"Jonathan Morris" typed


As an aside, isn't SWT saying they're going to remove up to 30 toilets
from their short-distance commuter stock to accomodate more seats.

I thought it was standing space (For cattle-class commuters)...

--
Helen D. Vecht:
Edgware.

Thanks to the comments of support from yourself and others here!

As to some of the more negative comments, I am sure that the 20p charge
*would* act as a deterrant - yobs are less likely to spend 20p if they want
to vandalise, there are plenty of free places out there they can attack.

Improved CCTV at the entrance (obviously not in the toilet itself though!),
someone there manning it and cleaning up afterwards... all these things
help, and rather than costing the taxpayer extra money, it could end up
paying for itself.

It's sad but true but people see any group of young guys wearing hoodies
and automatically think they're trouble. In actual fact - even in Canning
Town - the yobs are a tiny tiny percentage. Having someone manning the
place and collecting tips, or charging 20p via a turnstile or whatever, is
surely the way forward.

As for the rant about rates, well they're always going up and the council
tax is already so high - a pound per person per year will be welcomed if it
means later-opening facilities at the underground station (and as a result,
less public inconvenience).

To take my borough as an example: 246,200 inhabitants, 10,000 unemployed. I
am sure that it wouldn't cost more than £200K per year to keep existing
underground station toilets open for another 4 and a half hours per day,
and have someone there manning it and taking tips. Furthermore, providing
employment.

As for contacting my MP, tried it and had no reply. Twice. Not about this
issue, but on a request to provide an opening in the fence between exit 5
of the bus station and Canning Town, and Silvertown Way, so that people can
get to the taxi rank easily when they get off the tube without having to
somersault over the fence, or walk the long way round and miss the odd taxi
that might be there.

As a result, there are hardly ANY taxis EVER at that rank, because it's so
annoying to get to. It would be much easier if you are waiting for either a
bus or a taxi (whichever comes first) and can easily get from one to the
other without risking ones family jewels. An opening in the fence, and the
pedestrian crossing to be moved accordingly (as hardly anyone uses the
"main" exit at Canning Town unless they are fanatics of climbing stairs).

But that's for another post, another day. :-)

Paul Scott wrote:
However the Southeastern 376s have no toilets and minimum seating, and don't
appear to have caused a media frenzy, neither have the intended 'Overground'
units based on 376s for the future NLR stock.

The 313s on FCC have no toilets but I can't say if that's a problem or
not (media coverage or not). All I know is that I've been on one at
night, and nearly found myself needing to relieve myself before I got
to my station. I held it, but I am sure there have been incidents -
which might explain why they only have vinyl flooring.

With regards to SWT, I do think the toilet needing more frequent
emptying will be an issue now that it effectively gets twice the usage.
If they do 'service it' more often, and clean them at the same time,
then it could actually be a benefit - but is that likely?

Jonathan

"Tristán White" wrote:
The official reason for closing the toilets early is apparently
something to do with vandalism. Well why don't they have a coin system
then. I'd happily pay 20p after 8pm if that were the answer.

Do vandals never have 20p on them then?

--
"For want of the price of tea and a slice, the old man died."

AstraVanMan wrote:

Do vandals never have 20p on them then?

They do, but they're more likely to go and smash up something that's
free. It's my fairly solid experience that chargeable toilets are
almost always in a better condition than free ones.

Neil

On 1 Nov 2006 02:30:23 -0800, "Neil Williams"
wrote:

Paul G wrote:

A slightly more accurate statement is that you pay (out of your taxes)
for the toilets to be manned between the times they are opened. So if
you want them to be opened longer then that's an additional financial
requirement.

Could the provision of chargeable toilets be considered a business
opportunity? It certainly seems to be in Germany.

It already is. ISTR there are privatised toilets in the Parliament
Square area costing 50p a go.
--
Peter Lawrence

Tristán White wrote:
(snip)
As for contacting my MP, tried it and had no reply. Twice. Not about this
issue, but on a request to provide an opening in the fence between exit 5
of the bus station and Canning Town, and Silvertown Way, so that people can
get to the taxi rank easily when they get off the tube without having to
somersault over the fence, or walk the long way round and miss the odd taxi
that might be there.

As a result, there are hardly ANY taxis EVER at that rank, because it's so
annoying to get to. It would be much easier if you are waiting for either a
bus or a taxi (whichever comes first) and can easily get from one to the
other without risking ones family jewels. An opening in the fence, and the
pedestrian crossing to be moved accordingly (as hardly anyone uses the
"main" exit at Canning Town unless they are fanatics of climbing stairs).

But that's for another post, another day. :-)

Come on, you know you want to. I presume you've tried contacting TfL
about it directly? There's also your London Assembly member and your
local councillor, although Newham can sometimes be, shall we say, rather
unproductive.

--
Dave Arquati
www.alwaystouchout.com - Transport projects in London

Dave Arquati wrote in
:

Come on, you know you want to. I presume you've tried contacting TfL
about it directly? There's also your London Assembly member and your
local councillor, although Newham can sometimes be, shall we say,
rather unproductive.


No, I contacted Tony Banks RIP about it, when he was still my MP, and I
contacted Sir Robin Wales about it (the mayor), and got an automated
response about it but nothing since.

I'll try Robin Wales again, as he was actually very helpful when I
suggested a glass recycling thingy at the bottom of my road (Tunmarsh Lane
and Beaumont Road junction), and a couple of weeks later I got a reply
saying that they agreed it would be useful, and a week later there it was.

I was impressed. Even if all the letters were addressed to the person who
died in this house aged 99 back in 1998 when we bought it :-) Even though
the email form I sent them was in my name.

I haven't contacted TfL about it, no. Perhaps that would be better.

It would be so handy though to have a proper taxi rank there, that is used,
and that is accessible from the bus station without leaping over the gate
or walking the long way round (by when you'd miss the taxi and the bus!).

Neil Williams wrote:
Paul G wrote:

A slightly more accurate statement is that you pay (out of your taxes)
for the toilets to be manned between the times they are opened. So if
you want them to be opened longer then that's an additional financial
requirement.

Could the provision of chargeable toilets be considered a business
opportunity? It certainly seems to be in Germany.

I don't suppose there is any reason why not but I'm not sure it would be
particularly profitable when you think about the cost of commercial
rents in London.


Neil



--
Each day a man watched a donkey walk past a high wood fence with one
plank removed. Each day he saw a nose, then the ears, then the neck,
forequarters, back and finally the tail. He pondered this for a time
and eventually declared. “I understand now. The nose causes the tail”