Seattle unloads hi-tech johns

SEATTLE, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Seattle has disposed of five self-cleaning public toilets at a price the buyer describes as "a gift."

Butch Behn, owner of Racetrack Supply in Rochester, Wash., placed the winning bids for the high-tech johns on eBay, The Seattle Times reported. The total price was $12,549, or from $1,625 to $4,899 per toilet, a city spokesman said.

The city paid $5 million for the toilets and nets just over $10,000 from the sale.

"What a buy," Behn said. "Wouldn't you think it's a really good deal, considering what they paid for them? It was a gift."

Behn plans to set up two of the self-cleaning toilets at the South Sound Speedway in Tenino. He says he will re-sell two and may keep the fifth to scavenge for parts since he expects the toilets to be expensive to repair.

The toilets were installed in 2004 in popular tourist areas like Chinatown, the Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. They were designed to open after a decent interval to keep drug users and prostitutes out -- but they moved in anyway.