Pay Toilet - Decline

Decline

In the United States, pay toilets were common until the mid-1970s, and most frequently seen at transportation terminals (airports, train and bus stations) and sporting venues. They came under attack not only from feminists but also the plumbing industry. California legislator March Fong Eu (later secretary of state of California) smashed a toilet bowl on the steps of the state capitol as part of her campaign against pay toilets. She argued they discriminated against women because men could use urinals for free whereas women always had to pay a dime for a toilet stall in places where payment was mandatory. The American Restroom Association was a proponent of an amendment to the National Model Building Code to allow pay toilets only in addition to free toilets. A campaign by the Committee to End Pay Toilets In America (CEPTIA) resulted in laws prohibiting pay toilets in cities and states. In 1973, Chicago became the first American city to enact a ban, at a time when, according to the Wall Street Journal, there were at least 50,000 units in America, mostly made by the Nik-O-Lok Company. CEPTIA was successful over the next few years in obtaining bans in New York, New Jersey, Minnesota, California, Florida and Ohio. Lobbying was successful in other states as well, and by decade's end, pay toilets were greatly reduced in America. However, they are still in use and produced by the Nik-O-Lok company as many of these laws have since been repealed.

However, in Canada, pay toilets have been gradually been eliminated as some men arrested for having sex in a pay toilet were acquitted as the defence successfully argued that having paid for the toilet booth, the two men were basically in a form of hotel accommodation, thus cancelling the public lewdness charge.

Some businesses use the payment system to limit access to toilets, and this can be accomplished by use of a key system for patrons only and outright denial of access to the wider public. A token operated lock has the same access limiting ability without the nuisance/expense of lost keys from patrons not returning them after use. A quarter or token/quarter operated lock is also available and is used to defray costs of water, paper, maintenance, etc. Pay toilet locks are now installed on the restroom entry doors (rather than the individual stalls) and therefore provide equal access for both men's and women's restrooms.