Strolling through the famous train station at Leipzig, Germany, and experiencing delectable chocolate, ice cream, various shops, German bookstores, elderly people, young people, spiked hair, individual artwork, conservative attire, and liberal attire, and in thinking about the similarities between American culture and German culture, my often excessive over-indulgence in water caught up with me, and I felt a need to participate in a normal human function(please forgive me for discussing this somewhat indelicate topic in a blog, but there is a point to this essay!) which required the use of a public facility. So I began a somewhat urgent search for the necessary room.
Unfortunately, my quest was hampered by my limited German language skills and a marked lack of understanding of the visual signs pointing to the nearest facility. I soon became concerned with this problem and wondered about the possible solution when I looked up and recognized the universal sign for "men" and proceeded to the entry point. But, alas, I was without the 50 cents required for entry! Yet, all was not in vain, for a compassionate German lady perceived the difficult situation and handed me 50 cents, solving the problem and restoring my faith in human beings and the often forgotten practice of altruism.
But let's not discuss altruism and its ultimate self-serving benefits (as proposed by the philosophy of Objectivism), instead, let's talk about the condition of public restrooms in Germany as opposed to America. You see, they are immaculately clean. Unlike the restrooms often found in convenient stores in our country, German restrooms are not strewn with paper, discarded gum, water spots on a stainless steel mirror, acidic deterioration in the stalls, and layers of grime on the floors. I suppose some would claim to miss the philosophic wisdom usually found on the walls, but for me, I enjoyed the clean, blank walls, devoid of disgusting graffiti and suggestions that are usually impossible. To sum up, since I paid for it, I am glad it was a clean, nice environment.
Our commitment to having free, public facilities (this of course becomes a debatable topic since our tax dollars are actually paying for these accoutrements), such as parks and roads, makes us somewhat cavalier toward our sense of entitlement for these luxuries. When we have to reach into our wallets and our purses for money in order to use a necessary room, maybe it makes us appreciate the opportunity and the physical properties of the room, thus reminding us to maintain its fastidious facade. By not having to pay, our sense of ownership becomes negligible, with the recognition that anyone and everyone uses the same item. By its very nature of being available to all, the sense of personal pride becomes superfluous, resulting in a lack of care. Private property and ownership creates responsibility; whereas, free access for all results in an abdication of commitment and obligation.
The irony of free, public access is that ultimately it costs more to maintain the access than if individuals were forced to pay to use the facilities. Now I am not necessarily advocating that we insist on making all public facilities coin-operated. I am, however, insisting that we adopt a little more ownership with regard to the "free" necessary rooms, and treat these public places with more care and personal pride, without that feeling that someone else will clean up for us. Mostly, I think we should be more appreciative of the opportunities we have to use these facilities and work diligently to leave them in better condition than we found them. Perhaps, then, we could experience the cleanliness and order found in certain other countries.
Of course, there is always the possibility, that if we went to a pay system, there would be rampant use of nature for bodily functions, in addition to a disregard of personal modesty. So maybe, just maybe, we do have the right answers!
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