Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #37 Jerusalem's City Hall's Loo Renovated

Don't Steal This Idea!
Pishers' Guide to Ariel #1, Good Deal in "Supersol Deal"
Pishers' Guide to Ariel #2 Conveniently Close to University & Bus Stops

Pishers' Guide to Beit Shemesh #1

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Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #36 Cinema City- Not Just for Intermission

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #35 Pleasant Surprise at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #34 Binyan Clal Public Toilets Renovated

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #33, New Public Toilets Downtown

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #32, Har Chotzvim, Not The Gas Station

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #31, Good Deal in "Supersol Deal," Givat Shaul

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #30, Speedily Out of Order at New Train Station

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #29, Kotel WC, Prayer Come True

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #28, Machane Yehuda WC, Fright at First Sight

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #27, CBS Revisited, Worth The Shekel

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #26, New Kraft Stadium, Complaining May have Helped

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #25, New Park, New Loo

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #24 Horse Park WC Staff Horsing Around

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #23 For One Shekel in the CBS

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #22 "High Tech" Loo, Not for Use

Pishers Guide to Jerusalem #21, Perfect "Pit Stop" on Emek Refaim

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #20, Gan Hasus, Horse Park, Like Russian Roulette

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #19, Center 1 Has Gone Downhill

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #18, Shuq Loo for You Ladies

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #17, At Least It was Clean

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #16, Iconic Location-- Nauseating WC

Pishers Guide to Jerusalem, New Loo #15 Up Close

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #15, New Guy in Town

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #14, Mega Yuck!

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #13, Hadar Mall: What Public Toilets Should Be

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem # 12, Center 1, Usually OK

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #11, Never Fear The Rami Levy WC

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #10, At Least There were Toilet-paper and Soap

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #9, Watch Out for Peep Holes!

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #8, Kupot Cholim to The Rescue!

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #7 A Supermarket to Avoid. Plus WC Tips

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #6, Bring Your Own Paper

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #5, Mamilla Mall Where Modern Stinks

Don't Be Afraid, A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #4

Historic Jerusalem Building, A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #3

A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #2 

A Pisher's Guide to Jerusalem #1

Bus Changes, Again, Finding a New "Pit Stop"

A few months ago, I found that the elevators didn't open on 0, where the public toilets are, so I kept avoiding them, but a couple of weeks ago before going on a tour of the Old City and Ir David I decided to try my luck. Not only did the elevator let me off on 0,l but I found that the public toilets had been fixed up.

That was a pleasant surprise. Not only was it clean and well supplied, but there's also a nice niche counter, which can be used for changing baby diapers. Just have some padding.

Years ago, the Municipality public toilets at Safra Square were my favorites, but then they went seriously downhill, smelly and no supplies. That was during Nir Barkat's time as Mayor of Jerusalem. I guess that's how he saved money, halving the hours of the cleaning staff, or did he knock off even more? But Mayor Moshe Lion has improved things a lot. First I noticed that the toilets were cleaner than in years, then hand soap and toilet paper. Now, I finally know why the floor had been locked. The municipality renovated the public toilets, thank Gd.

What's your big loo (WC) news?

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #35 Pleasant Surprise at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. Your input is very welcome, thanks.

See  #34,  #33, #32,  #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24,  #23, #22,  #21, #20, #19, #18, #17,   #16, , #15a, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1.

Early this afternoon, after a roundabout walk through the Romema neighborhood to order accessories and furnishings for our major bathroom/showers plus renovations, I calculated that I had plenty of time for the "loo," aka WC or public toilets quickly entered the "side/secondary entrance" of the Central Bus Station. If you're coming from the direction of Sarei Yisrael Street or Machane Yehuda Market, it's the first door you reach, and it takes you to the floor with the "food court," lots of small restaurants and Israeli style fast food places.

It had been years since I entered through that doorway, but I needed to get out of the sun and had no idea what was new in terms of the building's loos. In recent years management has been fixing them up, but I definitely don't remember one near that door. 

Good news! After passing those shoes for sale, I looked up on the right and saw the sign with the very welcome icon, which you can see higher up on the page.

I checked for a machine that takes entrance money, since the public toilets in the bus station had always cost a bit. No sign of one. Very tentatively, I pushed the revolving door, and it moved freely, so I entered for free. Men to the left and women to the right, no foul odor. There was a cleaning crew and even toilet paper (not grade A) and soap. I didn't take any photos, since there were too many people around.

Glad to share the good news.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #31, Good Deal in "Supersol Deal," Givat Shaul

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24,  #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15a, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1.

One night after attending a funeral in Har Hamenuchot Givat Shaul, I needed a WC 00 ASAP. Actually there are public toilets at the cemetery, but since I had a ride out, and the public transportation is infrequent at best...

