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History (Vocable, 07 2004). The Victorians invented public toilets in 1851, when the famous plumber George Jennings designed and installed flush toilets for the Great Hyde Park Exhibition, charging a penny (he made a fortune).

(*) The world toilet came to be used in French along with other French fashions (around 1681) and originally referred to the whole complex of body care and hairdressing that used a table covered to the floor with a cloth (toile) and lace (Vocable, 07 2004). The word "loo" would derives from the French "garde l'eau" (meaning watch out for the water), translated in gardy loo, warning to passer-by when chamber pots were emptied from a windows onto the street (Vocable, 07 2004).

Pissotière (vespasian) Rambuteau. "Sciences humaines", May, 2009. In pissotières, there is the French verb "pisser" (to piss, pee..). If there is a fundamental law which is nevertheless no registered in any text, it is that to relief oneself. Until XVIIIth century indeed, cities and countrysides didn't care too much about the presence and the smell of wide-spread excrements here and there, where a pressing need had been felt. The miasma and the jonquil (according to the historian Alain Corbin) were living togetrher without hostility, until the rise of hygienists concerns came to affix limits.

After the barrels to ease settled in 1770 in Paris, the prefect Rambuteau sets up, from 1834, a whole street furniture - as it would be said today - intended to satisfy the most basic human needs. At least, those of the male gente, because, how to use a "pissotière Rambuteau" when we belong to the weaker sex ? The XIXth century is undoubtedly very hard for the women : excluded from the voting right, they also are from the right to urinate. The "Pissotière Rambuteau" is replaced from 1980s by the famous automatic public toilets "Decaux", which have certainly the merit to equalize the access of both sexes. They have the asset to be hermetic and self-cleaning but also the drawback to need a coin. J. Damon then pleaded for an action program to obtain them free of charge throughout France. Against violations of the most fundamental rights of all human beings.

Note. The Empereur Vespasien did not instal anaything like that in Roma, as said.

Did you know there is a World Toilet Organization ? It "sits" in Singapore.

The toilet chronicle After a proposal from Singapore, the United Nations declared that November 19 would be World Day of the toilet. The Singaporean ambassador said he didn't care about any jokes about it. Why Singapore? Its creator wanted it to be as green and ecological as possible and this city offers, preferably to the rich, a city in the middle of parks. The images on the Internet are breathtaking. The greenest in Asia, the most beautiful park in Asia etc., there is no shortage of praise.

Exhibition in Barcelone. pictures "Ladies and Gentlemen", "hombres y segnoras".

Commercial pettiness, toilets at a minimum!  2014/15. France or Europe  A decree stipulates that toilets can now be directly accessible from the living room or from the kitchen. This formulation, aimed at small apartments,  must have been quickly corrected by specifying that it was the room and not the toilet itself! Without this clarification, they would have put the seat next to the sink!   In Germany, I saw  such a "little corner" adjacent to the kitchen, which has to be crossed ! Not very happy. However, there is a double door, and this precaution would not be taken in France.

On the ladies' toilet side, the line is always endless. Women spend more time there for different reasons, and they have fewer opportunities than men who, with urinals, have a clear advantage. The old standards are in favour of men because women went out less and it is now the opposite because of they mainly attend supermarkets or do shopping. The principle of equal surface area that has been adopted therefore disadvantages clearly the female population who, at rush hour, no longer hesitates to squat in the men's toilets.

Historically, and according to the World Toilet Organization of Singapore, 5 ladies' toilets were sufficient against 8 for men . The standards did not seem to have changed. In the USA, Yvette Clarke passed a law in 2004 reserving twice as many toilets for women. In this country, for a stadium that offered 66 ladies' toilets, there are now 410 of them, compared to 205 men.. To date, only the British have followed the example..  remains the problem of public toilets, on the street and in medium-sized establishments.

