Earlier this week I was travelling from my caravan in South Cumbria back home, when I decided I wanted to have a walk and drove to the small coastal town of Arnside to walk up and over Arnside Knott. I had had a couple of brews before I left the caravan and then one whilst travelling south, so of course, by the time I arrived in Arnside, being a woman of a certain age, I was in a desperate need of a wee!
Being a good geographer, I had of course previously studied the local ordnance survey map and spotted public conveniences in the village. I parked a couple of 100 yards beyond the toilets and made my way back to them before I began my walk. The 1st thing that I spotted was the fact that they now cost 40P to use facilities. Oh dear I thought I have no cash on me but I really need a wee …
This transported me straight back to my childhood when we used to literally spend a penny to get into the loo.
I don’t know whether it’s because I come from Yorkshire or whether it was because we never carried cash as kids, but one penny did us all, we all used the same cubicle one after the other, holding the door open with our foot and not allowing it to slam shut, between users.
This obviously wasn’t an option for me being on my own.
I spotted a couple heading towards the toilets so I decided I would hotfoot after them and when they came out I would grab the door before it shut. Not just to save me 40P, but the fact I didn’t have any coins and desperately needed that wee!
On approach though I realized that my worries were over that the toilet charging 40P was card only – cash was not required…in fact cash was not an option. Fortunately I had my card slotted inside my phone. The gentlemen of the couple treated his wife to a wee, he used his card to gain her entry into her toilet I must have exclaimed outloud at the fact it was card only, the man very kindly gestured his card as if he would pay my 40P to get in to my toilet, I must have looked like a woman in need! However I assured him that I had a card and no cash and was quite happy to spend 40P on my card for the pleasure.
I’m sure there are plenty of other places throughout the country that have the option for card payments but I just never seen it before. I was quite surprised the fact it is now 40P. I remember the price going from 1d to 2p when we went to decimalization and I felt that was a bit of a rip off.
Needless to say once inside the toilet, it was beautiful clean and pristine, although it did have one of those locks like the toilets on a train where you must remember to press the circle in the middle of the big yellow button otherwise people can access it from outside and show you in all your glory. Also it did state quite clearly that after 15 minutes the door would unlock on its own. Thankfully, I didn’t need that long!
Suitably relieved I could then continue on my walk!!
Rambling With Ruthie 