by Margery Wilson
“Spend a penny” in British slang means to visit a public toilet, a phrase which was first used back in the 1850′s when the first pay toilet was introduced in London. As a kid growing up in California I remember pay toilets being common, but it has been years since I have seen one. That may change soon.
On January 16, 2010 a headline in the Irish Times caught my eye:
“Cross Your Legs: Ryanair to Implement Fee per Wee”
Ryanair, the most successful budget airline in Europe, has once again proposed charging to use the toilets on board their flights. This idea was shot down previously, but now appears to have new life. The Irish Times reports Ryanair is considering removing the two toilets at the back of each of each aircraft to create more seating for passengers, and fitting the remaining single toilet with a coin-operated (or credit card-operated) door at a charge of £1/€1/$1.40.
This pay-as-you-go plan is intended to be implemented on Ryanair flights of an hour or less. Ireland to England, for instance.
Experts point out that the expense of removing bathrooms and installing new seating would be more expense than Ryanair will realistically undertake. On the other hand, Ryanair’s inflight magazine reports that a toilet fee could reduce fares by at least 5 per cent.
“One toilet will discourage overdependence,” says Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara, “There is nothing in the rule book to say that an aircraft has to have any toilets at all, which might sound strange, but we believe three toilets are excessive.”
Discourage overdependence? Perhaps. But it strikes me that it might encourage Depends ®.
What do you think? Does the claim about pay toilets allowing fares to fall sway your opinion?
I will admit to having no opposition to pay toilets since I rarely use them. Not using the toilets on board is a challenge I have long given myself when flying. My personal best is BOS – LHR without a single toilet visit. Besides, I’m a window seat fan, so my fate is sealed if the aisle person next to me falls asleep, or has the row blocked by laptop, DVD player and all. I only disturb folks if I really, really need to, um, go. I would want to know if I needed to use the facilities that I could get exact change, or have a way to use my credit card without incurring all those little fees the banks like to add when converting from one currency to another.
Ryanair’s colorful CEO, Michael O’Leary, frequently generates controversy and those in the know tend to take what he says with a grain of salt. Not too long ago he proposed installing scales at boarding gates. Passengers would be weighed before boarding, and if too heavy would pay an extra fee. There was a big uproar over that idea, and the proposal seems to have been dropped. Like zombies, some of these ideas, like the fee for using the toilet, seem unable to die.
“The funny thing about Michael is that he’ll say these things as an off-the-cuff remark,” says McNamara, “and then he’ll start to think about it more and more, and he’ll start doing the sums. He has said that if it got him €5 extra he’d wipe people’s bottoms for them.”
If that fee is implemented we will report it here on Skysteward. Promise.
Related posts:
- Ryanair Brings Cigarettes Back! Brace yourself for a new item on the beverage...
I think paying fees on on-board toilets is just a way of discipline for those who use it. The charges will go to the maintenance and cleanliness of the comfort room. Thanks for this post.