Sam Reviews Public Toilets III: Manly Beach

Part III: Manly Beach (In the yellow surf lifesaving building)
(North Steyne, Manly NSW)

Capacity

Somewhat less than adequate. There are two cubicles and that's it. I imagine that during any busy periods, there could be lines out the door. And as I'll get to in 'cleanliness', this could be fairly unhygienic. The trough is average size, three people can stand there without feeling uncomfortable. 3/10

Cleanliness

Oh dear. There's something about beach toilets - I mean I don't know what is involved in the maintenance of such toilets but starting with Brighton-le-Sands (I think it was actually Monterey, thinking about it, but we started in Brighton and just walked down the beach) my experience with beachside public toilets has been pretty abysmal. So I think maybe 'nothing' is what maintenance of such toilets involve because seriously, it's quite bad. And it's made worse by the thought that people might be walking on that stale urine-soaked floor with bare feet. Mercifully I was wearing thongs at the time but if I had not been, well let's just say I'd happily hold it, or at the very least I'd be grateful for my proximity to the water, so I could wash and scrub them clean. 1/10

Washing Area

This was a shade better. The taps were pretty crap but at least they were normal faucet-style ones, rather than push-button that just vomit out one sudden gush of water and then stop. Unfortunately, only air dryers. And crappy old ones, at that. 5/10

Tszujiness

It's a purely practical facility. I daresay they assume there's no need to make the toilets nice since it's a beachside suburb and nobody really cares about what's in the inside. Plus everyone presumably urinates in the water anyway. We all know what surf people are REALLY like. Having said that though, if it weren't so filthy, it might look okay. They were going for some sort of tile-floored, concrete-wall motif I'd say, with a stunning diamonte fleur-de-lis that sadly didn't make it to the final blueprint. 5/10

Overall Satisfaction

It's difficult to say considering I really did need to go to the toilet when I went in, so upon leaving I was really quite relieved. Whether I was satisfied though, that's a different story. And a different answer. Which would probably be 'no'. I mean, they could have been alright but realistically they're bloody filthy. 4/10

Ranking in the Public Toilet System

1) Carlingford Court Ground Level
-> 2) Manly Beach Surf Life Saving Building
3) Top Ryde Shopping Centre Food Court