In the Pink
Oh, les toilettes françaises !
If you’re of a certain age you looked at this photo and went “Oh my God! Pink! “
Say what you want about French culture. but they still sell coloured paper. Although only pink, not mauve…
(Back at Okanagan College one of my fellow students rented a lakeside motel room for the winter, the bathroom of which had a stern, hand-written sign, demanding that visitors only use white toilet paper. My friend stocked up on mauve, and every time he flushed shouted “Take that Edna!”)
Beyond that, French toilets are an adventure, ranging from some truly impressive, bright, and clean ones in major airports, to some roadside pissoirs that let you enjoy all of nature while relieving yourself. Assuming you’re male.
I was also surprised to see these truly minimal facilities, that I had only seen before in China.
Not a good time to be to be barefoot.
Otherwise, maybe there will be a seat, maybe just porcelain. Maybe there will be designated male and female choices. Maybe it will be clean, maybe it will be sort of clean. Maybe there will be paper, maybe not. It was never bad enough that I felt at danger, but I was raised in North America.
Still, people on Facebook feel moved to ask:
Can somebody please explain to me why so many public toilets in France do not provide a seat? This is something I have never understood but always pondered. Have you seen how some people leave a toilet? Its shocking sometimes. (This is a particularly clean one I whose to photograph. I especially feel bad for ladies who, consequently, must feel like they go for a work out at the gym, instead of light relief.
Sinks for hand washing are almost always located outside of the toilet, and the functionality of the plumbing can vary widely.
Now, despite all of this, the French do have one thing right: every town, no matter how small, has at least one public washroom. I assume it’s a legislated thing.