HR (public TV from Hessen) told this story in the AM today.
A German gal tried to ride the train from Dillenburg to Frankfurt (normally a 90 minute ride). At some point, she needs to pee badly. So on this regional train (at least four cars)....she went around to each car's toilet, and they were all non-operational.
Blame? Well....the Bahn guys admit....with all the extra passengers using the 9-Euro ticket.....trains are overloaded, and the toilets are being used to a maximum extent. So WC breakdowns are at exceptional rates presently.
The gal waited, and waited, and waited.
Then she just got to some corner and just peed in her pants.
As the Bahn guys explained it....a lot of the toilets are closed not because of break-downs....but the 'tank' is full (because of excess passengers using the facilities).
Finding stations with toilets? I have to say this (having traveled a lot in the late 70s and mid-80s via the Bahn)....about half of the smaller stations today don't operate toilet facilities. If they do operate them....they are absolutely unsanitary. The major stations like Mainz, or Frankfurt? They have toilet facilities but generally have a cost factor.
If you asked me for a list of the top ten reasons NOT to ride the train system....yeah, toilets would be on that list. Typically....only via ICE high speed trains....do you find the toilets normally working. Regional train use after 12-noon? Forget about it....probably a 50-percent chance the tank is full or the WC is broke.
Odds this young lady will never ride again? Oh, I'd put the odds at 99-percent. I'll just say this....my wife has the weak bladder problem, and she tends to avoid the trains for this same reason. Wouldn't surprise me if you polled just German women and found that one-third of them absolutely refuse to use the Bahn because of the toilet issues.
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