A Case for Public Toilets
Public urinal (Limbourg, Belgium) – similar to Clochemerle
Older readers may remember the 1972 television series, “Clochemerle”, written by Galton and Simpson of “Steptoe and Son” fame. The story is about a small town in 1925 France, where the socialist mayor (Cyril Cusack) tries to build a urinal in the town square. Wendy Hiller plays a prim spinster who campaigns against it on the grounds of public decency. Over several weeks the catastrophic consequences play out.
As far as I’m aware Clochemerle is the only television series ever centred on a public toilet. It is, of course, a comedy and perhaps this is no surprise because public toilets are usually considered comic!
What Happened to Public Conveniences?
If you go back a few decades the “public convenience” was a common site on street corners. Local authorities maintained most of them and so today they are closed, demolished or adapted to other uses. This is a pity because they have an economic purpose and are essential for public health.
Imagine you are a parent with a small child. You have 30 – 60 minutes from leaving home before the child needs to go. In this time you need to get to the shops, buy what you need and return home. With the best will in the world, you will have no time to shop around and find the best bargains. To get the best deal, the chances are you buy unhealthy processed foods. Removal of public toilets means for many there is less time for socialising, you are under constant pressure to get home.
Much the same applies to the elderly as bladders seem to become less capacious with age. This is no joke!
Of course, the old style public toilets had drawbacks. The continental Clochemerle variety was sexist, designed for men between pubs or pub and home. The UK variety usually catered for most sexes but the old style were usually not particularly clean, often neglected and too often attracted unsavoury characters. I remember as a child in the 50s and 60s, warnings not to use them because of the nasty men who inhabited them.
Toilets Today
The solution these days is to open toilets to the public inside other buildings, frequently department stores and supermarkets. This way the store can maintain standards of cleanliness and safety. You may have noticed department stores always house them a few stories up and at the back of the store. This is deliberate as it increases footfall. After the shops close pubs provide the last resort for the desperate.
Community or business centres are other options. Such a centre might place them within a café. If so, they should be clearly labelled as open to the public with no obligation to buy. If you aim to create an unstructured meeting space, your toilets are crucial to introducing new people to your centre. Strategically placed notice boards may be all you need to increase participation.
We need to see toilet facilities as a valued public service, not a music hall joke. Their provision benefits not only those who use them (that’s everyone) but also local traders.
What are the benefits of clean, safe toilet facilities? Isn’t it time national and local government took this seriously?