Paying to Go to the Bathroom

I am not sure you all are aware but it is a very common thing to have to pay to use a public restroom here in Europe!  I was completely caught by surprise when Abigail needed to go to the bathroom the other day and we were in a department store.  First of all, we had to go to the very top floor (I think it was 5 stories!) and then when I finally found it there was a lady sitting at a table with a bowl full of coins in front of her.  There was a sign on the door probably stating that you needed to drop a coin in to use the "water closet" but of course I can't read yet!!  I had left my purse on the stroller with Len (on the first floor) and knew we would never make it back down and back up without Abigail having an accident.  So I just started babbling about how I couldn't read German and I didn't know that I had to pay, and I left my purse with my husband, and I don't have any money, and she is only 3 and she can't hold it any longer, and it took me 10 minutes to find this bathroom, and so on and so on, until the lady (who probably had NO IDEA what I was saying) just motioned for me to go on in!  So now, I will carry a Euro in my pocket at all times.  And, I will make sure we have all used the bathroom before we leave the house!