# :::sigh::: So now talking about pay toilets is forbidden? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135 "2005-12-05T05:12:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/61 "2005-12-05T15:09:19Z")
Here I sit broken hearted. Paid my dime and only farted. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/62 "2005-12-05T15:30:45Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > The worst bit is that the OP wasn’t answered at all. \*\*Psycat90 \*\*tried to clarify twice that s/he was asking about the legality and technology of pay \*toilets \*- as in the porcelin units, not pay toilet stalls. No one answered whether coin operated toiilets exist, have existed or are illegal. Well, to be fair, I wasn’t the OP, and I honestly don’t know what they meant, stalls/units, or actual toilets. I assumed they meant stalls/units, and answered as such (they exist in SF), but then realized that technically, that’s not actually a pay _toilet_. Your answer of a pee ‘hole in the ground’ was the closest to a yes, which I’ll accept. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/63 "2005-12-05T16:16:26Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > So freaking this: I’m getting tired of General Questions turning into MPSIMS. And just because I close one thread or a dozen, and miss closing some that may have more anecdotal replies, I don’t plan on changing. If anything, I plan on closing more that deserve closing. We don’t need you to do this. Why do you feel that it is needed? This is not why you are a mod. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/64 "2005-12-05T16:29:32Z")
> [@elfbabe](#): > > Uh oh. Does anyone have change? Quick, somoene get a shitload of dimes! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/65 "2005-12-05T16:47:52Z")
That thread was neither in MPSIMS territory nor did it even seem to be going there. It was still firmly within the sacred GQ universe. And it was only 30 or so posts long, hardly out of control. Just a poor decision by **samclem**. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/66 "2005-12-05T17:02:38Z")
Asked, answered, and closed. SOP. **sam** is just trying to get GQ back to where it was under **manny**. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/67 "2005-12-05T17:42:21Z")
But we’ve already established that it WASN’T answered. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/68 "2005-12-05T18:29:22Z")
[This](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6863267&postcount=5) certainly looks like an answer. Granted, not an answer that the OP was looking for… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/69 "2005-12-05T19:05:20Z")
> [@SmackFu](#): > > We don’t need you to do this. I do. And I personally appreciate it. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/70 "2005-12-05T20:19:21Z")
From an interview I saw on WTTW recently, it seems that it was a social movement to remove pay-toilets and was based (as has been said) on unfair treament by gender. O’Hare was the first major facility to remove them and the rest of the country quickly followed suit. It is not clear to me if they were removed voluntarily or by law. A cite was made to a 1975 New York city law. Should we assume that other municipalities had similar laws? Unfortunately I can’t dig up the name of the interviewee. He claimed to be instrumental in the O’Hare pay-toilet removal as well as the founding of the Chicago Botanical Gardens. I did find reference to the leader of an organization called TWO, that also claims to be instrumental in the O’Hare removal. They claim Daley caved in after he heard they were organizing 2500 people for a “shit in”. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/71 "2005-12-05T20:52:01Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > … the interviewee … claimed to be instrumental in the O’Hare pay-toilet removal as well as the founding of the Chicago Botanical Gardens. And now the Bears don’t have to shit in the woods any more. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/72 "2005-12-05T22:01:40Z")
Well, **samclem** did say “asked and anwered”, making it clear enough why he thought it was time to close it. You may not agree with this decision but I wouldn’t call it capricious or arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/73 "2005-12-05T22:17:21Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > Well, **samclem** did say “asked and anwered”, making it clear enough why he thought it was time to close it. You may not agree with this decision but I wouldn’t call it capricious or arbitrary. When the thread was closed it did not say “asked and answered”, it simply said “Locked. Please insert…” I emailed samclem and he replied quickly saying he felt it had been answered, which I am completely fine with, and would have been fine with had he mentioned that with the closing post. Anyway, a little quick on the trigger IMHO, but no harm no foul I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/74 "2005-12-05T22:47:11Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I don’t plan on changing. If anything, I plan on closing more that deserve closing. I just don’t have an unlimited supply of hours in my day. Rather a high-handed attitude, isn’t it? If you honestly feel you don’t have enough time to do your job properly - for instance, moving a thread instead of just locking it: all that one needed was, “This is getting anecdotal, and I feel the original question has been answered. You can chat more about bog experiences in MPSIMS” - shouldn’t you step aside as a Mod? Closing threads without explanation because they don’t fit your lofty criteria is only going to lead to more Pit threads - and, presumably, entail more work for you in coming here and answering complaints then just shifting the damn things to another forum would cause in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/75 "2005-12-05T23:18:02Z")
One moderator (whose name I have not made a mental note of; sorry!) says things like, “This thread is turning into a MPSIMS thread. I’ll move it for you.” Short, sweet and snark-free. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/76 "2005-12-05T23:30:37Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > Rather a high-handed attitude, isn’t it? What do you want, wimpy moderators? That way lies a pile of indistinguishable, syrupy, harsh, and out of control fora. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/77 "2005-12-06T00:02:02Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > One moderator (whose name I have not made a mental note of; sorry!) says things like, “This thread is turning into a MPSIMS thread. I’ll move it for you.” > > Short, sweet and snark-free. Can you beleive nostalgia is already starting in? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/78 "2005-12-06T01:33:03Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > Can you beleive nostalgia is already starting in? I remember when it took much longer… ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/79 "2005-12-06T02:00:19Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > So freaking this: I’m getting tired of General Questions turning into MPSIMS. And just because I close one thread or a dozen, and miss closing some that may have more anecdotal replies, I don’t plan on changing. If anything, I plan on closing more that deserve closing. I just don’t have an unlimited supply of hours in my day. > > I allow anecdotes. I allow stories, jokes, etc. But it’s gotten out of hand in General Questions. And I’m trying to regain control. > > What you may interpret as “arbitrary” is just my not being able to read and act on every thread in General Questions in a timely manner. Ya know, this is just silly. It’s silly as a general rule and it’s silly in its specific application to the pay toilet thread. In a forum where the majority of threads don’t even make it to two pages, the idea that the forum is somehow spiraling out of control is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135/80 "2005-12-06T02:01:09Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I remember when it took much longer… 1960, it took 20 minutes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sigh-so-now-talking-about-pay-toilets-is-forbidden/334135.md?page=5)