Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Please don't pay to use a pay toilet

stallman.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 60 posts

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

#31

Post by Gargoyle »

nessus42 wrote: post #29

When I was in Paris, circa 2000, I came across some interesting pay toilets that were kind of like the Cadillacs of porto-potties. They were located on streets in nice shopping areas. You'd pay for the door to open. They had running water, but no water or fluid in the toilet bowl. Instead, the toilet was more like a concave shelf for peeing and/or pooping on. When you were done, you'd leave through the door, which wo…

Could have been an Exeloo, made by a company out of New Zealand. A guy I used to know was their US rep for a while, got a few installed in some subway systems in the US. I lost track of him and his toilet ventures, I wonder if they're still around...

http://www.exeloo.com/

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

#32

Post by unabridged »

CommanderData wrote: post #28
unabridged wrote: post #27

Instead of pay toilets, how about a thumbprint or face scan. Take pics of the bathroom before and after every use. Everyone can use the toilet for free, until they are caught abusing it. Then they can pay a fine or take a personal responsibility class to get the privilege back.

Privacy implications? I.e. Taking a dump becomes another way to disclose your location and whereabouts. Kinda funny.

If privacy is an issue, maybe some kind of token or card disconnected to your identity to get in.

But I think the face pictures could be used in some kind of public shaming for people to treat the bathroom nicely.

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

#33

Post by z02d »

In my area of Germany, we have some places where public toilets are not available as desired. Instead of build new ones, which are expensive, the local responsible persons found a nice solution. They pay bars to let their toilets used. Bars and restaurants, who join this initiative get a sticker on the front door. So you don't have to sneak inside to use the restrooms.

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

#35

Post by Xephyrous »

wonder_er wrote: post #13

Yikes. Who pays for the free toilets, then? I love pay toilets. Most of them are kept clean, and I don't consider finding a clean, available toilet to be a right. I've paid for others to use toilets, and I'll keep doing so. "Don't let people pay for things because poor people might not be able to afford it" is offensive to "poor" people. Oh well. If it makes him feel like he's championing a cause...

> "Don't let people pay for things because poor people might not be able to afford it" is offensive to "poor" people.

It's important to distinguish what kind of "things" you're talking about, though. There's a pretty big moral difference between not being able to afford consumer goods and not being able to find an appropriate place to perform basic bodily functions.

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

#36

Post by __derek__ »

imgabe wrote: post #22
__derek__ wrote: post #4

This framing is ridiculous. The water, power, toilet paper, fixtures, etc., cost money to provide. Someone is always paying for the toilet.

Cleaning up excrement from public areas also costs money and in the meantime makes it less pleasant for everyone. You can pay for one or the other.

Then the post should advocate building publicly-funded toilets. All I see is the suggestion that we shift this cost off to someone else. Maybe the "great lengths" implies paying for some good or service in order to use a business's toilet, but that would undermine the premise.

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

#37

Post by robotresearcher »

unabridged wrote: post #32
CommanderData wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Privacy implications? I.e. Taking a dump becomes another way to disclose your location and whereabouts. Kinda funny.

If privacy is an issue, maybe some kind of token or card disconnected to your identity to get in. But I think the face pictures could be used in some kind of public shaming for people to treat the bathroom nicely.

> maybe some kind of token or card disconnected to your identity to get in.

Perhaps a circular metal disk would work well.

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

#38

Post by chanz »

Maybe a good solution for those who can't pay is to make them pay by time. As example I don't want to wait so I pay as example one euro/dollar. Someone who can't pay, just waits 3-5 minutes or pushes a button 50 times. Sounds stupid, but this could work in my opinion. Anyone who has enough money can afford to pay, but is less likely to mess with a button or wait 5 mins. A homeless on the other hand, could at least wait instead of being denied the access at all.

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

#40

Post by echlebek »

chanz wrote: post #38

Maybe a good solution for those who can't pay is to make them pay by time. As example I don't want to wait so I pay as example one euro/dollar. Someone who can't pay, just waits 3-5 minutes or pushes a button 50 times. Sounds stupid, but this could work in my opinion. Anyone who has enough money can afford to pay, but is less likely to mess with a button or wait 5 mins. A homeless on the other hand, could at least wa…

What happens when another person wants to use the toilet? Two possible scenarios.

A) They have to wait 5 minutes (pointlessly) plus the duration of the next person's stay. B) They pay to bump the person behind in the queue.

Both scenarios are bad. In A, the toilet is not being used to its effective capacity. In B, paying customers can prevent non-paying customers from ever getting to use the toilet.

Toilets should be provided for free to customers by private businesses, and to the general public by cities. The alternative is alleys reeking of urine and feces. Toilets: a worthwhile public expense.

Post reply on HN