In the United States, why did pay toilets fortunately go away?

serpa

The Committee to End Pay Toilets in America, or CEPTIA, was a grass-roots political organization which was (apparently) the sole driving force behind the ban of pay toilets in many American cities and states. Founded in 1970 by then-nineteen year old Ira Gessel, the Committee's purpose was to "eliminate pay toilets in the U.S. through legislation and public pressure." According to the Wall Street Journal, there were, in 1974, at least 50,000 pay toilets in America, mostly made by the Nik-O-Lok Company. Despite this flourishing commerce, CEPTIA was successful over the next few years in obtaining bans in New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, California, Florida and Ohio. Lobbying was successful in other states as well, and by the decade's end, pay toilets were almost unknown in America. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_to_End_Pay_Toilets_In_America Aug 24 10, 2:24 PM

postcards2go

My main experience with them was in Gimbel's Department Store in NYC. No one ever paid, though (except maybe for the first person of the day). Everyone always held the door for the next one in line. Aug 24 10, 2:38 PM

star_gazer

I believe I can shed some light on this---and I may have played a small part in the change in the law. Back in the late 1960s, as a student at Cornell Unversity, I and a friend rented a table in the student union entrance (the lobby of Willard Straight Hall) just before Christmas break. There we put up a sign which stated the thesis of our Cause: PAY TOILETS ARE AN AFFRONT TO HUMAN DIGNITY!!! Indeed they were, as any woman caught short without a dime knew, dancing on her toes, knees locked together, praying that some other woman with a rebellious or sympathetic streak would "hold the door" and allow her to steal a pee from [INSERT AIRPORT NAME HERE.] (Guys could also get caught in a similar fix, though not as often, because you can't use a urinal to...errr...well, you get the picture.) At our table, we had about ten thousand stickers available for sale---all the same size, bearing our slogan, and perfect for affixing to the doors of the stalls. Despite suspicious inquiries from the Left and the Right (were we mocking them? did we think this was SERIOUS?), we sold out---or damn close to it. I saw these stickers for many years afterwards in a wide variety of locations and heard anecdotal evidence that they had travelled to both coasts and most airline hub cities in between. As well as a few European capitals. And a few years later, women in state legislatures all over America rose to their feet, cleared their throats, and began "Today, I am here to discuss a somewhat indelicate subject....." And that, my children, is why you have no idea what the hell a pay toilet is. Lucky you. Now quit peeing on the seat, or I'll mop it up with your hair. http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/archive/index.php/t-347927.html Aug 24 10, 3:55 PM

postcards2go

LOL! But so true :-) Aug 24 10, 6:01 PM

satguru

Ours only started charging relatively recently although the majority were simply closed, but on travelling numerous US states only recall a single public toilet on South Beach in Miami which was an absolute hovel although free. Maybe I wasn't being very observant but I do tend to notice for reasons of necessity. Aug 24 10, 7:05 PM