"Quite common"? I've spent more than 3 decades here, visited most of the countries on the western side, both north and south (although embarrassingly little eastern parts), and have not seen this once in my life. Thinking about it, I haven't seen this anywhere in the world.
You will usually see these in public places that have no other access controls - think in a park, rather than in a restaurant. It's for places that have a high risk of people sleeping in them.
Yeah, I do visit public bathrooms from time to time, especially in Spain, Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden, and never seen that once anywhere, although I've seen much worse things on single occasions than a timer for the door to open.
I've seen them in some of the shadier parks in the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. Yppenplatz, Vienna, has a particularly nasty (smelling) one which the countdown clock does very little to obviate.
Public bathrooms are such an interesting public services issue. In some places it’s totally normal to pay a small fee, and in return you (usually) get a clean space. In other places, the idea of paying to use the bathroom is considered an offense against the public.
Years ago when I was in New York often, I had the idea to make a paid bathroom app, with a bit of a luxury twist. You’d pay $30 or whatever a month to have access to 40+ well-designed bathrooms across the city. The idea was that we’d own and operate these, and they’d be extremely well-designed, have beautiful tile interiors, come with a variety of hygiene products, water bottles, and so on.
I still think it could work, but over time I began to dislike the idea, as it would have been yet another example of the public commons essentially being eroded and replaced with a privatized paid system. Not that NYC public bathrooms are even remotely nice to begin with… but I think a better solution would be less deliberately exclusionary. Then again, what could be more NYC than the idea of paying money to get better things?
I thought this sort of thing was what CEPTIA successfully campaigned against?
Also, what is the public commons that's being eroded in this scenario? Public toilets are few and far between but also kind of don't seem like a commons. I'd imagine a commons is something like a fishery or something. Pretty easy to control access to toilets. They have doors and as most European countries have proven, you can charge for the access to those doors.
Yeah I’m sure there would be a regulation against it, and you’d need to brand them as rest centers or something.
And I think public access to toilets, at least in NYC, should probably be something more like the subway system than a service just for those that can pay a lot. Even then, the subway isn’t really a life need in the way a toilet is. (Yes I’m aware that it costs money to ride the subway, but it’s not very expensive.) I can imagine the service I described being branded by the press/public as bathrooms only for the rich.
As I said, norms around this aren’t the same around the world. It’s normal to pay for a toilet in Europe but many Americans have a negative reaction to the idea.
Just in case you're not familiar with it, the reason there's a regulation against it is that a group of kids with the belief you're espousing lobbied for that regulation. They formed the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America. I suspect if there is a norm against this here in the US it was created around the time of that law.
As of about 15 years ago, Rudford's diner in San Diego (El Cajon Blvd) had pay toilets with the real authentic coin boxes on them. You didn't actually need to pay your own money; any waitress could provide you a coin when you asked. IIRC, they may have run on tokens only, so that it would be a closed ecosystem.
That may have been the only place I ever saw the real pay-toilet coin boxes. Anywhere else was simply gatekept by being a patron of the restaurant or store. Of course, in 1980s San Diego, there were zero public toilets of any kind, anywhere in town. All of the toilets were inside businesses, maintained by those businesses, and 100% closed to non-customers.
I wish this was a for-profit corporation, because for some odd reason I want a job of traveling across Canada, and documenting every public restroom that exists.
It'd almost be like an episode of the Littlest Hobo. Each week I'd roll into town, bent on performing my job and documenting restrooms.
But in the end I'd save some woman, or orphan, or somebody that's having a horrible problem in their lives, and then I'd roll on to the next town.
Except... in my series, I'd always get a piece of homemade pie as thanks, before I left.
Make it into a Youtube channel, create Patreon, fund the first few months yourself and you've created your own travel show :) Be the change you wanna see in the world, it's never too late!
Wow! I have always wanted to archive the graffiti in pu pic toilets, but this 3D capture is a million times better!
Now I’m wishing more public spaces inside and out were archived forever like this - imagine we had this 1000/2000/3000 years ago and seeing how it was like back then!
I can't recall any time I have seen a public restroom with a knob to exit instead of a push or pull handle. Even office buildings don't have a knob on the door.
The closest I've ever seen is train and airplane bathrooms where the knob is required - but it is also close enough to the sink that you just use your towel and throw that.
There are knobs on the stalls, but you wash your hands after exiting the stalls so I don't think you are counting that.
It's actually everywhere. Europe is full of door knobs. We're trying to make sure that everyone touches as many surfaces as possible. Next step would be tongue operated doors and switches.
Gemini: You've spotted a real historical and geographical divide. Door knobs are predominantly an Anglo-American standard, while lever handles dominate continental Europe, Scandinavia, and much of the rest of the world.
https://restroomarchive.com/r/2026-08-29-grand-army-plaza-au...
> has a countdown timer above warning visitors that the door will auto-open in x amount of time.
A toilet that has a door with a countdown seems like the most stress-inducing thing ever.
It's quite common in Europe. Usually you get 15 minutes which seems fairly generous.
"Quite common"? I've spent more than 3 decades here, visited most of the countries on the western side, both north and south (although embarrassingly little eastern parts), and have not seen this once in my life. Thinking about it, I haven't seen this anywhere in the world.
You will usually see these in public places that have no other access controls - think in a park, rather than in a restaurant. It's for places that have a high risk of people sleeping in them.
Yeah, I do visit public bathrooms from time to time, especially in Spain, Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden, and never seen that once anywhere, although I've seen much worse things on single occasions than a timer for the door to open.
I've seen them in some of the shadier parks in the Netherlands, Italy and Austria. Yppenplatz, Vienna, has a particularly nasty (smelling) one which the countdown clock does very little to obviate.
