Do Not Squat on Toilet Bowls

poster in a public restroom

Singapore has a very strict cleaning policy. Since 1992 there is a ban on chewing gums considering the act of chewing as littering for which the local law imposes fines from $ 500 to $1000 for first time offenders. If you are caught again the fee will be doubled.

Similarly, the act of smoking is restricted in most of the public outdoor and indoor places with a fine of $200 which rises up to $1,000 if the offender is convicted in court.

These measures showed to be quite effective being the streets and sidewalks of Singapore quite neat.

Unfortunately, toilets still seem to be spots rather difficult to rule with normal laws. In such a hidden space, the fear of being fined does not obtain the same results and it is necessary to act on the civic sense of users by educating them.

The poster aside is an example of the efforts undertaken by Singapore Government. Wrong behaviour though, appears always likely to have undesired effects. If it is not matter of paying a sum of money, punishment can take other forms.

The motto is: Clean public toilets are possible. Let’s make them happen.