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Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

stallman.org

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Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#21

Post by a_humean »

DiabloD3 wrote: post #2

Where in the fuck are there pay toilets? Is this a foreign thing?

In the UK the majority of public toilets have been removed over the past few decades, and some of them have been replaced by paid toilets run by private companies where you pay a small fee (<£1). The removal and ofttimes poor maintenance of the public loos by local government and then privatisation was actually quite political at the time! Now people are just resigned to the fact that public loos don't really exist, and you just need to get a coffee at Starbucks if you really need to go.

Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#23

Post by Cyph0n »

ekns wrote: post #10
DiabloD3 wrote: post #2

Where in the fuck are there pay toilets? Is this a foreign thing?

Random examples from recent experience: Some exist in Finland (at least in Helsinki). Also saw one recently in a train station in Belgium, and IIRC a train station in the Netherlands. Also in the North of Argentina near some bus station, where you would pay directly to someone apparently responsible for cleaning/maintaining them.

It's pretty common in Tunisia as well, especially on beaches.

Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#24

Post by mrleiter »

gregwtmtno wrote: post #5

Where I live, we don't have pay toilets, but when I was on vacation last I thought they were great. I was happy to pay a little bit for a clean bathroom instead of having to go at a coffee shop or restaurant. Stallman has a point, but it's easily addressable. The government could give the indigent vouchers to use the pay toilets. I'd even be happy to pay more to use the bathrooms to subsidize such a program.

>The government could give the indigent vouchers to use the pay toilets.

Wouldn't work in Europe - Art. 18 TFEU.

Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#27

Post by benevol »

sambeau wrote: post #8

I'm not sure if this was put here to ridicule Stallman or as a coda to his comments about Skype but this is a simple well-explained argument that I happen to agree with. If local government can't use local taxes to provide shared toilet facilities to stop us all having to defecate in the streets then what are they (and taxes) for? Community toilets (and streets clear of shit & piss) are, in my opinion, a fundamental…

> I'm not sure if this was put here to ridicule Stallman

Almost certainly, it's a "joke".

Flagged.

Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#28

Post by himlion »

sambeau wrote: post #8

I'm not sure if this was put here to ridicule Stallman or as a coda to his comments about Skype but this is a simple well-explained argument that I happen to agree with. If local government can't use local taxes to provide shared toilet facilities to stop us all having to defecate in the streets then what are they (and taxes) for? Community toilets (and streets clear of shit & piss) are, in my opinion, a fundamental…

You are right this posting was a bit tongue in cheek with regards to the multiple Stallman posts already on the frontpage. But I do genuinely agree with him and this shows his uncompromising viewpoints and how he applies his ideals to topics outside of tech.

Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet

#29

Post by tuna-piano »

I wonder how he feels about using a toilet in a restaurant/cafe that is "For customers only". Should he stop using any bathroom in these commercial places?

Many things are necessary in life. Most of those things cost money. If you think poor people should be able to afford them too, then give them money (direct or through government) and let them spend it how they want. I suspect they may find pay toilets convenient as well.

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