> people sleeping
Junkies' heroin-induced stupor.
I've been all over Europe and I have never seen this....
"quite common in Europe" oh please. I live there, traveled quite a bit, and have never seen one or heard of one.
I have seen a couple of them in Cologne.
... et voilà, we now know where the GP is from :)
What, where? Never saw this.
Does anyone have a recommendation for an open source photogrammetry application for Android?
Especially one that can produce rooms like this!
Kiri Engine with AI and Splats might be even better on this.
George Costanza would be proud
Public bathrooms are such an interesting public services issue. In some places it’s totally normal to pay a small fee, and in return you (usually) get a clean space. In other places, the idea of paying to use the bathroom is considered an offense against the public.
Years ago when I was in New York often, I had the idea to make a paid bathroom app, with a bit of a luxury twist. You’d pay $30 or whatever a month to have access to 40+ well-designed bathrooms across the city. The idea was that we’d own and operate these, and they’d be extremely well-designed, have beautiful tile interiors, come with a variety of hygiene products, water bottles, and so on.
I still think it could work, but over time I began to dislike the idea, as it would have been yet another example of the public commons essentially being eroded and replaced with a privatized paid system. Not that NYC public bathrooms are even remotely nice to begin with… but I think a better solution would be less deliberately exclusionary. Then again, what could be more NYC than the idea of paying money to get better things?
I thought this sort of thing was what CEPTIA successfully campaigned against?
Also, what is the public commons that's being eroded in this scenario? Public toilets are few and far between but also kind of don't seem like a commons. I'd imagine a commons is something like a fishery or something. Pretty easy to control access to toilets. They have doors and as most European countries have proven, you can charge for the access to those doors.
Yeah I’m sure there would be a regulation against it, and you’d need to brand them as rest centers or something.
And I think public access to toilets, at least in NYC, should probably be something more like the subway system than a service just for those that can pay a lot. Even then, the subway isn’t really a life need in the way a toilet is. (Yes I’m aware that it costs money to ride the subway, but it’s not very expensive.) I can imagine the service I described being branded by the press/public as bathrooms only for the rich.
As I said, norms around this aren’t the same around the world. It’s normal to pay for a toilet in Europe but many Americans have a negative reaction to the idea.
Just in case you're not familiar with it, the reason there's a regulation against it is that a group of kids with the belief you're espousing lobbied for that regulation. They formed the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America. I suspect if there is a norm against this here in the US it was created around the time of that law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_to_End_Pay_Toilets_i...
As of about 15 years ago, Rudford's diner in San Diego (El Cajon Blvd) had pay toilets with the real authentic coin boxes on them. You didn't actually need to pay your own money; any waitress could provide you a coin when you asked. IIRC, they may have run on tokens only, so that it would be a closed ecosystem.
That may have been the only place I ever saw the real pay-toilet coin boxes. Anywhere else was simply gatekept by being a patron of the restaurant or store. Of course, in 1980s San Diego, there were zero public toilets of any kind, anywhere in town. All of the toilets were inside businesses, maintained by those businesses, and 100% closed to non-customers.
You can see one of the authors here in the mirror :) - https://restroomarchive.com/r/2024-12-02-the-mart-collective
I wish this was a for-profit corporation, because for some odd reason I want a job of traveling across Canada, and documenting every public restroom that exists.
It'd almost be like an episode of the Littlest Hobo. Each week I'd roll into town, bent on performing my job and documenting restrooms.
But in the end I'd save some woman, or orphan, or somebody that's having a horrible problem in their lives, and then I'd roll on to the next town.
Except... in my series, I'd always get a piece of homemade pie as thanks, before I left.
Which sort of brings us full circle:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayo9PoZgrMU
Make it into a Youtube channel, create Patreon, fund the first few months yourself and you've created your own travel show :) Be the change you wanna see in the world, it's never too late!
Public bathroom sinks are always way too small. Google Maps should integrate with this service to incentivize larger sinks.
Incentives to not have said small sinks perfectly curved to splash straight into your pants would be appreciated too.
That's a great idea. It would be nice to have an archive of restrooms in Korea too.
Could generate some truly unique datasets. Anyone else immediately think of 'graffiti as a service' or toilet paper consumption stats?
Wow! I have always wanted to archive the graffiti in pu pic toilets, but this 3D capture is a million times better!
Now I’m wishing more public spaces inside and out were archived forever like this - imagine we had this 1000/2000/3000 years ago and seeing how it was like back then!
This is very cool!
Shit like this makes me feel like I am back browsing Fark 25 years ago (pun intended :P)
Only in America: Door knob so you cannot use your sleeve to exit sanitarily.
Also obligatory fluffy and sticky floor mat is missing.
I can't recall any time I have seen a public restroom with a knob to exit instead of a push or pull handle. Even office buildings don't have a knob on the door.
The closest I've ever seen is train and airplane bathrooms where the knob is required - but it is also close enough to the sink that you just use your towel and throw that.
There are knobs on the stalls, but you wash your hands after exiting the stalls so I don't think you are counting that.
I feel like the US has been pretty good at installing foot-knobs (if you will) in new bathrooms. That seems to be the most hygienic strategy, no?
It's actually everywhere. Europe is full of door knobs. We're trying to make sure that everyone touches as many surfaces as possible. Next step would be tongue operated doors and switches.
Door knob seems to be british-american thing?
Gemini: You've spotted a real historical and geographical divide. Door knobs are predominantly an Anglo-American standard, while lever handles dominate continental Europe, Scandinavia, and much of the rest of the world.
this is why we cant have nice things
I'd probably reword that and ask: Why do people feel like trashing restrooms or not feel like they shouldn't clean up after themselves?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somebody_else%27s_problem
What are you talking about, this IS a nice thing!