French Toilets 101

Let's talk about French toilets. First of all, French homes invariably have the toilet in a separate room. It goes by a variety of names Les W.C. (derived from English "water closet"), les toilettes, les cabinets (de toilette), les vécés. Old-fashioned euphimisms are le nécessaire or le petit coin. We have a fine toilet room--with a Chagall reproduction no less. However, if you look carefully you will notice that there is NO heat. As there is no heat in the hallway either, it can be pretty uncomfortable in winter. This is a universal characteristic of all the toilets I have visited so far in France--no heat. The separation of the toilet from the actual bathroom (salle de bains) is typical in France and not unusual in England. After looking at the London house we eventually lived in during the 1960s, my mother suddenly said: "There are definitely three bathrooms but where are the toilets?" Sure enough they weren't in the bathrooms.

Why is it that the toilet and bathroom are separated here? Is it just an accident of history or is there a deeper perspective at work? Moving the toilet from the outhouse into the home is fairly recent in French farm houses where this often occurred around the 1950s or early 60s. In cities, the addition of toilets in older buildings may have been complicated by space and plumbing limitations. However, now that there is a choice, they continue to remain separate rooms.  Apartment ads show separate "salle de bains" and "W.C." often listed as a selling point, so putting them together seems to be viewed as a serious disadvantage. So far, no one has been able to explain this separation to me although under the conversation, I sense a feeling that it is not quite 'comme il faut' to have everything together. Perhaps it is a question of hygiene?


And then there is the more serious business of public toilets. Sadly, the old-fashioned urinals seem to have disappeared as interesting cultural icons on French streets. They were a great amusement and amazement to us when we lived here in the 50s. In one of her letters home, my mother comments that my brother, three at the time, . . . "is going to break a blood vessel soon if Herb (my father) doesn't take him into a pissoir." As a ten year old, I think I was far more interested in the men who used the side of the street instead! This is a rarely seen custom these days. The pissoirs have been replaced by super modern automatic toilets that take a bit of getting used to. First of all, you must at all times keep 30 centimes in your purse or pocket. As you approach the cabin, you note if the small coloured dot is red (occupied) or green (available). If green, you pop in your centimes, enter and the door slams closed--and automatically locks!--behind you. The floor may be wet because it is sluiced down after every use. An important caution: the door will open automatically after 15 minutes. I have not experienced this--yet--but it seems it actually opens wide to the world. So be quick! Here is a cautionary tale from another blog: http://www.travellady.com/issues/June05)

My teenage son thought he could save a few coins by ducking in whilst someone was exiting. No doubt he had forgotten my warnings of earlier and was promptly sanitised -- the toilet received no payment so thought it was empty and retracted the toilet bowl into the wall (with him still on it), then sprayed him with sterilizer.

Finding a toilet in a restaurant or public building may be a bit more relaxing. Remember to use one of the words listed above. If you ask for the salle de bains, people will be perplexed, thinking you want to take a bath. Generally, you will see a sign Toilettes or WC pointing you in the correct direction. However, do not choke if you walk into a sort of lobby with hand washbasins and see a urinal in great prominence! Continue on to the toilet room and then listen carefully before you emerge to wash your hands. If you are lucky, the urinal will be in a separate toilet room and you and the man who has just used it can wash your hands together. Sometimes you will come across a toilet with no seat. Those of you who have travelled in Cuba and Asia will be used to the

crouch  and hover technique required to deal with this. And, if you have perfected this technique, you will have no difficulty with this toilet! Yes, they still exist although to be fair this is the only one I have seen so far. It was beautifully clean and sanitized. If you have never used a squat  toilet,
do have a look at:

http://current.newsweek.com/2009/06/video_how_to_use_a_squat_toile.html

You can practise up and have a laugh!

Bon courage !