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Toilet Thieves
posted Wednesday, 9 January 2008
A while back the local authorities realised that it was costing them more to collect the fees for public toilets than they were actually making so in a rare example of socialism with socialist characteristics they handed over the toilets to the people. Yes, they are all free. Even the million Yuan toilet on San Zhong Road became free.
So, I was a little surprised to notice that all the toilets still have the staff in place. What do they do? They don’t take fees. They don’t do much cleaning - have you ever been in a Chinese public toilet? Replace the paper when it runs out? Don’t make me laugh! What paper? I was discussing this with a Chinese friend who, of course, had the explanation.
“No, they aren’t there to clean or take your money. They are guarding the toilets. If there are no guards, thieves will steal the toilets or the toilet fittings.”
“What fittings? There's only a hole in the floor!”
“The doors and other bits.”
The worrying thing is that this is the only plausible explanation I have heard so far. I remember a few months ago the government answered criticism of the lack of rubbish bins on the streets by claiming that they had installed them but they had all been stolen! The scrap metal value was worth more than the contents.
I just hope not to be in the facility when it is stolen.