Welcoming Provence. Behind this door of a charming small village (*), one find free of charge a very representative old-fashioned toilets, almost a model, "squat way" French "WC" (toilet), whose have their nostalgics and opponents ; well, but hygienics are they and even ergonomics due to the rather natural position. With pink walls, it's pretty, it's warm, it's Provence. (*) near Manosque, in the south, known for its shady place, make a small stopover and you won’t will not be able to resist the pleasure of soaking your hands in the large Provencal fountain.

Let's take the time to admire the flagship of our old public toilets (click on the picture), starting from the door on the left, ready open. - The door handle hangs a little bit (bottom left, a knob in white porcelan), but it will last a long time, I tested it. - Left hand, a strange pipe that goes out the wall and ends with a curb towards.. the hole. It is not normal. - Raising the head, there is a Twisted Iron Wire hanging from the flushing tank. This is normal, with its curved end, it is a good example of ergonomic repair. At the time of its splendor, the wire was a beautiful chain with a real porcelain handle. - And there is The Hole (Le Trou, in French), which seems to fix us with the clear intention of gulping down any malicious thing out of the pocket. A hole that made many people shudder, including this young English man as Jean Amadou told us, who innocently went to the toilet... and immediately came back screaming: Mom, there's a hole!

- And there is the flushing THIS is flushing !! A cataract that soak your pants and fill your shoes if you don't jump on time ! but we were trained to ! Let’s not forget the urinals, very generous.

Compared to the one above, it's tighter and more awful. The maintenance is really not assured. There's always that extra pipe coming out the back. Probably a habit.

Here, the choice of materials is disputable but there is an undeniable commercial effort: we know where put the feet.

UNIQUE ? Here they are, these old pissotières called "vespasian" (*), at the bottom of a square that has known the horrors of the last war. In sheet metal and from the period, they were there in 1943 (I was there) and they were still there in 1999, as they were, so to speak. A Cadenet, at the foot of the Luberon, with a bridge over the Durance River - originally suspended - and the statue of the Napoleonic army's drummer, the Tambour d'Arcole, whose audacity and courage allowed Napoleon to win, by crossing the bridge of the same name in Italy. Until 2003/2004, one could still see there shades  flamboyant that only time can achieve patiently, layer after layer, due to rusty water and not.. Alas, after 2002, after a brief cleaning, these shades do no longer exist except on my site. (*) of the Roman Emperor Vespasian 69-79 AD; had these pissotières installed in Rome; restored the city, the army etc., devastated after Nero; adopting a modest attitude, like his origin, he had to find a lot of money after the disasters and said "Money has no smell". Founder of the Colosseum.

And here's the original, against the wall of a beautiful little square encased, with its plane trees and its market. In 2003, these pissotières were still there, but repainted green (follow the progress). By clicking on the image, we discover on the right a water supply, now dry, because they no longer provide free water. hibis It should be noted that at the time, only men were allowed to relieve themselves in public places, women not having to hang out on the street alone for no reason serious. Continuation and end? It was not until 2004, the 60th anniversary year for the   landing of the allies in Normandy, that the sacrilege was accomplished:  the vestige has been destroyed !!! !     Supreme injure, it is now replaced by a 12 meters grey wall housing ugly stainless steel toilet bowls. Well, there must have been complaints because now, another horror, the wall is CREAM !  to be continued..

The most horrible ever seen ?  probably, but not the dirtiest. Yes, these toilets (of extreme urgency) really existed at the top of Mount Faron (South France), perhaps until the years 70-80, I don't know anymore. Le Faron, a barely 600-metre high peak, steep and already known for its terrible bicycle race (you stall in curves, it's a wall). A summit also tourist at the time, given the view over the bay of Toulon. hibis

With its tuyau hanging and this species of cement corolla on which the seat rests, we can recognize the work of an inspired mason who, with a touch of colour, would have probably got a prize these days. My photo, guaranteed without any retouching, dates from an era of "silver" film, old. hibis.

Very British. by appointment of her Majesty the Queen !

