The Worst Toilet in the World

Well, there must be worse ones than this. I have heard stories about toilets that sounded worse. But as far as personal experience, this is the one that struck me at the time as being the most awful toilet.

Why do I think that this one is so bad? I think we should expect so much better. Sure, you would expect bad toilets in places like Egypt or China or Russia. I encountered an awful underground public toilet in a park near Novodevichy Convent in Moscow. The "toilets" were knee-high stubs of culvert drainage pipes. The floor was covered in about an inch of ooze, and the atmosphere had an ammonia content about equal to that of Venus. Plus, this being Russia, one had to pay a fistful of Rubles for the privilege of visiting. But as I said, you have low expectations in Russia and it was no real shock. However, this one was in Greece.

This is the train station, such as it is, in Nafplio, Greece. Really it's just a short covered platform and some old cars. Tickets are sold out of one of the old cars around the times that trains are scheduled to arrive.

But we really don't expect much from Greek railroads, especially the narrow-gauge lines in the Peloponnese. And besides, I'm complaining about bad Greek toilets, not their trains.

Greece was the home of logic and philosophy, and some would say it was the origin of Western Civilization. We would expect at least decent conditions. After all, this is the land of Plato, and Socrates, and Aristotle. Most of "Roman civilization" was really just stolen from pre-existing Greek culture and ideas.

The Greek economy is primarily based on graffiti and strikes.

A δημοτικά τουαλέτα (demotika toualeta, or public toilet) is located near the Nafplio train station. As is usual in Greece, it's hard to tell. Signs are often completely obliterated by graffiti. As Greek signs go, this one is really in pretty good shape.

This δημοτικά τουαλέτα is a kiosk with four compartments, each with a squat toilet and sink.

How did this win the title of Worst Toilet in the World?

It was the savagery of the users.

I could understand that a public toilet could get blocked and turn into a real mess. But as far as I could tell (and I didn't care to examine it closely), it wasn't blocked. You see, the good people of Nafplio hadn't bothered to defecate in the toilet itself. The floor was splotched with several piles of human feces.

Oh, you say, there must have been a mess in the bad compartment, something unusual must have happened there. No, all four were in this state.

This is down by the train station and the waterfront, not too far from the bus terminal. Right where all the visitors can experience it.

You will notice that this has the blue Sani-Flush border indicating that I used it. I stood outside and urinated in through the open door. Seriously, that could only help the situation.

If you are absolutely certain that you are of legal age and strong constitution, and you really, really want to see this dreadful mess, you can click the button below. Or, you could just go back to the main page.

Despite the numerous warnings, and contrary to good taste, I want to see the awful picture.

Rose George's The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters is a fascinating description of sanitation conditions around the world. "2.6 billion people don't have sanitation. [....] Four in ten people have no access to any latrine, toilet, bucket, or box. [....] Poor sanitation, bad hygiene, and unsafe water — usually unsafe because it has fecal particles in it — cause one in ten of the world's illnesses. [....] Diarrhea — nearly 90 percent of which is caused by fecally contaminated food or water — kills a child every fifteen seconds. The number of children who have died from diarrhea in the last decade [1998-2008] exceeds the total number of people killed by armed conflict since the Second World War.

In September 2009, Morna Gregory and Sian James published a book titled Toilets of the World. It's pretty much the same theme that you find here — photographs and commentary on other people's plumbing.

The Porcelain God: A Social History of the Toilet, by Julie Horan, contends that civilization began with the toilet.

Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing, edited by Laura Noren and Harvey Molotch, has essays by anthropologists, sociologists, and architects on the importance of the toilet, especially for urban dwellers.

Latrinae Et Foricae: Toilets in the Roman World describes the toilets of the Roman Empire from Iberia to Syria, and from North Africa to Hadrian's Wall in Britannia.

Toilets, Bathtubs, Sinks, and Sewers: A History of the Bathroom, explains the history of personal cleanliness and hygiene to children in grades 5-8.

If you're not bored yet, you might be interested in (or at least tolerate):

• Travel suggestions
• To Bob's main site