In article , Neil Williams
writes
On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 09:18:42 -0000, "Edward Cowling"
wrote:

The worst loos in London that I've come across are the
public loos at Camden Lock market. Even the flies
complain about the filth :-)

They are free, and generally well-kept, at Marylebone station.
I'd second that.

Other
London terminals mainly charge 20p, but these days they are normally
spotlessly clean with an attendant present. This being the case, I
don't mind paying.
My experience has been that railway stations *used* to charge 20p but
seem to have discontinued the practice now. Maybe I've just been
lucky? In any case, like Neil, I don't mind paying for good facilities.

That said, I don't find Central London's toilet facilities nearly as bad
as they've been portrayed in this thread.

Bank Underground stations are spotless, as are those in the subway at
Westminster and on the Embankment near to Embankment Tube.

The ones in the alleyway alongside the Jubilee Market at Covent Garden
are also okay (and always attended); not perfect, but given the use
they get not bad at all.

(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public toilets,
however much it might look like it from this post! It's just that,
when you're a tourist guide, it's one of those things you *have* to know
about!)
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 21:27:15 +0000, Neil Williams wrote:

On Mon, 24 Nov 2003 09:18:42 -0000, "Edward Cowling"
wrote:

The worst loos in London that I've come across are the
public loos at Camden Lock market. Even the flies
complain about the filth :-)

They are free, and generally well-kept, at Marylebone station. Other
London terminals mainly charge 20p, but these days they are normally
spotlessly clean with an attendant present. This being the case, I
don't mind paying.

Got off the Victoria at KingsX en-route to Walthamstow on Friday night, to
relieve myself and get a burger king. Walked down to the toilets and
realised Children in Need took all my change when I left work (I was too
awed by the presence of Sting to notice too!) Had to vault over the
turnstile to get in, the attendant looked asleep though and didn't say
anything (what would he have done).

Waterloo is (appropiatly) the best ones I've been too in Central London.
20p's cheaper then Rome Termini's 40p (60 cents) too!

Ian Jelf wrote the following in:


(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public
toilets, however much it might look like it from this post! It's
just that, when you're a tourist guide, it's one of those things
you *have* to know about!)

Similar sort of thing for me with public toilets. I don't get great
pleasure from being in them, it's just that when you drink as much
water as I do you rather need to know where they are.

--
message by Robin May, but you can call me Mr Smith.
Hello. I'm one of those "roaring fascists of the left wing".

Another high quality lesson from Robin May:
Your and you're are different words!

Ian Jelf typed


Other
London terminals mainly charge 20p, but these days they are normally
spotlessly clean with an attendant present. This being the case, I
don't mind paying.
My experience has been that railway stations *used* to charge 20p but
seem to have discontinued the practice now. Maybe I've just been
lucky? In any case, like Neil, I don't mind paying for good facilities.

Uuuh? Euston, King's Cross & Waterloo have all extracted at least 20p
from me within the last year.

The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands on a
cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that can overheat
the dungeons in which the facilities hide.

Getting down to the dungeons is great fun [not] with a load of luggage
(at least Euston's aren't approached by stairs!) a loaded bicycle
('Please do not leave luggage unattended') or a disability that makes
descending stairs difficult. (I don't have a RADAR key yet)

That said, I don't find Central London's toilet facilities nearly as bad
as they've been portrayed in this thread.

They are mostly acceptable. John Lewis stores are usually the best. They
still have proper cloth towel machines!

(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public toilets,
however much it might look like it from this post!

This is obvious to me as a Brum based guide doesn't seem familiar with
London Euston! ;-)

Helen, who always has a supply of 20p coins ('toilet tokens') on hand.
£1 coins are trolley tokens...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

In article , Helen Deborah Vecht
writes
Ian Jelf typed
My experience has been that railway stations *used* to charge 20p but
seem to have discontinued the practice now. Maybe I've just been
lucky? In any case, like Neil, I don't mind paying for good facilities.

Uuuh? Euston, King's Cross & Waterloo have all extracted at least 20p
from me within the last year.

The only one of those I've used in recent times is Waterloo and come to
think of it, you're right: 20p it was.

The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands on a
cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that can overheat
the dungeons in which the facilities hide.
So they're not "more hygienic", as claimed?

Getting down to the dungeons is great fun [not] with a load of luggage
(at least Euston's aren't approached by stairs!) a loaded bicycle
('Please do not leave luggage unattended') or a disability that makes
descending stairs difficult. (I don't have a RADAR key yet)
Can you *ask* to use the disabled loos under such circumstances, ie do
the staff have a RADAR key?

(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public toilets,
however much it might look like it from this post!

This is obvious to me as a Brum based guide doesn't seem familiar with
London Euston! ;-)
I always use Marylebone! ;-)

Helen, who always has a supply of 20p coins ('toilet tokens') on hand.
£1 coins are trolley tokens...
Here in Birmingham, you get used to carrying a supply of change for the
occasional bus journey (exact fare only here, no change given)!
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk

"Ian Jelf" wrote in message
...
In article , Helen Deborah Vecht
writes

The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands on a
cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that can overheat
the dungeons in which the facilities hide.
So they're not "more hygienic", as claimed?

