12-March-2010

Useless toilets on trains

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Yes, I know that things have improved since the 1960s when you had to go to the loo and there was a big hole in the floor and you could see the railway track wizzing by underneath but still... I'm not keen on those train toilets with the sliding doors. It's all very well that they're roomy enough to accommodate a wheelchair and have all the mod cons (soap and hot water?), but they're not exactly user friendly are they?

To begin with, you get inside and push the button to close the door. And then there's another button to lock it. This is quite confusing if you're used to the old toilet doors that you would lock in the normal way. Half the time, people forget the 'lock' button and then are surprised when the door opens agonisingly slowly and you are in full view of the general public - not very dignified!

Also, what's going on with the toilet paper? If you are lucky to find any and it's not in a soggy pile on the toilet floor, it's all stuffed into a tiny box and you almost lose your fingers trying to prise any paper out. Then more stress when you realise the flush button is BEHIND the toilet seat. What a rubbish design! Who wants to actually touch the toilet seat, which is quite often disgusting in the first place and requires several layers of tissue before it can be approached safely?

Trying to get out of these toilets discreetly...

The best bit of course is trying to get out of these toilets discreetly. While the train is moving and you're swaying drunkenly around the bathroom, you eventually spot the button that will open the door. Don't you just miss old fashioned door handles, even if they are covered in germs? Again, there's the s-l-o-w opening of the door, and a group of people staring at you as you shift your bag on your shoulder and pretend you're not actually coming out of a loo.

Travelling by train - nothing like it!

By: Nicky B

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Oh come on, Tickle and A.N.Other - you don't take me seriously, do you? Just exaggerating a bit to make the gripe a bit more entertaining. Why don't you write one of your own? It's fun.

NickyB 21-Dec-2009 19:13

Why do they bother making toilet roll two ply?
It"s an utter waste of paper.
They should simply make it twice as thick instead.

grumppyoldwoman 22-Sep-2009 22:17

It's not useless toilets... it's useless passengers, unable to read the sign above the button that says "lock".

Tess Tickle 07-Sep-2009 21:35

Passengers not locking the doors? Yet again more bloody ignorance!

And complaining about the sliding door toilets -- well they're there to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, so meant for disabled passengers. Walk to another carriage in the train and you'll find a normal (albeit perhaps cramped) toilet with a traditional door and lock. Just even more ignorance!

A. N. Other 04-Sep-2009 03:42

If you are travelling Inter-city on which you have paid a fortune, you expect the loos to be far higher than category D.

On a trip King's X to Edinburgh, the loos were even category E.

Bad Times 11-Aug-2009 18:37

Just to set the record straight, this is not me below! Someone else has "borrowed" my name.

grumpyoldwoman 11-Aug-2009 12:20

I have just watched panorama which I recorded from last night. It was about Alcohol abuse in oldham on friday and saturday nights.The programme makers made out that there was something wrong with young people having a good time.Sod the Liberal/Fascist ponces at the beeb, Let the younguns enjoy themselves, thats what I say.

Grumpyoldwoman 11-Aug-2009 09:40

I can understand people's gripes about dirty toilets on South West trains but having no toilets at all is unforgivable. I was recently on a severly delade train to Reading, having drunk over a litre of water due to the heat and overcrowding of this service. I made my way to the nearest toilet having to passed through a sea of commutors. Having found this one was locked I made my way in to the next carriage where this too was out of order. 2 and a half hours I was stuck on this train unable to get of, as we were between stations. The driver made his way down the train to see to a fault, I politely asked if there were any working toilets on board he replied "how am I supposed to know, we are leaving soon anyway" 15 mintues later we arrived at the next station.
I was made to suffer one of the most undignified train journies I could imagine. I pay a lot of money to travel with South West trains and surley this includes the use of a toilet. A simple human right. Appaling.

K.E 03-Jul-2009 12:08

It's the same on the coach, it's moving at the same time. You just have to live with it

Tim 05-May-2009 20:45

Surely trains are toilets? The one's I have to use occasionally are.

Hugh Jarse 25-Feb-2009 23:30

My mum used to clean trains. Apparently some of the things people used to do to toilets was quite disgusting. Lipstick on mirrors was one of the things that irritated her the most. Very difficult to get off apparently with the regular cleaning equipment of the day. This was British Rail of course, they probably gave them a bucket of water and a sponge!

KBM 24-Feb-2009 23:49

Now you're just showing off...still I'm sure they had a better class of bathroom on that train.

NickyB 24-Feb-2009 23:12

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