Where in the fuck are there pay toilets? Is this a foreign thing?
Antwerp, Belgium. Utrecht, Netherlands. Can confirm there's not a single free public toilet in these cities.
Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
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Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Coming from Spain and having lived in Japan, I have come to believe that the US is really far away from what can be considered a civilized society. There's a huge mismatch between the public opinion (best country) and the reality that you can see through smaller things like this. Some of these things are better even in the so-called "third world countries". Note: Spain was named for the smaller things like this ; pub…
Are there public toilets generally in Spain? I don't remember them from my stays in Galicia, Barcelona or Salamanca.
They're uncommon at best. They deploy temporary ones (free) on places where large gatherings are foreseen, like big street parties.
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#63I understand why toilets aren't free. Free public toilets in urban areas are almost invariably dens of filth and crime. Unfortunately, pay toilets are invariably filthy themselves. It boggles the mind that rich "western" countries aren't able to keep public infrastructre clean and free.
In my experience, it's a function of the environment in which the toilet lies. A toilet in a quiet underground car park is almost guaranteed to be more disgusting than a toilet in a well-lit, busy concourse. I've used pay toilets that are pretty disgusting, too; never thought to ask for a refund, though...
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#64It's too late for this comment to be seen and make a difference, it will sink to the bottom of the thread without a trace, but in case anyone is interested in reading more HN comments about this, it was submitted and discussed just 2 days ago:
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13322288 (56 comments)
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are quite a few countries like Australia and Japan where public toilets are free, reasonably ubiquitous and generally clean.
I had the opportunity to use public bidets with heated seats in Osaka. It felt very fancy, and my only complaint was that the previous user had left the seat on "extremely warm". I wasn't expecting anything in particular, but it was a very nice public bathroom.
If the only complaint about a public toilet is the setting of the seat warmer, then there is definitely something done right there :)
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#66The problem with stallmanism is that you eventually run out of other people's toilets.
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#67Earlier quoted context omitted.
>The government could give the indigent vouchers to use the pay toilets. Wouldn't work in Europe - Art. 18 TFEU.
Hence BREXIT, and why all EU countries should consider exiting from the EU!
Leave the EU to get toilet vouchers? Sounds like a bad deal to me.
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
Germany
Also in Hungary. Free toilets are not common, only in government buildings, like schools, museums, government agency offices. Usually paid toilets are cheap (.5-1 €) and clean. Free toilets are not always so clean.
Cheap? 0,5 Euro is not cheap.
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
>The government could give the indigent vouchers to use the pay toilets. Wouldn't work in Europe - Art. 18 TFEU.
Hence BREXIT, and why all EU countries should consider exiting from the EU!
Do you know what Article 18 of TFEU says?
> Within the scope of application of the Treaties, and without prejudice to any special provisions contained therein, any discrimination on grounds of nationality shall be prohibited.
> The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, may adopt rules designed to prohibit such discrimination.
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:120...
Re: Please don’t pay to use a pay toilet
#70Going to great lengths to not use a pay toilet is OK if the only person who suffers is yourself. Once you have a family your priorities change.
Many of Stallman's advice works well when you are a bachelor... But once you have family to think about, the arguments are less persuasive.