessary services, so services get cut to the legally mandated minimum. It's disgusting.

Actually, the government will let them do it provided they put it to a referendum.

 

[ys123]

Pubs, Starbucks, etc. also provide toilets that the public wanders in off the street to use. But they don't charge.

Stations deserve all the pee that they get in dark corners and the like.

Surely those Starbucks and pubs that have free loos are relying on a small percentage who only come to use the loo to actually buy something now they're anyway there and if you know how much Starbucks charge for coffee they're problem making more then had they just charged 30p for the loo - can't see this working in a train station - "we're anyway here to use the loo let's buy a train ticket".

I have a relative when he uses a loo in a cafe or petrol station he will always buy a coke as a way of thanking them for the use of the loo. This wouldn't really work at stations - " FREE LOO IF YOU BUY A COKE".
This is besides the problem that it'll end up in a vicious circle of using the loo, drinking coke so needing to use the loo again then drinking coke again etc etc

 

[Mordac]

Surely those Starbucks and pubs that have free loos are relying on a small percentage who only come to use the loo to actually buy something now they're anyway there and if you know how much Starbucks charge for coffee they're problem making more then had they just charged 30p for the loo - can't see this working in a train station - "we're anyway here to use the loo let's buy a train ticket".

I have a relative when he uses a loo in a cafe or petrol station he will always buy a coke as a way of thanking them for the use of the loo. This wouldn't really work at stations - " FREE LOO IF YOU BUY A COKE".
This is besides the problem that it'll end up in a vicious circle of using the loo, drinking coke so needing to use the loo again then drinking coke again etc etc

There's a joke in there about using the station toilets to take coke, but I'm too lazy to think of it.

 

[AlterEgo]

Actually, I've found many places like Starbucks and Costa have fitted combination locks to their customer toilets to discourage members of the public from walking in off the streets and using them.

In Eastern Europe it's quite common for toilets in McDonald's and the like to have a combination lock, the code being printed on the till receipt. I'd no idea it was spreading here.

 

[najaB]

In Eastern Europe it's quite common for toilets in McDonald's and the like to have a combination lock, the code being printed on the till receipt. I'd no idea it was spreading here.

I don't know if it's spreading, but I've seen it at least a couple of times in the UK. Can't for the life of me remember where though.

 

[jon0844]

This implies ticker barriers, and then you find the blokes off the gateline at Paddington claiming your ticket is not valid at this time as it is off peak

Ah, you're going to Gatwick? Enter through those gates please, as it's £1.50 for you.

HS1 user? Right this way for the VIP Lane, oh and £5.

 

[Altfish]

Surely those Starbucks and pubs that have free loos are relying on a small percentage who only come to use the loo to actually buy something now they're anyway there and if you know how much Starbucks charge for coffee they're problem making more then had they just charged 30p for the loo - can't see this working in a train station - "we're anyway here to use the loo let's buy a train ticket".

I have a relative when he uses a loo in a cafe or petrol station he will always buy a coke as a way of thanking them for the use of the loo. This wouldn't really work at stations - " FREE LOO IF YOU BUY A COKE".
This is besides the problem that it'll end up in a vicious circle of using the loo, drinking coke so needing to use the loo again then drinking coke again etc etc

My logic on this is, I use Starbucks and pubs fairly regularly, sometimes after buying stuff I don't use the loo. I thus expect to be able to use the loo when I don't buy.
Similarly at railway stations, I invariably buy a paper, drink, sweets, sandwich, whatever and don't use the loo. Thus I should be able to use it when I don't buy.

 

[ys123]

Conspiracy theory: Maybe the loos on trains are out of order so often as TOC's are paid by railway station so that people fork out those extra 30pences....

What would happen if the 0820 Aberdeen-Penzance had all loos are out of order, would they cancel the train?

When I speak to guards about loos on trains being out of order, the common reply is that it can only get fixed at depots and they only enter depots at nights, now I'm not expecting them to train (mind the pun) all guards as plumbers, but surely if they find out at 1000 that the loos are out of order they should add it to the screens at stations for that trains schedule for the rest of the day? E.g. 1345 Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime St no loos available - so that some people who would prefer trains with working loos will wait for the next one... There are some people who travel by train instead of road only because they have a loo if necessary....

