Teddy Siegel

This is the story of how they both went away. That is a satisfying flushing sound. It is.

This is the story of how they both went away. That is a satisfying flushing sound. It is.

When I set out to understand why it is so hard to find a proper place to pee, I discovered two surprising reasons. Michael and Ira. Two brothers who grew up in Dayton, Ohio in the 1950s and 60s. What kind of kid were you? Were you like a mini beat poet?

When I set out to understand why it is so hard to find a proper place to pee, I discovered two surprising reasons. Michael and Ira. Two brothers who grew up in Dayton, Ohio in the 1950s and 60s. What kind of kid were you? Were you like a mini beat poet?

When I set out to understand why it is so hard to find a proper place to pee, I discovered two surprising reasons. Michael and Ira. Two brothers who grew up in Dayton, Ohio in the 1950s and 60s. What kind of kid were you? Were you like a mini beat poet?

This is the younger brother, Michael Gessel. He and Ira had this one pet peeve. Pay toilets.

This is the younger brother, Michael Gessel. He and Ira had this one pet peeve. Pay toilets.

This is the younger brother, Michael Gessel. He and Ira had this one pet peeve. Pay toilets.

Pay toilets? Like a pay phone? Think a bathroom, but with a lock on the door. You'd put in a dime and get to use the bathroom. And when Michael was growing up, they were all over the place.

Pay toilets? Like a pay phone? Think a bathroom, but with a lock on the door. You'd put in a dime and get to use the bathroom. And when Michael was growing up, they were all over the place.

Pay toilets? Like a pay phone? Think a bathroom, but with a lock on the door. You'd put in a dime and get to use the bathroom. And when Michael was growing up, they were all over the place.

Cities and businesses, they would lease locks from private companies so they could profit off of people's need to go. Newspapers sometimes published how much money the pay toilets made. Like at the San Francisco airport, they brought a net profit of $48,456 in one year, in 1960s money.

Cities and businesses, they would lease locks from private companies so they could profit off of people's need to go. Newspapers sometimes published how much money the pay toilets made. Like at the San Francisco airport, they brought a net profit of $48,456 in one year, in 1960s money.

Cities and businesses, they would lease locks from private companies so they could profit off of people's need to go. Newspapers sometimes published how much money the pay toilets made. Like at the San Francisco airport, they brought a net profit of $48,456 in one year, in 1960s money.

And these pay toilets have a fascinating, history. First, when cities started becoming crowded in the late 1800s with industrialization, immigration, there was this problem. Rich people had plumbing, but most other people did not. They just went outside. It was unsightly and diseases could spread.

And these pay toilets have a fascinating, history. First, when cities started becoming crowded in the late 1800s with industrialization, immigration, there was this problem. Rich people had plumbing, but most other people did not. They just went outside. It was unsightly and diseases could spread.

And these pay toilets have a fascinating, history. First, when cities started becoming crowded in the late 1800s with industrialization, immigration, there was this problem. Rich people had plumbing, but most other people did not. They just went outside. It was unsightly and diseases could spread.

So cities started putting in free toilets, like in some places, little standalone brick buildings with signs that said comfort station. And pretty quickly, an idea for a new market emerged. In 1893, at the World's Fair in Chicago, pay toilets made their splashy debut. These toilets were an upgrade, Toilet 2.0. These paid toilets had luxuries like attendants and soap and towels.

So cities started putting in free toilets, like in some places, little standalone brick buildings with signs that said comfort station. And pretty quickly, an idea for a new market emerged. In 1893, at the World's Fair in Chicago, pay toilets made their splashy debut. These toilets were an upgrade, Toilet 2.0. These paid toilets had luxuries like attendants and soap and towels.

So cities started putting in free toilets, like in some places, little standalone brick buildings with signs that said comfort station. And pretty quickly, an idea for a new market emerged. In 1893, at the World's Fair in Chicago, pay toilets made their splashy debut. These toilets were an upgrade, Toilet 2.0. These paid toilets had luxuries like attendants and soap and towels.