On Monday (12 Aug), a man took to Facebook to express his concern regarding having male cleaners for female restrooms.
Source: Google Maps
Jason Tan shared on the Facebook group Complaint Singapore that his female friend had to use the bathroom at the Khatib MRT Station the previous day when a male cleaner entered.
The incident happened around 10.05am when his friend had to urgently use the restroom due to an upset stomach.
At the time of the incident, a male cleaner was cleaning the male toilet, but the female toilet remained accessible, Mr Tan wrote in his post.
He also shared a photo of a sign indicating that the toilet is routinely closed for cleaning from 9:30 am to 10:00 am.
Source: Jason Tan on Facebook
However, about 10 minutes after his friend had entered the restroom, the male cleaner walked in.
He mentioned that the cleaner was aware of his friend’s presence as he had spoken to her, informing her that he was going to clean the restroom.
His friend requested more time on the toilet due to her condition, but the cleaner allegedly disregarded this and instead splashed water into her cubicle, forcing her to leave instantly.
“When she exited the cubicle, the cleaner stared at her as if she were in the wrong,” Mr Tan added.
Mr Tan raised several concerns about the incident, starting with the presence of male cleaners in female restrooms.
“I have asked around, and most women, as well as some men, are uncomfortable with the idea of an opposite-gender cleaner in their restroom,” he shared.
He also stated that the cleaner ignoring his friend’s request for more time and splashing water into her cubicle was “both disrespectful and unprofessional”, adding that cleaning was not even scheduled at the time of the incident.
Mr Tan clarified that he is not trying to stir up controversy by posting the incident and he said that he understands that it might be a manpower issue. Nonetheless, he said that having a male cleaner in a female restroom raises “serious concerns about privacy and safety”.
“There is always the potential risk of misconduct, such as the installation of surveillance devices or worse.”
Netizens commented in his post, sharing their own experiences with having cleaners of the opposite sex entering restrooms while they were inside.
Source: Jason Tan on Facebook
While some said this made them uncomfortable, others don’t see any issue in it.
Source: Jason Tan on Facebook
However, many agreed that the cleaner should have allowed the woman to finish using the restroom and that splashing water into her cubicle was “unacceptable”.
Also read: 136 bags of breastmilk spoilt after service company cleaner unplugged S’pore woman’s freezer
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps, Jason Tan on Facebook
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