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In late 1960s, many public restrooms in the United States required a coin to unlock the stall door. The system affected women more than men, since men often had free access to urinals while women had to pay to use a stall. If someone did not have the required change, they either waited, searched for a dime, or went without. The practice raised growing concerns about fairness and basic access to a public necessity. In 1968, four high school students in Chicago formed the Committee to End Pay Toilets in America, known as CEPTIA. They organized petitions, contacted officials, and reached out to the press. Their position was direct: restroom access should not depend on spare change. The issue quickly gained media attention and became part of a wider discussion about gender equality and consumer rights during that period. Within roughly eight years, pressure from activists and lawmakers led many states to ban pay toilets. Legislation gradually eliminated coin operated stalls in public spaces such as airports, transit stations, and department stores. By the mid 1970s, pay toilets had largely disappeared across much of the country, driven in part by a student led campaign that turned a common inconvenience into a national policy debate. #drthehistories