• FOR decades, railway stations charged people to use their “facilities”, be they deemed loos, lavatories, toilets, WCs, or another appropriate euphemism for conveniences.

Fiddling with change to pay the charge, having ticket machines needing to be emptied and repaired, was silly enough.

What was seriously bad was that rough sleepers and the very poor lacked the convenience, hardly good for them and also not great for the community. After all, what can one do, when in need to “spend a penny” yet without a penny?

Happily, a few years ago, railway stations provided free access to their facilities. Why then is it that Transport for London in the form of the Piccadilly Underground station has a 50p charge?

Does this lack of community spirit operate throughout all Underground stations that have facilities?

Surely a sense of fellow feeling, community and, indeed,­ community health should lead TfL to set those facilities free.

PETER CAVE
Address supplied, W1