Using the loo in Venice is getting expensive

...then it's more likely that the authorities are 'worried' about a slumping tourism industry. And they need to find a way to fill the monetary gap. Of course, they'd have you believe that the sewer lines are ready to burst with all of the business they've received.

Well I understand the concerns since roughly 30% of the people at any one time are the people who actually live there. That means that at least 50% to 70% of the waist that Venice sees is tourists then I don't think it's wrong to put the cost on the tourist.

Imagine living in a city that had that many tourist year round without anyone paying to clean up the mess then it everyone would be walking on garbagde. If you have been recently you will see how clean the city is considering the ammount of people that go through that city every day.

Generally people who are only at a place to visit and not stay tend to be more waistfull in their habbits then if they had to live with it every day.

BTW I have rarely seen public washrooms that are as clean as the ones in Venice.

PS: I'm the son of a veneziano and to be able to go to my father's home town to visit and see its beauty is welcomed.

Just pee or crap in the street, venice is a stinking open sewer (allegdedly) so no one notice would they?

I won't be paying 3 euros to pop the "old man out" and have whizz....

You could always just crap in your pants I guess....

.. piss on 'em.

This is purely to try to deal with the big problem of all the day trip tourists. They arrive in the morning in the tens of thousands, mill around, spend maybe 10 euros max and are gone by the middle of the afternoon. Its a huge strain on such a historic and fragile place that the authorities are quite right to try to claw back some extra cash to help maintain the place. I've stayed there twice for a few days in the past 5 years and it really is worth it. Just avoid the hot peak summer months and dont wory about staying near any of the big tourist attractions, you can walk pretty much anywhere in Venice in 30 mins.

It'll be OK as long as they don't administer the system using Windows 7...

One more reason not to visit Venice.

Well at least Venice isn't quit as bad as say. The Planet Bethselamin, which is now so concerned about the cumulative erosion by ten billion visiting tourists a year. That any net imbalance between the amount you eat, and the amount you excrete whilst on the Planet is to be surgically removed from your body weight, when you leave: so every time you go to the lavatory there it is vitally important to get a receipt!

The only real question is how long till Venice takes this approach?