My companion and I found ourselves on the main drag of Givat Shaul, by all the stores, offices and restaurants. We walked quite a distance looking for a restaurant open for dinner besides a public toilet. The usually bustling street looked more like Brigadoon as the mist covers before its long hibernation.

Getting rather desperate, I entered open the branch of Supersol Deal, since I have discovered that all the supermarkets in Jerusalem have public toilets. Most are hidden, like this one is, in the back storage area. Even though there were a few signs, I asked an employee, since I didn't want to waste time.


As I approached the welcome facilities, I saw a worker washing the floor. He asked that I wait until he finished, so I wouldn't slip on the wet floor.

The fact that the area smelled clean helped me wait patiently. I was happy to see that the public toilet, which no doubt is for the staff as well as the public, had paper and soap. It was in better shape than many restaurant loos.

I told the worker that I'd be writing it up and giving them high marks.

I did feel a bit guilty about using the facilities without purchasing anything. Unlike many (or most) restaurants, never has a supermarket told me that their restrooms are for paying customers only, nor do they charge an entrance fee.

If you have any locations, recommendations, warnings concerning public toilets, please let me know in the comments.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #30, Speedily Out of Order at New Train Station

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24,  #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15a, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

In my post about my adventure on the new Jerusalem High Speed Train, I mentioned that my friend and I found that getting back up to street level in Jerusalem was difficult. We couldn't find "up escalators," and there were terrible crowds trying to get on the much too few elevators immediately after the train arrived.

While looking for "up escalators" I noticed the public toilets, so of course I had to try out the ladies loo.

The good news was that there was toilet paper, but the bad news was that it didn't flush. The bowl was full of paper, and I couldn't get it to flush at all. The mechanism was already broken, just a few weeks after the train service and station had opened to the public.

I should have tried the train's WC, but I was too busy trying to take pictures of the countryside as we sped by. There was very little time, since the entire ride was just over twenty 20 minutes.

If you can update the information about the public toilets in the new Jerusalem train station, please comment, thanks.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #28, Machane Yehuda WC, Fright at First Sight

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See  #27,  #26,  #25,  #24,  #23, #22, #21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16,  #15a, #15,  #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

It is located by this fish store close to the corner of the shuk street, not lane.

Lots of people have asked me to review these public toilets. It's not that easy, because I don't get to Machane Yehuda very often, and I rarely succeed in finding the 00, WCs. Today after my friend and I ate in one of the new shuq "eateries," we continued wandering around and I was overjoyed to find the loo.  That is until I began to walk in.

I must say that besides the off-putting disgusting mess, the WC didn't smell, and to its credit it also had toilet paper and soap.

It seems to me that the Jerusalem Municipality has been trying its budget-cutting skills in the department that is responsible for public toilets. There has been a serious deterioration in the standards of Jerusalem Public Toilets in the past couple of years. WCs I've used for years without complaints have become BYOP-Bring Your Own Paper and HYN-Hold Your Nose. And on the rare occasion I find them clean and equipped, I think I've won the lottery.

The mess of paper that greeted me must have been from those women who used it in between the last cleaning and my arrival. My only complaint that can be blamed on the municipality is that they have to fix the lock of the handicapped stall.

Of course, maybe I was just lucky and arrived there within an hour of cleaning. But we all know that smells remain in toilets which aren't cleaned well and sufficiently frequently according to use. And I had no complaints about that problem in the shuq loo.

Comments and suggestions are always welcome.

Pishers' Guide to Jerusalem #27, CBS Revisited, Worth The Shekel

This is a continuation in my ongoing series about public toilets in Jerusalem. See  #26  #25,  #24,  #23, #22, #21,#20, #19, #18, #17, #16,  #15a, #15,  #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9,  #8, #7,  #6,  #5, Saved by The First Station aka #4a, #4, #3, #2 and #1

The other week, I needed a loo in the area of Center 1 and the Central Bus Station. As much as I like getting stuff for free, I've had just too many bad experiences in the public toilets in Center 1. I decided to make my way to the Central Bus Station and splurge. Using the loo there would cost me a shekel, which is worth it for some toilet paper and maybe a clean seat.

I made my way up one flight to the floor where I had gotten a great deal on a salad a few months ago. I followed the signs and paid my shekel. That got me into a very acceptable, clean-smelling public toilet fully equipped with paper, soap, etc.

The management of the building, which is a mini-mall, seems to be taking their job seriously. Each time I'm more impressed. They are updating the way they should be.

I no longer use the building as a bus station, because our buses don't leave from inside. But there are plenty of stores and mostly fast-food or budget eateries worth patronizing. There are security guards outside, who mostly profile. Some people put their bags through the xrays.

There are a number of public toilets in the building. Look for signs or ask.