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Comment by kgermino | Hacker News Reader

I’ve always felt that the advantage of pay toilets wasn’t that they were clean, it was that they exist.

Walking around an American city trying to find a restroom can be extremely challenging, while in European cities I could almost always find a sign and a public restroom in short order (even outside the more touristy areas).

I don’t know if there are actually more public toilets in those cities - or if the culture just includes more prominent signage - but remembering to carry change is way better than going shop to shop begging to use the toilet.

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My experience has be exactly the opposite. Never struggled to find a toilet in the US. In Europe, as a tourist, no public toilets and shops display prominent sign that it is for customers only. So often I had to buy $8 coke (served flat with half an ice-cube) for the privilege to use a toilet in the basement with space no bigger than the pot itself (and the pot has no toilet seat). Just sharing a counter experience.

> Never struggled to find a toilet in the US.

On the east coast I've been able to find toilets just fine, especially with the wealth of subway stations and indoor malls and other places that typically have restrooms.

California is a hell hole though. You can walk miles across town and find zero restrooms, sometimes an occasional locked restroom, and maybe some restaurants and coffee shops whose restrooms are almost always for "customers only". It's a pity because the weather here is great for long walks. You can pee in random bushes I guess (?) but there's no place to poo.

What's wrong with asking to use a toilet? Is it so wrong to be part of a civilized society?

Along the lines of OP, my free market solution is to keep pooping in the street until the chamber of commerce decides building a restroom is good for business.

Nothing wrong with asking. I think the person was trying to say that places wont let you use their toilets even if you ask.

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