# Pay Toilets **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2000, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191 "2000-10-08T22:20:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sunrise\_4836](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@sunrise\_4836](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunrise_4836)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/1 "2000-10-08T22:20:57Z")
Whatever happened to pay toilets? Remeber they were like a nickel or dime to get in? It wasn’t fair to women if you ask me. Men got to stand at the urinals! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2000, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/2 "2000-10-08T23:18:20Z")
That was essentially the reason they faded out. Women felt it unfair that they had to pay while men did not. In addition, most people agreed that it was annoying and frustrating to have to dig for change when you were in a hurry to use the facilities. For awhile, there were some mixed rest rooms – pay and free, but obviously no one used the pay toilets in that case. The pay toilet manufacturers argued that the fee allowed to hire someone to maintain them, but no one listened. ---
**Author:** ![magdalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@magdalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magdalene)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/3 "2000-10-09T00:45:17Z")
Sunrise, they still exist in Eastern Europe. Restaurants & public places will have a little old lady & man who act as the bathroom attendant. It’s free to pee, but you have to pay a few cents for toilet paper. Keeps some pensioners employed, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Bluemonchichi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Bluemonchichi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluemonchichi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/4 "2000-10-09T01:22:23Z")
Pay to Pee?!?!?!?!?!?! I am in shock. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/5 "2000-10-09T13:22:58Z")
It’s where the euphemism “to spend a penny” comes from. ---
**Author:** ![muppetsoup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@muppetsoup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muppetsoup)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2000, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-toilets/36191/6 "2000-10-09T14:50:35Z")
last time i was at pike’s peak, there were pay toilets in the restrooms at the summit… that’s been a few years though, they may be gone now. also reminds me of something scribbled on the bathroom wall at a bar in downtown durango… ‘if they really wanted to make money, they’d have pay toilets and free beer!’