Toilets can be tricky.

This is true. Take for example the toilets on the, delightful in every other way, trains up to London from Brighton. I presume you are familar with the electronic doors, the huge wide space they expose as they slowly trundle their way open. You may have seen several people standing in confusion inside or outside the doors staring at the complicated buttons proclaiming, press to close, press to lock, press to open. It's tricky isn't it? All the time you can see the lack of trust in this system in the eyes of the person wanting to use the said toilet. I can understand, who would want to be sat there as the huge door slowly exposes you to the world. A situation made worse by the close door button not being in handy reach when you are sitting down on the loo.

My housemate guided me to the best place to sit on a train yesterday. By the door to the toilet. A source of endless amusement. At first I thought only men were brave enough to attempt the potentially embarrasing toilet system, after all there is less risk of exposure when the doors open, all you do is turn your head around and shrug, I know because I saw this occur. One man was exposed in such a way, one man got stuck and had to force the doors open, one man stared in confusion at the buttons for a long time. When we neared London it appeared that a new force in toilet use had come upon us, women stepped up to the challenge. Three used it in succession, all pressing the buttons in the correct order and with no embarrassing sitting on the toilet watching the rest of the carriage come into view as the oversized doors slowly rotated. I was disappointed.

The moral? Sit near these toilets next time you are bored on a train, you will not be sorry. What was wrong with the simple doors with no electronics and a lock you could trust?