Use of toilets in train stations

[scotsman]

I think charging can be an advantage sometimes!

Glasgow Central didn't charge till a few years ago, they were underground and out of sight. As Glasgow Survival put it: "There's no attendant, but the Police will probably be down seeing to some passed out 'character'"

Then they did them up and put a 20p charge on - problem solved!

 

[Lampshade]

Manchester Victoria's loos are more akin to the one in Trainspotting hock:

 

[mrcheek]

In my experience, pay toilets are always well kept and clean. The money basically pays for a full time attendant.

Where no charge is made, facilities are of variable quality. Although on larger stations, theres often one set of busy and messy toilets, and a second set of quiet clean ones on a lesser platform.....

 

[142094]

Manchester Victoria's loos are more akin to the one in Trainspotting hock:

I'll not be using those any time soon then...

 

[Deerfold]

In my experience, pay toilets are always well kept and clean. The money basically pays for a full time attendant.

Where no charge is made, facilities are of variable quality. Although on larger stations, theres often one set of busy and messy toilets, and a second set of quiet clean ones on a lesser platform.....

I'd go with more likely. I've been in some dire pricey ones. Usually just the once though.

 

[tannedfrog]

Belgian attendants seem to sit there and take money without actually doing any cleaning

They even charge in McDonalds and in shopping centres

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The toilets at Manchester Victoria are some of the worst I've been in - the lighting is poor, and half if it is locked out of use, I assume because it was out of the way enough to do drugs etc in the cubicles. The ones on Brighton were bad too - underground and in an awful condition. Until recently, Bolton was an interesting one: the male toilets were on p4, and the female ones on p3, it would easily take you 5-6 minutes to get to the toilet for the other platform. I believe the ones at Poynton in Cheshire have been locked out of use for a while due to constant vandalism - that's the stations till stuck in 1890 for those who don't know it.

 

[scotsman]

I've found it's near impossible to go anywhere in Liverpool for free!

Me and my mate ended up wasting a good 30mins of our 4 hours there trying to find a free bog. (One of the shopping centres, upstairs)

 

[janb]

I've found it's near impossible to go anywhere in Liverpool for free!

Me and my mate ended up wasting a good 30mins of our 4 hours there trying to find a free bog. (One of the shopping centres, upstairs)

One of the museums? Thats what I tend to do in London, and have done in Edinburgh as well.

 

[yorksrob]

The toilets at Manchester Victoria are some of the worst I've been in - the lighting is poor, and half if it is locked out of use, I assume because it was out of the way enough to do drugs etc in the cubicles. The ones on Brighton were bad too - underground and in an awful condition. Until recently, Bolton was an interesting one: the male toilets were on p4, and the female ones on p3, it would easily take you 5-6 minutes to get to the toilet for the other platform. I believe the ones at Poynton in Cheshire have been locked out of use for a while due to constant vandalism - that's the stations till stuck in 1890 for those who don't know it.

Last time I was there they had those strange metal bowls without seats (as does Penzance I noticed). What's that all about ?

 

[scotsman]

One of the museums? Thats what I tend to do in London, and have done in Edinburgh as well.

In the Albert Dock, yes - but not in the City Centre!

It's quite hard in Edinburgh, since the museums are all spaced out!

 

[90019]

In the Albert Dock, yes - but not in the City Centre!

It's quite hard in Edinburgh, since the museums are all spaced out!

I believe there are toilets in the Princes Mall, right next to the station.
If you go up Waverley steps on the North side of the station, there's an entrance about halfway up.

 

[scotsman]

I believe there are toilets in the Princes Mall, right next to the station.
If you go up Waverley steps on the North side of the station, there's an entrance about halfway up.

Aye, and you've had to pay on pretty much every one of my last 3x10(^8) visits!

 

[90019]

Aye, and you've had to pay on pretty much every one of my last 3x10(^8) visits!

Fair enough, I just tend to wait til I get home (it's only 3 miles)

 

[Tom B]

I believe there are toilets in the Princes Mall, right next to the station.
If you go up Waverley steps on the North side of the station, there's an entrance about halfway up.

20p charge. Trick is to go in the McDonalds within the centre.

Or there's a Burger King at the top of Waverley Steps; or the Standing Order (about all it's good for); I could go on!

 

[scotsman]

20p charge. Trick is to go in the McDonalds within the centre.

Or there's a Burger King at the top of Waverley Steps; or the Standing Order (about all it's good for); I could go on!

Aye, I tend to run across to BK!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Last time I was there they had those strange metal bowls without seats (as does Penzance I noticed). What's that all about ?

It's an anti vandalism measure - much harder to break a metal one than a ceramic one, and the lack of a seat means the seat can't be ripped out...



As to toilets being locked out of use, well... I'd rather have a vandalised one that I can at least use than an immaculate one that I can't...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Last time I was there they had those strange metal bowls without seats (as does Penzance I noticed). What's that all about ?

Where about are we talking about mate, Victoria's toilets have had half closed off for a while now, I assume you mean Brighton, in which case I have only been there pre-refurbishment.

 

[NSE]

I will happily pay for the loo's under the main forcourt at Liverpool Street. Sublime I must say, 30p well spent. Those cleaners deserve some promotion.

Fantastic.

 

[tannedfrog]

So what do people think about those who slip through the turnstile without paying...

I mean if you have to go, and don't have the change...

 

[wintonian]

Well the New Forest was the last local authority in the country to make it illegal to pee in the street/ forest etc., so I guess that’s not an option.

 

[mullin]

At Manchester Picc I've been told by a station manager (who did a great job getting me home as I had a late train and missed the last one home) to just pull any of the barriers back a few inches and you'll be in for free. Manchester Vic on the other hand, last time I was there there was a great big sign outside the gents saying to be aware that serious sexual assaults often take place. Inside a similar message was stuck to the walls. Lovely place!

 

[cuccir]

So what do people think about those who slip through the turnstile without paying...

I mean if you have to go, and don't have the change...

I'm surprised they've not positioned RPIs at them to issue penalty fares

 

[moonrakerz]

I'm surprised they've not positioned RPIs at them to issue penalty fares

RPI - very funny !!

 

[taxidave]

I was in Fenchurch Street station yesterday and their toilets are free.

 

[mickey]

I've found it's near impossible to go anywhere in Liverpool for free!

Well all I can say is you can't have looked very hard. There are two free museums round the corner from Lime St station, plenty of pubs/McDs, and John Lewis has a set on every floor. I find it's one of the best places for accessible toilets really.

 

[talltim]

I still remember a school trip to Prague back in 93, we went by coach and stopped a some services in the middle of the night, Germany or Poland. A coach load of lads rushed into the loo. I was one of the first and when I came out I found half the coach queueing to pay the old lady sitting at a table we had all rushed past. Quite frankly I thought it was bollocks, the toilets were nothing special and also had no sign in any language to say you had to pay.
Also I feel that having to pay at service stations is actually dangerous. I know from the times when I have been stuck in jams that driving while holding it in is not the best recipe for alertness.

 

[142094]

Have they changed the toilets on one of the island platforms at Sheffield yet? Went in once and had to give the person next door some bog roll as someone had nicked off with theirs. Those toilets were pretty grim, and this was only 2-3 years ago.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

If that's the platform the EMT service to St pancras runs from then yes - I was there about 18 months ago and it was closed and there were builders going in and out.