Flushing Philly’s Troubles Away

Yes, folks, there it is. The eagerly awaited pay toilet on the north side of City Hall is here! Although the 25-cent flusher isn’t open yet — and is indeed guarded by a gate — we are all only a few days away from the toilet’s official launch.

The Daily News updates the pay toilet story today, making note of John Street’s amazing tenacity in making sure Philly has a pay toilet, and making sure it’s just outside of City Hall. So, y’know, if any Council members need to use it.

The toilet, though, isn’t even Philadelphia’s to keep. It’s a toilet on loan from Boston. Yes, Boston has six public pay toilets, but one of them was shipped down to Philly for a three-month trial run. (And it’s from a German company!)

There is, however, an emergency phone, in case you strain yourself while taking a shit. The toilet is from Wall Corp., which says it’s “the Mercedes-Benz of the street-furniture industry.” There’s a 25 minute time limit, after which the doors will just spring open. It’s only available during the day and also self-cleans in 50 seconds!

Is there anything this toilet can’t do? This being Philadelphia, the city’s Boston-loaned toilet won’t quite have the same luster as as the ones in Beantown:

Although Boston has a program to give tokens to homeless people to operate the toilets, the city will keep the 25-cent charge in place during the pilot period.

Hooray! Thanks, Mayor Street!

At your disposal, a new-age toilet [Daily News]
Oct. 20: Freedom To Flush (For A Quarter)