Pay Toilet Wars…… Basel Switzerland Central Train Station vs. Belaggio Lake Park. Who Will Win?  

  I know, I know, this post sounds gross but when you’ve got to go you’ve got to go. Apparently, these days, in many places, having to go means paying to go!    

  A Brief History of The Pay Toilet And Then It’s Basel vs Belaggio  

  The first ever pay toilets were set up in Ancient Rome in 74 AD at the time of the rule of Vespasian. A civil war had adversely affected the Roman financial situation and despite heavy opposition to his initiative Vespasian forged ahead saying “Pecunia non olet” (Money does not smell”).  

  John Nevil Maskelyne, who was an English magician came up with the first modern pay toilet in the late 1800’s. I guess that the fact that he was a magician meant that he could make all kinds of things disappear! His special door lock required a penny to operate it.    

  Pay toilets weren’t meant to be moneymakers but only to defray some of the costs of cleaning and supplying them. It was reasoned that since the user had to pay he or she was more likely to keep the place clean. Wrong! In many cases frustrated users trashed the pay toilets breaking locked doors and even stealing the money that had been collected.  

Opposition to Pay Toilets  

  In the 1970’s a series of law suits in the United states lead to pay toilets being banned in many big cities and by the end of the 1970’s they were almost obsolete.    

In my research for this article I came across an interesting site: freepee.org It is said to be a trusted source for over 4256 free toilets world wide!  There is also an app that will help you find the closest free facility!   

 

In Europe, where I live, pay toilets abound! Now let’s take a look at our competition for today:  

  Toilet Wars…. Basel Train Station vs Belaggio Lakeside Park!    

  It’s now time to get down to the nitty gritty! The good, the bad, and the ugly! So, which one do you want to see first? Let’s start with Belaggio! Belaggio is a beautiful town on the enchanting Lake of Como in Italy. The pay toilet in question is situated within the beautiful lake promenade which is a veritable garden of Eden. I wish that I could describe the toilet with such flowering terms!    

Belaggio is absolutely gorgeous but what awaits you in the public washroom is, well....Grrrrrr! (photo Pixabay)

Have a look at the bottom of the door and the floor to the right. Are you getting that sickening queasy feeling?

The grimy look of the door does not bode well for what awaits the next patron inside!

The public toilet in Belaggio boasts the following features on the sign with the instructions:

• price .50 Euro. Not bad I guess even though my friend visiting from Canada refused to pay and used the bushes!
• "You have 15 minutes at your disposal". What happens if I don't finish in time? That could be embarassing!
• "It is a Self-cleaning toilet". Could have fooled me!

Here are a couple of shots that I took of the inside. Pretty nasty, but wait, there's more!

How'd you like to sit down on this self-cleaning marvel of technology?............................ NOT!

I love Belaggio and it's always on my list of places to take friends and family when they visit me but surely this pay toilet can't be tough for Basel to beat and it is definitely not worth the money!

It's time to check out the pay toilet at the main Train Station in Basel Switzerland.

Basel is an ancient city which is situated along the Rhine river in Switzerland. The train station is a hub of activity and as you will soon see has quite the paid toilet facility! (photos pixabay.com)

Hey, this looks more like the entrance into a disco! The neon sign says "pissoir" or this way to the urinals!

You have to go in this way if you need to sit down to do the job! Rather than be self cleaning there is an attendant there. Check out the solid granite wash basins and the lights indicating whether the stall is free or not!

Here is the pissoir side of the washroom. The materials, the colors, the lighting, the cleanliness. Classy or what?

Pay toilet highlights at Basel Train Station:

• Price Frs 1.50 to stand up or Frs 2 to sit down (you know what I mean)
• Cleaned regularly by an attendant.
• I forgot to check if there was a time limit in this place. Sorry!

Summary and Conclusions of the Pay Toilet Wars: Basel vs Belaggio

Well I think that it's clear who won this round. Although more expensive the toilet in Basel was luxurious and clean! In this case, for me, it was worth the money. Of course, that doesn't mean that there aren't great public washrooms in Italy. Just not at the Lakeside Park in Belaggio. 

My recommendation especially for women visiting Belaggio: Buy a coffee or a drink and use the cafe's facilities!

Fun Facts:  

Sometimes pay toilets are money earners. The highest earning station toilets in London England  last year are as follows:

1. London Victoria: £2,300,511

2. London Euston: £1,828,110

3. London King’s Cross: £1,394,795  

I hope that you enjoyed this "tongue in cheek" slice of life!

Until next time,

@kus-knee(The Old Dog)