Man Gets Relief for Lack of Relief
April 26, 2002 8:32 am EST

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German desperate to relieve himself for two hours on a packed but toiletless train won $270 compensation for what a court called his torture.

A Frankfurt court ordered Deutsche Bahn (Germany Railways) to pay the man, who walked uncomfortably through the modern high-speed train, stumbling over people sitting in the corridors, as he searched in vain for a working WC.

All the toilets on the Frankfurt to Dresden train were locked because there was no water for flushing.

"The plaintiff had to torture himself with his urgent need for two hours because he could not find a free toilet," the court said in a written ruling.

The one working toilet was kept locked. A key witness in the case, a fellow passenger, gained access to it after pressuring a ticket inspector.