Sign in
1 min read Travel

Frei Die Toiletten!

I've been piddling away Euros these past two weeks while piddling in Germany. In my youth, pay toilets were uncomfortably common in the USA, thankfully no more.
Pay toilet in Germany
A pay toilet the size of a portalet along the Wanderwasserweg (Water Hiking Trail) in Marlow, Germany

I've been piddling away Euros these past two weeks while piddling in Germany. In my youth, pay toilets were uncomfortably common in urban areas and certain mid-range department stores, Kmart, Newberries, and the like. Ah, the agony of a young girl needing to pee doing the ants in the pants dance while Mom is digging through her purse for a dime or quarter!

And so I say to my German sisters: frei die toiletten! It's time for a sit-down protest of the pay toilet. When Americans started refusing to use them - because a savvy shopkeeper offered free next door - the pay toilet became a dinosaur, disappearing by the early 1970s. Everyone has to pee, and those who don't want to pay at German toilets already find a place to do it outside.

Obviously, it's the women who need to lead this sit-down protest. Take it to the seats, and do it for the sake of your own little girls, dammen!

Published by:

Sandra Friend

You might also like...

16
Sep
Hanger Two Liberty Aviation Museum

Liberty Aviation Museum

Vintage airplanes, military vehicles, automobiles, PT boats, memorabilia, and a diner: an eclectic collection evoking World War II surprised us at the Liberty Aviation Museum.
9 min read
25
Jul
Perrys Monument at sunset

Puttering Around Put-in-Bay

Puttering around Put-in-Bay, Ohio, in a rented golf cart, I was able to explore this island in Lake Erie at a relaxed pace while learning about its history.
9 min read
17
Jul
First footprints on the moon Apollo 11 NASA

First on the Moon

North of Dayton, surrounded by farms, the Ohio town of Wapakoneta celebrates its biggest claim to fame: it's the hometown of Neil Armstrong and home to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum.
8 min read
28
Feb
1960s snowmobiles

Top-Of-The-Lake Snowmobile Museum

For a most unique and unusual type of museum, pop in to Naubinway - especially in winter - to learn about the in-depth history of snowmobiles through the evolution of the vehicle.
4 min read
13
Feb
Historic Stony Brook Mill NY

Surprised by Stony Brook

Surprised by the New England feel of Stony Brook, we lingered over museums and parks, soaking in history on our overnight visit to Long Island's North Shore.
8 min read

Member discussion