Maybe they should have a plumber at major stations as it is a frequent occurrence...

 

[najaB]

...surely if they find out at 1000 that the loos are out of order they should add it to the screens at stations for that trains schedule for the rest of the day?

They do. And don't call me Shirley.

 

[ys123]

They do. And don't call me Shirley.

Never seen it

 

[thealexweb]

Toilet should have ticket barriers on them, all tickets returned and unmarked (simple date check will do). If a member of the public still insists on using them they can do so by buying the cheapest single available.

 

[ryan125hst]

I think that toilets should be free, but i'd prefer to pay for a toilet than there not be one available.

I do feel sorry though for those groups of people that require the use of a toilet more regularly such as those will medical conditions, the elderly or young children. I feel sorry for parents who have several kids who, having paid a large some of money to travel by train, are faced with having to pay up to 50p per to allow their children to use the toilet. It could cost a few quid just to use the toilet which is ridiculous really.

Of course, anyone can be desperate for the toilet. A big issue these days is the lack of change people carry. I know I usually use contactless these days and so I always struggle to find change for laundry at uni. Similarly, trains seem to often have toilets out of order. You could board at a station with no loos, find the train's toilet if out of order and then find you have to pay to use the toilet at your destination station but don't have change. No one would want to be in that position.

A lack of public toilets is another issue. Here in Sheffield, there aren't any at all now. The station has them but only the ones on the platform are free. The ones by the ticket office and in the bus station charge. Elsewhere in the city, the ones on The Moor and by the town hall shut before I even moved here as a student, but there are some in the new Moor Market which I think are free (never had to use them as I live just down the road). There are a few department stores and of course pubs and cafes and those are your only option if you are shopping in the city centre. Fortunatly it's never much of an issue for me as I'm either at uni or about a 15 minute walk from there. I feel sorry for those who have to travel in from further afield.

Finally, it annoys me when toilets are chargeable but disgusting. Cleethorpes recently put a charge on their public toilets. I went for the Armed Forces Day towards the end of June and, although they had made them free for the event, they weren't particularly pleasant. So not only do you have the above situation regarding families having to pay for their children to use the toilet, in this case while they are at the beach, but then they are faced with poor quality toilets as well.

I understand toilets cost money to maintain and vandalism is an issue, but there must be a better way of doing things than what we have currently. Public toilets should be everywhere, clean, free and have long opening hours in my opinion.

 

[Senex]

.... and urinating on the streets is common in a number of countries I visit. In the UK we are suppose to be more civilised.

You don't need to travel to foreign countries to see that. Here in central York you can see such anti-social behaviour pretty well any day of the week, in broad daylight.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Looking at some of the comments so far on this thread, you would imagine that the larger department stores such as Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, etc are toilet-free zones...:roll:

In Wilmslow town centre, the Hoopers department store has adequate toilet facilities.

 

[najaB]

Looking at some of the comments so far on this thread, you would imagine that the larger department stores such as Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, etc are toilet-free zones...:roll:

Not much use outside of opening hours though, are they?

 

[infobleep]

Impossible - not really - most (all?) of our towns and cities have plenty of empty shops and a small one of those could be turned into a public loo - which is exactly what they did in Nottingham.



That looks to be one of the fully accessible toilets which some people need -
http://www.changing-places.org/ - IIRC the campaign wants one of those in big places (stations, shopping centres etc) alongside the usual "disabled" facilities (i.e. extra space/handrails/pullcords). In fact, this is where council facilities come into there own - it's unreasonable to expect a small high street to offer such facilities (which take up more space than many stores have sales space!) in each commercial premises, but by providing one set of public facilities on the high street you ensure that everyone is able to access loos, with the highest volume (i.e. able bodied) people being accommodated in more places spread out across the high street, and the least able being given the best possible facilities a short distance away. These facilities could be open during the day to all, then RADAR/Public Servant* keyed in the evening, potentially with inspections and/or basic maintenance(filling soap dispensers, loo roll, turning stop cocks off)/cleaning contracted out to PCSOs and local businesses which are open in the evening.

