In the US, I always resented paying to use a restroom. It’s not that I love it when we travel but I do have a better appreciation since I saw a sign that said that the money was used for maintaining the restroom. Another sign said that you were “renting” the restroom.
It isn’t expensive, just inconvenient sometimes to have change. It is usually $0.50 or less. I remember that the bus station at Turrialba is 150 colones which is about $0.26. (The cents sign in the image above indicates “Colones” the money unit in Costa Rica.)
Don’t forget to keep toilet paper with you when you travel since it is sometimes a rude surprise to not have any. One place I went in didn’t have any dispensers in the stall but then (after I finished my business, fortunately I was prepared), I saw the dispenser on the wall outside the stalls. That seemed a bit odd since it might lead to taking more than you might actually need…just in case!
In many of the places where you pay, the attendant gives you a premeasured amount of paper before you go in. Not wild about the idea of someone handling my paper before I do but again, it is often much more than I need so it is wasteful.
Reading this reminded me of a bus trip that the Jewish Congregation in Augsburg took some place. David had a license to drive a bus, and would arrange to borrow the Air Force bus for us. All the members of the congregation in Augsburg (military and dependents) would get on the bus and off we would go. Often, only the chaplain, Rabbi Elliott Marmon, and David would know where we were headed. The rest of us were along for the ride.
The Cohens had three little girls. At one very nice looking rest stop/gas fillup, I took the girls in with me to the restroom. There was a charge to use each stall. I don’t remember what it was, but it was way too expensive for the four of us to each pay separately, I decided. So, all four of us crowded into one stall, and took turns using the facility. Everyone on the bus had a big laugh about it when we got back on the bus.
Hugs,
Marsha Surad
Must have been really crowded with 4 if it was one of the small stalls that you can barely turn around in with only one person!