Unfiltered Story #326609

I’m traveling Europe. I took a scenic train through the alps and into Italy where I switched trains.

I had peed about 45 min before the switch, but my train was late so I didn’t have time to pee in the station, in fact I barely made the next train.

I wish I hadn’t.

About an hour into the train ride, I started needing to pee. This is normal for me, I typically pee once every two to three hours.

It was then that I learned a horrifying fact, my 4 hour express train with minimal stops has only one toilet. And it’s broken.

The door to the toilet would not open. I tried pushing the open button, tugging on the handle, and even knocking on the door in case someone was in there.

No reply. I sat and watched the door. Several other people tried it. No one came in, no one left. Finally an Italian explained that the green light wasn’t on, so the bathroom wasn’t usable.

I was stuck on a train needing to pee for three hours.

Three men registered their fragrant complaints about a likely similar situation by simply peeing against the bathroom door. Others dash out of the train to pee against a light post in the stations during the 1-2 minute stops. As I am a woman, I am not equipped to follow suit.

Heroically, I manage to hold out the entire ride. We reach the train station and I dash out in search of a toilet.

I find one and run out to it, only to find that it’s blocked off by some sort of gate. People are tapping things against the gate and the light turns green and they go through.

It takes me an embarrassingly long time to realize that it’s a pay gate and people are tapping credit cards. New problem, as an American my card is sadly not tap enabled.

I find the solution! A pay station that lets you buy a card to access the toilet. It costs 1 euro. I line up for the card, pay for it, and line to for the gate.

I don’t make it. As I approach the gate I begin to uncontrollably pee, a little more leaking out with each step.

I rush through the gate, leaving puddles behind me, to the closest open stall to salvage what I can and clean up some.

It quickly becomes obvious why this stall is empty. It’s the filthiest stall I’ve ever had the displeasure of peeing in. There are waded, blood covered, sanitary pads in the corner, fecal matter on the floor, and the smell is terrible.

Forgive me for being an american, but if I have to pay a euro for a bathroom I expect it to be clean.

This experience has seriously turned me off of the idea of ever visiting Italy again