Anglo-Saxon humour for this very suggestive press cartoon. Also actually saw with the newspaper slowly going down on the pants. Note that these areas are not closed at the bottom or top, which is good for ventilation and cleaning. Not for privacy or security > Watch your bag you put on the ground because it can be quickly pulled. This model is spreading to airports and tourist sites.

Technics.. in mountain. Here is a test of ecological toilets; the deal is important and its realization is the pride of the village. It is in very welcoming effect.. and well explained, in several languages. A sketch shows its effectiveness..

.. Installed "on the floor", one can only put brand in the hole, which is poured like an obole, by drawing from the container that contains it. A solar system constantly heats the "deposit" below.

Specials. In Cyprus, a real dilemma : the writing precise that you shouldn't throw the paper in the bowl ? We read, reread, we don't understand, since there is water. Then the eyes fall on the right basket and everything becomes clear!

Look how tidy it is: the paper rolls on the left and the basket on the right, with its sheets of paper "used". It only passes through the middle ! Yes, the used leaves are with.. this.

Technological refinement.
With their automatic toilet bowl, the Japanese have developed a real buttock washing station ; I have only seen it running on TV, but it washes and dries you in one turn of the buttons; I mean once you've mastered the control box and its settings.

Here is a model sold in the USA, with simplified control box (they are generally fixed to the wall, quite complicated despite the pictograms.. and in Japanese ! All have a more or less sophisticated sprinkler tube that comes out of the bowl when the time comes, which I hope is the one you choose yourself! This says, the settings are perhaps delicate at first and must look funny.

No kidding, a camera is missing to check the quality of the result and perfect the settings.. or examine what you never see, as a preventive measure.

Each own his preferences, man, woman, in front of the back, hot or less, pressure, type of cycle, things like that... We would not yet have planned rotating or vibrating jets to the rhythm of his favorite music.
as a kind of fesso-thalassotherapy. This is for the best models, of course. There's a future, like, and predictable work delays.... Since this first innovation, other assets have completed the offer: urine analysis, blood pressure measurement, fat proportion and weighing.
Enough to cut the primary desire we had when we entered. When you think of the "little quiet corner" you used to look for in nature..

A first sight a little ridiculous and expensive, it makes you smile. As time passes and reflection is done, and for public use, the overall quality-cost/efficiency ratio could be unequalled. WHAT YOU WIN: disappearance of toilet paper, towel rolls; disappearance or minimization of sinks!!! but unemployment for more maintenance staff. Much further away are the sewage treatment plants! They complain - among other things because they are sent through the pipes - about toilet paper and their rollers which dissolve into fine particles. That would be less for filters.
The energy balance could be negative despite the disappearance of electric hand dryers, but we should be able to count on a reduction in water consumption.

Beyond the technical, or practical aspect, this technology would perhaps reduce the costly solutions envisaged to sanitize hospitals and public institutions (special doors without handles etc.), a lost run if the fingers are still carrying the dreaded bacteria. The best solution is always the one that eliminates the basic evil and the Japanese may have understood it from the beginning of the study. Then comes unparalleled convenience for the elderly and even the disabled. What do we know about these problems outside our own? little in this discreet field.

This equipment intended for private use arrives in France at a price of 1500 euros (mid 2007). The price has already gone down. To be considered for public use, distinguishing between Establishments and public roads, because in the latter case, a complete cleaning of the cabin must be maintained.

Rigor. Germany, which is so perfect, always offers nex surprises : on the side of the motorway, it is pointed out that you should not go peeing in the bush because there's everything you need at the station.

Another surprise at the station, urinals do not have water !  Despite the grey dark, which masks the yellow ? you want to go back into the woods !

This waterless model is now in France.

Here in the heart of the city, in front of the lake, is the same thing, but in "Kollectiv". Do not try to turn on the water, there is none ! click to check. Hamburg, Germany.

access with ticket dispenser.

urinal off and on. The urinal became white and chemistry-free.

German humour sometimes includes a fly in every urinal... a little blurry picture, but a striking effect.

This is our flagship highway, out of the gas station

 natural, rural..

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