I HAVE been following the ongoing debate about the closure of public toilets with some interest – particularly with regard to the council’s claim that there is no money available to fund them.
At Hammersmith bus station and some London rail terminals, the cost of using the public toilets has risen to an astronomical fifty pee (pun intended).
Until our currency was decimalised in 1971, there were 240 pennies to a pound.
Entry to most public conveniences was free – with a fee of just one penny if one needed to use a cubicle. This was the origin of the phrase ‘spend a penny’.
Fifty pence in today’s money would have been 120 pennies in old money - which means that the cost of spending a penny is 119 times more expensive than it was back then!
If the council really is strapped for cash (except when it comes to splashing out on a very expensive mayoral car, of course) perhaps it should consider keeping public toilets open – and charging for their use.
Closing public conveniences is very inconvenient for the public!
ROBERT READMAN,
Norwich Avenue West,
Bournemouth
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