Is this the most beautiful public toilet in the world? Moscow's Gum department store on Red Square.

     This post is for CKNW's Jill Bennett and her listeners!
     I was talking on her show this morning about my recent Vancouver Courier column https://www.vancourier.com/opinion/shame-the-lack-of-johns-vancouver-desperately-needs-more-public-toilets-1.23659887about the need for more public toilets in Vancouver, and mentioned a particularly beautiful public toilet in Moscow. I offered to share some photos.
   

As a man of a certain age, I often need to visit the toilet. Last fall, when I was in Moscow's Red Square searching for a public toilet. I wandered into the adjacent Gum department store https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUM_(department_store) where I saw a sign for a 'historic toilet'. I went down the stairs only to discover it cost 200 rubles to enter (about $4). I then became curious. How nice can a toilet be to justify a $4 entry fee?  As you can see from these photos, it was very nice. While it isn't necessary for all public toilets to look like this, I do think we need to build more public toilet facilities in Vancouver. Some may be free. Some can charge for the service. They would certainly benefit the homeless and other disadvantaged people, as well as tourists, and men like me of a certain age!