It’s back to my favourite topic for today’s blog. That’s right, it’s the subject of public toilets. But first a bit of weather and Chrissie Towers chit-chat.
It’s been blowy and sunny with beautiful white crested waves in front of me as I typed this. What a change that was from endless rain and all the rest. It seems that a lot of people are having bugs of some kind or another. Kevin and two of my friends have this bad cold and cough thing that’s seems to be going round.
The poor lad spent Monday in bed as he felt so grotty and thanked his lucky stars that he’d a flu jab . Especially after last year, when he did get proper flu and was so poorly. He was delirious and had a temperature that was off the scale, so at least he’s got some protection against it this year. We know you can still get flu after a jab, but nowhere near as bad as the proper stuff. He’s feeling a lot better now, thank goodness, although still ‘wobbly’ the after effects of the bug. I hope all you people who are out there and suffering from various Winter bugs soon feel a lot better too.
The Subject of Public Toilets
Now for my opinion again on my favourite subject, which is, of course, the subject of public toilets.
When we got to Blackpool we park in the Houndshill as it’s convenient. So of course we go round the one way system past Coral Island and up Albert Road. We’ve kept commenting about the prison like barricade and fence that’s been put up around the toilets on central car park, and my what an eyesore. It seems we aren’t the only ones who have been commenting on them as the Gazette has taken up the story and calls them ‘ugly and mean spirited’.
Well I agree with that, spot on I say. What visitors must think to it I don’t know, but I took one look at it and immediately thought, what an eyesore and how the devil do you get to the toilets! It seems that Danfo, the operators, have done it to stop people from avoiding paying to get into the cubicles. Of course, all of us who have to use public toilets are pleased when someone holds the door open for us. Especially now that Danfo have put the cost up to 30p. Daylight robbery I call it.
Back door access
Of course, Danfo are saying that they need everyone to pay the fee to go towards the running costs which have to be covered. Disabled people can apparently use the toilets by a back entrance where there isn’t a fence or turnstile. The fences’ design was ‘toned down’ after the original ideas for it were classed as aggressive and industrial looking. So heaven only knows what that must have looked like. I think it looks strong enough to stand an attack from Martians at the moment. As though it’s been designed to prevent people from going in them!
Put it this way, it won’t blow down in a hurricane that’s for sure. It’s a grand bit of metal work choose whoever built it!
We went into Blackpool last week and as we drove past the ‘prison’ a woman and her teenage son were trying to sort out how to get through the contraption. I just hope they weren’t desperate. They’d have piddled their pants going by the length of time it took them to get in and they still weren’t through it when we passed by.
Talk about over the top, that’s not in it. What about the rather ‘large’ people that we see so many of today, I bet they’d cross their legs before try and get through that turnstile. How embarrassing would it be if they got stuck!
The rising cost of spending a penny
And while I’m on a roll, putting the charge up to 30p is a bit much. Heaven help you if your pockets are bulging with 20p’s, which is what it used to cost in Blackpool, but no 10p’s to get in through the monstrosity. I haven’t used these particular toilets, but one look at them – while expecting a shotgun-carrying-guard to pop out from behind the fence to complete the look – puts me off in the first place.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the toilets didn’t stink of wee when you went in them. And going into a shared mens and womens toilet makes me cringe. Knowing how some men aren’t particularly bothered about where they aim (not all men let me hasten to add). You smell urine the minute you get in there, never mind the toilet seat looking scurrilous. Maybe they ought to pay us to use them, the state some of them get into. What do you think?
When we used to pay a penny, back in the dark ages, the toilets were a lot cleaner than they are today by and large. Especially in towns like Blackpool when they had attendants on the job. Now you open the door and don’t know what you’ll be faced with.
What do you think?
So to put a barricade up to thwart the speed at which you can get in isn’t funny. It looks just like a prison in my opinion and not very welcoming to visitors desperate for a toilet after a long drive.
You can bet someone sitting in an office has dreamed that one up without a thought for the look it gives to the town. It’s what usually happens isn’t it. But why the council allowed it to go through planning is a mystery to me. How about you, what do you think?
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