I just found out about this???

[PonyPals]

To all the UK Mners. Is it true you have to pay to use the public bathrooms??

I would say I've noticed this being more prevalent in european places I've visited - Italy, Germany, etc I've paid to use toilets. Got caught short in Budapest once and ran into a Mcdonalds to use the toilet and there was a guy with a little till outside the toilet taking €2 off everyone!

I was shocked when I visited Stockholm. All the public toilets charged a fee (quite high), and I didn't have coins, so went for a McWee and the cubicles in McDonalds had coin slots on!
On another occasion needed a wee so stopped at a small independent cafe, went to visit their toilet and it was pay also!

We could only find one public loo in Windermere and that was 50p card only. When I came out there was a lady even older than me (67) she didn't have a card so I paid. Really don't know what they expect people to do.. So £1.50 for me, dh and random lady to have a wee. Extortionate.

Perhaps the cost is to have doors and walls down below your knees. I find American public toilets (and in bars etc) very lacking in privacy.

sometimes yes, and it's becoming more common.

I think it must vary by region because in the Lake District where I am, free toilets are rare. Normally there's a 50p charge. I tend to go under the barrier. I already pay one of the highest rates of council tax in the country for my fairly average 3 bed property so the council/ LDNPA can fuck off charging me for a wee as well!

Discovered that there are loos in Covent Garden that cost £1.50

No idea if they're worth it

Perth council have closed other loos though in Crieff and Auchterarder. I’m happy enough to pay for a clean loo tbh. They do have comfort schemes where local business let you use the loos for free.

Not seen it for ages now. People don't generally have coins. The ones I remember were at train stations like Waterloo but they're free now

Only some places like tourist destinations. A lot of the train stations we stop at up north you don’t have to pay never have. I have a radar key to access disabled toilets for when I’m out with my DC as they have disabilities. But I don’t use it if they’re not with me. But we usually rely on supermarkets and pubs.

How long ago was that? All toilets in Bowness and Windermere are card only and have been for a while. 60p.

I do think blokes are less bothered. There’s a hotel just down from those loos (Royal Dunkeld) whose toilets are just in the door. In the season you see whole coach loads of tourists queuing for a free wee.

And yes I agree I would rather pay for clean loos than them not being clean or not have them at all. It isn’t much and you can pay on your debit contactless.

I think it also depends what kind of usage they get. I'm in Cumbria and the loos in the Lakes, in particular, get massive use because of the number of tourists, and, sadly, also massive abuse. Repair and maintenance costs must be huge.

Even the cleanest of toilets people can leave them in a disgusting state.

I remember the 2p slots in the doors to open them. Not seen them for years.

Where I am the paid for toilets are manned so constantly being cleaned.

It tends to be more common in touristy areas in my experience. I went to several seaside places last year that were charging 40p.

On one hand it's annoying but on the other hand, it probably deters vandals.

Depends on the location. In our local town no, but we went to a seaside town last weekend and it was a 30p charge.

I have a RADAR key because of disability . I think you used to apply for them via the council, but I got mine from an accessibility (disability aids shop) near me. I paid £5 for nine but that was a few years back and if you give your details and state you 're disabled you don't have to pay VAT. I was surprised by this as why would someone buy one if they were able bodied and the salesperson said that sometimes it's elderly people who find they need them for age related needs, and they don't necessarily identify as disabled.

It's also unlawful for a business to refuse to allow someone who is pregnant or who has a health issue to use their toilet. That said I try to be polite and buy something if I need the loo in a cafe or pub. They do need the revenue. I also have a can't wait card as incontinence both kinds is an issue for me which means I can show it to people in a queue. Anyone can apply for one from the bladder and bowel foundation.

It depends. 60p in Lake District council toilets this weekend.

Paris toilets were the same absolutely stunk of💩💩💩. I’m not sure if we had to pay. We didn’t stick around to find out. No toilet on trains either had to cross our legs going back to Euro Disney. Luckily I had better bladder control back then.

Op mentions being in Australia, so I guess it’s different there?

I paid £2 to use the toilet in Covent Garden last summer. Dh queried the credit card statement because he couldn't think what I'd buy for £2 in Covent Garden - not enough for coffee!

In our town the public toilets used be 20p, but they demolished them before COVID and now there are none anywhere.

I think I've paid maybe once in the past 10 years. It's usually railway stations or town centres.

Restaurants, pubs, hotels, venues for events, parties, workplaces etc are all free.