Most public restrooms in the United States are free today thanks in part to the activism of the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America (CEPTIA), founded in 1970.
At the time, an estimated 50,000 coin-operated pay toilets existed across the country, commonly found in places like bus stations, train stations, department stores, and other public buildings. CEPTIA argued that charging people to use a basic necessity was unfair, especially for women who often had fewer alternatives.
Membership cost just 25 cents and included a satirical newsletter called Free Toilet Paper. Although the group had only around 1,500 to 1,800 members, its campaigns and lobbying efforts helped persuade cities and states to eliminate pay toilets. By the early 1980s, they had largely disappeared from the United States.
Wow - I remember pay toilets in public places from way back. It is indeed progress to see basic services offered for free (especially to women who have no other option!). But also as I seem to remember, restrooms that utilized pay toilets seemed to be much cleaner, stocked better and more presentable that the vast majority of free public toilets today. I think that the customers of them took more care (since they had to pay) and the people responsible for the maintenance of those toilets had the income from those toilets to help keep them nicer.
ReplyDeleteJust proves that nothing is ever totally "good" or totally "bad."
I DO remember the "pay toilets"! I remember having to put a dime in the lock slot. ...and then they were gone.
ReplyDeleteWhen we visit Provincetown, the public restrooms there have custodians on staff at all times to ensure nothing untoward happens in the facilities. It's reassuring, and we generally leave a tip when we depart.
RBrysco is right. Rade too. Seattle had self-cleaning toilets kiosks in the 90s. Cheap, like $0.25. They were immediately defaced and used as drug dens. Now they're gone, replaced by attendant staffed, single stall, toilets. At $20 per hour. Worth it. But guess who pays?
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me how when something becomes free of charge it is no longer respected as a common benefit. No one takes ownership, (or at least a portion who ruin it for us). That includes free transit.
Fully agree, LeftField - I watched a YT video several years ago about "Recollections" and one of the things brought up were public restrooms at gas stations back in the 40's and 50's.
DeleteApparently, clean restrooms were a MAJOR selling point back then (because public restrooms were apparently rare!) for gas stations and owners took pride in keeping them clean and well stocked. Restrooms were inspected by their respective suppliers like Texaco, Mobil, etc. who would send "secret auditors" out to rate their respective station's restrooms; my understanding was there was even a nationwide book you could buy that would list where they were and their ratings!
It was a huge marketing tool for gas stations to take pride in, and that's where we (here in the US) saw the rise of the pay toilet - gas station owners would charge because they would have amenities like soap and towels to dry your hands with afterwards (very rare for public restrooms back then!). The revenue helped stock the soap, the labor to keep the restroom sparkly, and the towels laundered.
How times have changed...
I do remember having to pay a dime. Totally Ridiculous.
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