‘Not going to become a den of fecal disgustingness’: Jake, Spike debate Seattle’s $465K high-tech toilet plan

The City of Seattle is going to pay $465,000 for a year of four free toilets in Pioneer Square. The toilets, made by a company called Throne Labs, play soothing music, dispense flowery fragrance, and require a phone app, QR code, or text to unlock.

Jake Skorheim, co-host of “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, recently wrote about Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s “ceremonial toilet paper cutting,” as she announced her plan for the toilets to be used during the FIFA World Cup. Jake questioned why the city saw the portable, free-use toilets as a priority, considering Seattle is currently dealing with a massive budget deficit, and could’ve chosen to go a cheaper route.

“I was just questioning, was there somebody in the mayor’s office who maybe like timidly thought about putting a hand up, and when everyone’s like, ‘All right, so everybody’s signing off on this four toilets, portable, $465,000, yes, the city’s $500 million in debt going into the next three years we have a huge budget deficit, we’re gonna figure out how to make up for, but hey, what if we spent over $100,000 per portable toilet?’ Did nobody raise their hand and just go like, ‘Maybe not the super expensive toilets?'” he said.

“If only there were something we could put there temporarily, that doesn’t cost $100,000 each,” KIRO host Spike O’Neill responded.

Seattle’s self-cleaning failures turned into an eBay fire sale

Jake recapped Seattle’s history with a very similar investment, where the city essentially lost $5 million on temporary toilets after trying to recoup some of the funds by selling them on eBay.

“Seattle does have this history [with toilets]. Back in 2004, they put in these really expensive ‘self-cleaning’ toilets that were $1 million each,” Jake said. “It gained a lot of press because they quickly figured out that they actually didn’t clean very well, and they just basically spread feces and whatever else was on the toilet, all around. They became drug and prostitution dens, and it was just a bad situation. The city ended up recouping a little over $12,000 on eBay.”

“That’s why I think they may have learned a little bit this time,” Spike responded. “It’s a service agreement with a vendor who’s going to put these four in, and they’re going to maintain them. They’re not going to become just a den of fecal disgustingness and crime and public danger from these contaminants.”

The inside of Seattle’s new toilets in Pioneer Square. (Photo courtesy of the Seattle Department of Transportation)

Honey buckets vs. high-tech: What’s actually better for Seattle?

Jake and Spike went back and forth on whether the free use of public toilets would actually stay clean, and if Seattle residents, who have already openly opposed other facilities requiring identification, would refuse to use the application.

“The option of putting regular honey buckets downtown was clearly a lower cost option, but imagine what those turn into very quickly,” Spike said.

“Well, I imagine that’s what these will turn into,” Jake responded.

“I don’t think so. If you get a secure code to get in, and they’re going to be maintained by a company with a service agreement,” Spike said.

“Wouldn’t Seattle have a problem with everybody being required to show identification to get into a free toilet?” Jake asked.

“I can see where that’d be a concern,” Spike responded. “I don’t think it is, because if you’re willing to give up your information, that’s on the user. If someone decides not to use it for fear of loss of privacy, that’s their decision.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.