As for charges - a contactless or ITSO card payment would be ideal - it's always a pain when I forget Piccadilly (Platform 13/14 so well inside the station!) charges and end up needing to buy something at WH Smiths so I can use the loo... Even better if on arriving in Manchester Piccadilly (on a paper ticket) I could use my Nottingham ITSO card with only Nottingham PAYG credit on it. (Being a uncoordinated lanky git train toilets, especially those on the 158s and HSTs are a right pain to use so I try and avoid using them)

As for "the stares" and the "Changing Places" style loos being overkill - would it not be possible for a RADAR "pass" to be added to ITSO cards so that someone who doesn't need an "accessible" toilet can gain quick and free access to the "regular" facilities in a manner that looks like a normal customer using their regular contactless card - a bit like the Nottingham ITSO Robin Hood cards can be used to access the CityCard Cycle Hubs, or how some schools handle free school meals stigma (by issuing everyone a payment card, topped up online or with the Free School Meals vouchers).

Thinking about this, many of those entitled to a RADAR key would be entitled to a free bus pass too so are already likely to have such a card, and as they are tied to an individual there would be the scope to blacklist people who abuse the facility (either by refusing access, always charging, or charging and refunding if they are found clean).

* e.g. Police, bus drivers and similar.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Telephone Boxes? [emoji38]

I think a card is not a bad idea. So therefore it won't happen anytime soon. There are of course quite a few people. Using RADAR keys who wouldn't get any disability benefit but that wouldn't matter as cards can be issued no matter what.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[Bletchleyite]

Not much use outside of opening hours though, are they?

Indeed not, and public toilets, where they exist, tend to be closed at the sort of time pubgoers need them, too. Whereas they should be open and staffed by a suitable number of security guards (male and female) to deter trouble, and the cost should be charged to the pubs and passed onto their customers. Alcohol consumption requires toilets. Pubs aren't allowed not to have them, nor should areas with substantial drinking be.

 

[Urban-Savage]

If you have Crohn's disease you'd do well to obtain a RADAR key, and stuff anyone who objects as it is in practice a very nasty disability indeed. Some people need educating on how "disability" does not just mean "wheelchair" and how some of the most restricting ones aren't actually visible at all.

I usually ask them 'when they got their medical degree'.... usually shuts them up

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not much use outside of opening hours though, are they?

Those opening hours form the greater part of a normal working day.

Before we know it, threads will be appearing on this website demanding that all NHS optical and dental services should be free of charge.

 

[Closet2405]

Often when I've used Edinburgh Waverley (charges 30p, as does prince's mall or whatever it's called this week next door), I've found that the barriers are either unlocked, or there's an attendant encouraging people to go through the wheelchair gate without paying.

At kings cross, I usually have enough time before my train to go over to McDonald's and use the toilets there, as I'm sure many others do. Apparently the first class lounge toilets are free, and located outside the lounge so can be used by anyone, but I've never tried this myself.

The toilets at both are generally well maintained, but I do think the cost of upkeep should be taken by the TOCs (and possibly shops/bars/restaurants) using the station.

 

[najaB]

Those opening hours form the greater part of a normal working day.

For many people, outwith working hours is when we are most likely to need a public loo. During working hours we tend to be in work.

Before we know it, threads will be appearing on this website demanding that all NHS optical and dental services should be free of charge.

Can't see the relevance to UK rail, but since you mention it - eye exams are free on the NHS in Scotland.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

For many people, out with working hours is when we are most likely to need a public lo. During working hours we tend to be in work.
Can't see the relevance to UK rail, but since you mention it - eye exams are free on the NHS in Scotland.

The relevance, as you put it, was made in response to a supposedly human right for free-of-charge availability to toilets for all in all places, made earlier in the thread.

Perhaps Comrade Corbyn will make it one of his Labour Party manifesto commitments

 

[AnonymousUser1]

Airports tend not to have much passing traffic as compared to railway stations.

there you go using facts and the like again

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

To be fair, in the large and spacious bus section of Manchester Airport Interchange, there are free-to-use male and female toilet facilities with modern sink units and hand-dryers, that seem to be cleaned regularly.

 

[Busaholic]

Looking at some of the comments so far on this thread, you would imagine that the larger department stores such as Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, etc are toilet-free zones...:roll:

In Wilmslow town centre, the Hoopers department store has adequate toilet facilities.

Sorry, I live in Cornwall. Can you please explain what a department store is?