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New Yorkers Inaugurate First Public Loo

Potty puns swirl at 'first flush' ceremony in Madison Square Park

By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser User

Posted Jan 10, 2008 6:09 PM CST
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(Newser) – If you can't hold it on the streets of New York, it's no longer necessary to sneak into a cafe john, the Times reports. The city opened the first of 20 pay toilets today, complete with a toilet-paper-cutting inauguration and "first-flush" ceremony. Until today, New York was one of the few cities that didn't help "people cope with so basic a need," one historian said.

The city failed in attempts at installing public toilets in the past, but this time around New York has struck gold: Spanish giant Cemusa is actually paying the city for the toilets in a package deal. The self-cleaning potties are state of the art: For a quarter, you get 15 minutes before the door opens automatically. But no late-night emergencies: They close after 8 p.m.

Toilet paper was used instead of ribbon at the ceremony.
Toilet paper was used instead of ribbon at the ceremony.   (Shutterstock)
Public toilets can now be found in New York City.
Public toilets can now be found in New York City.   (Getty Images)
New York City inaugurates its first of 20 public toilets.
New York City inaugurates its first of 20 public toilets.   (Shutterstock)
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