France: Free Bathrooms

I am becoming a champion of finding free bathrooms. Americans wouldn’t think of that as being any great skill, but travel to enough foreign cities, and you’ll come to value you it as one of the greatest asset a traveler can possess. Brainstorming in Paris for where we might not have to spend one Euro to relieve our bladders, Angela and I resorted to a failsafe we had stumbled across in Spain: department stores. El Cortes Ingles had always had free toilets, and luckily, the one department store we located on the streets of Paris did, too.

We happily made use of this commodity for a second purpose, as well: to refill our water bottles. I don’t know what it is with French people and bottled water, but the guy in Subway (the sandwich shop we resorted to once we realized that we would otherwise have had to spend exorbitant amounts of money on foodstuffs we wouldn’t recognize) looked at me even more strangely than any of the Spaniards had when I tried to indicate that I wanted a glass of tap water, not his bottle of Evian. Then, the selection of bottled waters in Carrefour—the supermarket in Lille—was just incredible, all in stylish gooseneck bottles of every imaginable color . . . . it almost rivaled their wine selection!

Returning to my discussion of one-Euro bathrooms: I am quite offended that I, as a human being and world citizen, should have to pay to use a bathroom, particularly in a place where I purchased a ticket (such as a train or bus station). As a female, I have particular needs throughout certain period of the month—no pun intended—and to be forced to pay just to avoid potential disaster and humiliation while my male counterparts get away with simply holding their bladders is discriminatory.

Providing free, safe, clean public restrooms is a public service that should be provided by these companies. They are already charging such exorbitant prices for their services (€67 to go to Paris by train from Lille, which is only an hour away within France) that such a commodity should not be too much to ask. Furthermore, such a service could certainly be supported by the government, which should have its citizens’ health and well-being in mind. These institutions should not be making money off of people’s natural bodily functions, especially when the restroom facilities they do keep are usually so poorly maintained. Most of them smell, are dimly lit, and are so open to the outside that they maintain very little sense of privacy.

On a happier note, my return trip from France was brightened by a random act of kindness. Upon arriving at the Victoria rail station, I was in urgent need of a restroom. Usually Eurostar provides free restrooms to its passengers, but apparently this is only to passengers boarding the Eurostar; passengers disembarking are expected to fend for themselves. Therefore, I found myself in the general station, urgently following “toilet, this way” signs. When we finally found one, it was operated by a 20p turnstile. Having returned from France, I had only Euros in change. Luckily there was a change machine beside the bathroom, but equally unluckily, it only offered change for one pound coins, not for five/ten/twenty pound notes, which was all I had. I was beginning to panic, because the need to get inside the bathroom was becoming increasingly urgent. Shops generally do not agree to give change unless you purchase something, and I did not relish the idea of being forced to spend even more money just to get inside the bathroom. Besides, spending more money would mean wasting more time, and this could cause quite a problem in my less-than-conducive situation…. Suddenly, a girl standing next to Angela who had been counting her change asked how much we needed. We turned simultaneously and said, “Twenty p.” She handed over the coin. I gushed thanks and offered her Euros in exchange, but she shook her head and replied that she understood, she had been in my position. Gratefully, I left my luggage with Angela and dashed down the steps. Thank goodness for kind people.

This could have all been avoided, however, had the bathroom been free.

Apparently, charging for bathroom usage is illegal in America. At least we got something right.