We are all victims of inflation. But now, they have found a way to exploit your natural bodily urges.
You might have to sell a kidney to make your health insurance premium this month.
To blow off some steam, you decide to get a little coffee. €5.50 for a cappuccino? May the Lord have mercy.
Now you are at the train station and need to take a leak. You learn that it costs €1.10? The toilet seat had better be made out of gold.
It’s not just inflation
The price of restrooms has risen sharply over the last six years. From “I have some spare change” to “This is actually hurting my wallet.”
But the last jump cannot be blamed on inflation alone. According to RTL Nieuws, if you adjust for inflation, the price should be sitting at around 96 cents.
So why the 14 cents extra?
Apparently, NS and the Sanifair toilet service want us to pay for their new restroom gates.
The price increase is partly due to the replacement of the restroom turnstiles that ensure a faster flow of people, an NS spokesperson told RTL Nieuws.
“So you have to consider the cost of the restrooms, but also the cost of staff. That’s why the price has gone up,” the spokesperson added.
READ MORE | Why are there no public bathrooms in the Netherlands?
I, for one, tried the new Sanifair gates at Amsterdam Centraal, and they left me utterly confused. They do not confirm that your bank card worked, leaving you frantically wrestling the steel barrier while trying not to wet yourself.
According to the spokesperson, the €1.10 price was agreed upon with Sanifair, who claim they’re keeping passengers in mind (definitely not with a user-friendly design) by matching prices at shopping malls and highway rest stops.
Anyone for a 50-cent voucher?
The NS clarifies that you can get a 50-cent voucher back to use at station shops. But let’s be honest: most of us will lose it, forget about it, or bin it before we even leave the loo.
Freek Bos, chairman of the travellers’ association Rover, isn’t impressed either.
“Set the amount back to 90 cents and leave the voucher out. Then you end up with the same amount, because few people use it,” he tells RTL Nieuws.
Even if inflation made sense, the price jump doesn’t. When nature calls, you’ve got to pick up. Leaving no other choice for a vulnerable passenger but to pay up.
@quinblokzijl Volgende week is het 9,50,-🤣 #wc #station ♬ Dat kan niet – Rowan
Although the NS points out that smaller stations still charge 50 cents for unstaffed (dirty) toilets, the Sanifair loos come with friendly staff and daily upkeep — hence the €1.10 price tag.
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