Why aren’t people using public toilets anymore ?
By Traceyjayne
@Traceyjayne (3777)
United Kingdom
July 31, 2025 8:00am CST
There has just been a report on the news that states that in England in the year 2000 there were almost 6000 public toilets. By the year 2021 there were just under 4000, in the year 2025 there are just over 3000.
However, that’s where the report stopped.
No questions as to WHY they were being closed down.
I don’t often use public toilets but whenever I have I have to admit that the experience has been a grim one. Usually there is no paper, the floor is mainly wet ….dread to think what with, and more times than not the lock doesn’t work on the door !
Seaside towns I believe should have public toilets available…..they expect people to spend days or weeks there spending money yet provide no toilets , how is that supposed to entice them to come back !
I know that some seaside place charge 50p to use the toilet, some have a turn style system to make sure you pay and only one person can get through at a time …..so no going through with a friend and holding the door so as only one has to pay !
So what do you think ….should public toilets be available and should you have to pay for the. ….what do you think is a reasonable amount ?
10 people like this
7 responses
@DaddyEvil (155548)
• United States
31 Jul
Public toilets here are usually nasty, even in stores and restaurants. They always have water everywhere and I definitely wouldn't sit down in one! I wait until I get home. I'd rather find a nice tree than use a public toilet.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (3777)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul
The Mister won’t use them if we are out. Even if it means a drive back home then out again.
He has used trees too….not so easy for us girlies though.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (155548)
• United States
31 Jul
@Traceyjayne We've done that before... Start somewhere and one of us has to go so we drive back home and then start out again.
Funny story... When Pretty was around 5 years old, we were driving to California. It was 2 am when she woke up and told me she needed to go pee... We were in the middle of nowhere, nothing but pavement, sky and stars... I pulled over to the side of the road and told her she could squat beside the car tire... She looked at me like I was crazy and said "Only nasty people pee beside the road!" She was deathly serious! I told her there wasn't anywhere else to go... She told me to drive faster and find someplace! About half an hour later, we came upon a little spot in the road gas station that was open... She was the happiest little girl you ever saw! 
@Traceyjayne (3777)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul
@DaddyEvil pleased to hear the pretty had standards even as a 5 year old ! Lol
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (3777)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul
I do wonder if and how many public toilets you have used in the Uk ?
1 person likes this
@youless (113625)
• Guangzhou, China
31 Jul
Public toilets are important and they should be free of charge. Of course things happen step by step. Long time ago I guess here the public toilets were few. Later there would be some public toilets but you had to pay for it. Usually these public toilets were in the train stations etc. Now there are more public toilets and you don't have to pay for it at all. This is a good improvement.
@Traceyjayne (3777)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul
I believe they should be provided and free of charge too.
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (3777)
• United Kingdom
31 Jul
There are certain toilets in some of the places that we go to often that I know are not cleaned etc and I won’t use those at all.
@aninditasen (17417)
• Raurkela, India
31 Jul
Public toilets in India are usually not clean. That's the reason people avoid using public toilet.
@2ndchances24 (10706)
• Cloverdale, Indiana
31 Jul
I use the public restrooms & when some 1 has to go where are they
suppose to go? on the floor? some folks don't have time to wait &
I'm 1 of them, when I gotta go there's no looking for a place to go.