Only if they are used correctly. Most people do not fully dry their hands,
leaving them warm and moist - an ideal environment for breeding germs. This
can be for a number of reasons - lack of time, defective blowers (many of
them never actually heat up, just blow cold air).

Personally, I'm with Helen - give me a good roller towel every time!

"Jack Taylor" wrote the following in:



"Ian Jelf" wrote in message
...
In article , Helen Deborah
Vecht writes

The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands
on a cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that
can overheat the dungeons in which the facilities hide.
So they're not "more hygienic", as claimed?

Only if they are used correctly. Most people do not fully dry
their hands, leaving them warm and moist - an ideal environment
for breeding germs. This can be for a number of reasons - lack of
time, defective blowers (many of them never actually heat up, just
blow cold air).

Many of the *******s DON'T STAY ON! I am so tired of the ones that are
supposed to automatically detect your hands but in actual fact don't
and so make drying your hands nearly impossible. If they're going to
use hand dryers, they should at least have button ones that stay on for
a reasonable amount of time.

--
message by Robin May, but you can call me Mr Smith.
Hello. I'm one of those "roaring fascists of the left wing".

Another high quality lesson from Robin May:
Your and you're are different words!

Spyke wrote in message ...

As others have said, most major tourist attractions and department
stores will have at least reasonably good toilet facilities and all
restaurants are obliged to have toilets. Facilities at railroad
terminals are not always as good as one might hope!

I don't think you will find any of this a problem so long as you take
preventative action by passing a department store, restaurant or
tourist attraction (and there are an awful lot of all three!) at the
sort of frequency required by a 4-year-old!

As nobody else seems to have mentioned it, many of the toilets in
railway stations, other public attractions and even in department stores
nowadays, are pay on entry, so make sure you have plenty of small change
(20p usually) handy.


Erm..... are you sure? I don't know of any shops or tourist
attractions in London which charge for their facilities. The only
exceptions I know of are Burger King's in certain places like
Leicester Square. Oh and of course the infamous Harrod's toilets. I
suggest avoiding those thieves, after all Harrod's sells what everyone
else sells, but with a sneer and a hefty price premium.

Ian Jelf typed


The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands on a
cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that can overheat
the dungeons in which the facilities hide.
So they're not "more hygienic", as claimed?
No. there has been some research somewhere that showed it was on a par
with wiping your hands on trousers IIRC. They do result in 'less mess'
but can also leave busy toilet facilities *far* too hot, especially in
summer.

Getting down to the dungeons is great fun [not] with a load of luggage
(at least Euston's aren't approached by stairs!) a loaded bicycle
('Please do not leave luggage unattended') or a disability that makes
descending stairs difficult. (I don't have a RADAR key yet)
Can you *ask* to use the disabled loos under such circumstances, ie do
the staff have a RADAR key?

When I'm busting for a leak, I'm not minded to go looking for a member
of staff. Some of the time I walk fairly well & would have to eplain my
problems; when I walk badly, I don't want to be haring around a station
concourse. Quickest is still to struggle down the stairs to the ordinary
loos.

(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public toilets,
however much it might look like it from this post!

This is obvious to me as a Brum based guide doesn't seem familiar with
London Euston! ;-)
I always use Marylebone! ;-)
So I gathered...

Helen, who always has a supply of 20p coins ('toilet tokens') on hand.
£1 coins are trolley tokens...
Here in Birmingham, you get used to carrying a supply of change for the
occasional bus journey (exact fare only here, no change given)!

Do you have reinforced pockets?

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

In article , Helen Deborah Vecht
writes
Ian Jelf typed


The facilities are OK but I really would prefer to dry my hands on a
cloth or paper towel rather than use the germ-blowers that can overheat
the dungeons in which the facilities hide.
So they're not "more hygienic", as claimed?
No. there has been some research somewhere that showed it was on a par
with wiping your hands on trousers IIRC.
Ugh!

When I'm busting for a leak, I'm not minded to go looking for a member
of staff. Some of the time I walk fairly well & would have to eplain my
problems; when I walk badly, I don't want to be haring around a station
concourse. Quickest is still to struggle down the stairs to the ordinary
loos.
Would you be able to get a RADAR key? Would you want to?

(By the way, I don't make a habit of hanging around public toilets,
however much it might look like it from this post!

This is obvious to me as a Brum based guide doesn't seem familiar with
London Euston! ;-)
I always use Marylebone! ;-)
So I gathered...
*Far* more civilised than Birmingham New Street - London Euston. :-)

Helen, who always has a supply of 20p coins ('toilet tokens') on hand.
£1 coins are trolley tokens...
Here in Birmingham, you get used to carrying a supply of change for the
occasional bus journey (exact fare only here, no change given)!

Do you have reinforced pockets?
Yes, you need them (although our £2.50 day tickets help with many kinds
of journey and most off peak fares are £1 anyway. I wish we had
something similar to London's "Saver" tickets, though. They would
serve my current needs perfectly.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk