Pay to Poo
The average American undervalues free public toilets and the comfort of the throne.
LIFESTYLE
7/17/20252 min read
As Americans we significantly undervalue the concept of free public toilets. For a number of unhoused Americans, these are the only washroom facilities available to them, but the average American doesn’t think twice about toilet usage.
Because my daughter was a theater major, I have repeatedly seen the musical called “Urinetown” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinetown ). Urinetown: The Musical is a parody about social issues, such as water shortage, capitalism, and municipal corruption in a town where it is illegal to use the restroom for free. The people who struggle to pay the fees start a rebellion against urine taxation when the ruthless leader raises the fee. Little did I know when starting this article, that the original author of Urinetown based his story on Europe’s paid toilet system.
Though the play seems like a dark spoof, the concept of paying to poo or urinate is all too real in some parts of Italy. When the urge arises in the train station, museum, or on the beach, you’ve got to scrape the bottom of the purse or pocket to find that precious money. We’ve even seen people get turned away from a toilet here because they did not have the money when the urge hit.
In general, the toilets cost €0.50-€1.00 for use. There might be a coin operated barrier allowing you access to urinate after you drop the coin in the slot, or you may have to pay a human who allows you access to poo. The most expensive toilet we used was €2.00 in Pisa, Italy. This toilet was operated by a human AND a had a metal barrier. But the worst part of the Pisa toilet system was that entry could ONLY be accessed by credit card. We saw several children and adults turned away with coins because they did not have their credit card.
Even if you find that euro to pay for the toilet, do you know how to use the public services available. In America you might have two or three different kinds of toilet styles or sinks in public facilities. We saw a few new styles added when the COVID-19 pandemic shifted company products toward hand-free versions of toilets and sinks. We have to admit to shared giggles with other toilet patrons as together we tried to wave, push, or pull to make sinks work. Below is a gallery of many styles of toilets and faucets that you will encounter when traveling through Europe.
