In honor of World Toilet Day, I am dedicating this post to that beloved institution of French life, Madame Pipi. Also known as la dame pipi, it is a mystery as to why this job is invariably held by a woman.
Public toilets, especially clean ones, are much sought after in France, nowhere more so than in cities like Paris. And certainly by no one more than yours truly. Given my distrust of la Sanisette, I have only the greatest appreciation for the important job of the toilet attendant. Unfortunately, she is a dying breed as automation increasingly takes over.
Ode to Madame Pipi
Madame Pipi is always there
Behind the door, below the stair
Always faithful to her post
You’ll find her where you need her most
Her job’s to see that you do yours
While staying safe and clean, of course!
She mops the floors and puts out paper
Sprays the air with fragrant vapor
She takes your coin, and in you go
Do your business, water flows
You wash your hands, prepare to leave
As Dame Pipi rolls up her sleeves
She scrubs the toilet with her brush
Makes sure that none forgot to flush
If you need supplies, she’ll help you out
Hygienically yours, that dame’s got clout!
So next time you have an urgent need
Remember, she’s a dying breed
Be sure to thank her as you go:
Merci, Madame Pipi, bravo!
Go ahead, take the plunge – leave a comment!
FranceSays 
And in the gents Monsieur Pipi non?
xxx Hugs Galore xxx
Interestingly, the French don’t seem to worry about gender much in the toilet department – Dame Pipi often serves both sides. In the modern ones, there’s a common entrance with separate sides for men and women. In the older ones, often ‘mixed use’ or simply different doors within the same common area. In theory, of course, there could be a Monsieur Pipi. Never seen one yet. Big bises xxx
Cool post….not living in Paris, I’d almost forgotten Madame Pipi…then I remembered the really annoying on at Paris Montparnasse station whose job appears to be solely taking money as the lavatories were not as fragrant as I had hoped. I guess it’s not easy at a station although I have memories of a different era when it seemed to work better…
Agree. I always resented like hell paying for access to toilets that weren’t impeccable. Then I saw what the ones that were free looked like! You’d think the City of Paris PR department would improve the ones in the most touristy places for image purposes, but alas this does not seem to be a priority.
Who would appreciate clean toilets more than us in India, where even the toilet itself is not available to the majority of the rural population. Believe you me, I regulate my consumption of fluids depending upon how long/far do I have to stay away from the clean toilets identified by me!
Madame Pipi, we salute thee, wholeheartedly!
Very good point, Supreet! World Toilet Day is no joke, despite my joking on this post. What greater cause on this planet than clean water and proper toilets for all? Thanks for commenting!
I have shared your blog on my FB wall.. hope you would approve. supreet
Of course! Thanks for sharing 🙂
What a cute poem! I had no idea there was a name for these bathroom attendants–and I certainly didn’t know it was World Toilet Day. Ha!
Count on this blog for learning such fascinating and useful facts! 😉
Love the ode and love the odourless account of the most vital of jobs. In terms of French WCs – my favourite moment of the summer was stopping at the first Aire south of Calais with my youngest daughter … she walked in, stared at the hole in the ground and said ‘someones stolen the toilet mummy ….’ 😀
Out of the mouths of babes! Those toilets are an abomination to the female gender. I defy anyone of our ‘persuasion’ to pass water without splash marks!
You are now my number 4 daughter’s hero(eine) … she was mortified and announced the loo was a breach of human rights!
Excellent poem! The last Dame Pipi i saw was a man, catering for the loos at Montpellier station. He didn’t seem to be interested in much apart from shouting at tourists who hadn’t paid him their 50 cents, having used dirty loos and drying their hands on their jeans. I’m with Osyth on the Turkish loos – brrrr.
So Monsieur Pipi does exist… Hmmm, 50 cents sounds like a steal these days but if the loos are dirty, that’s a real bummer! 😉
@”it is a mystery as to why this job is invariably held by a woman.” – not in Malta, where I did see several “(mon)sieur pipi”…
Interesting role reversal. Maybe they consider it too ‘delicate’ a job for the women?
I came here after seeing that you’d liked my Martian fart post. I am sorry to say, that I believe I missed World Toilet Day. As a woman with Crohn’s disease, clean toilets are important to me! I should have celebrated… When I was in Quebec City staying at the Chateau Frontenac on my honeymoon 28 years ago, there were two Monsieur Pipi’s. I was most uncomfortable. Now, having lived in Europe where bodily functions are accepted, I wouldn’t particularly mind.
Ha, ha that’s funny about the Monsieur Pipi at Chateau Frontenac – they do things a little differently in French Canada 😉 But it’s true that we are a lot less uptight about things like segregated toilets in Europe – sometimes I’m just grateful if there’s a public toilet at all!
I wish with all my heart we had outdoor pubic toilets in New York City with some Madame Pipis!