Movable Toilet Signboard

The "tide toilet" in Guangdong Huizhou West Lake Scenic Area once featured manually adjustable signboards that could switch between male and female displays. However, due to safety hazards, all of them have been removed and will be replaced with fixed slot-type doorplates in the future.

Design Intent of the Movable Toilet Signboard (Manually Adjustable Type)

The "tide toilet" in Guangdong Huizhou West Lake Scenic Area adopted manually adjustable signboards that could switch between male and female displays. The core purpose was to dynamically adjust the ratio of male and female toilet stalls to meet the varying restroom demands during peak tourist periods. For example, during times when female tourists were concentrated, parts of the male toilet area could be temporarily converted into female toilets by quickly switching the display content on the signboards to alleviate the queuing pressure for women. This design reflects an exploration of flexible allocation of public resources, attempting to enhance service efficiency through a low-cost approach.

Defects and Risks of the Manually Adjustable Signboard

1. Low Threshold for Alteration, Prone to Random Operation
   Ordinary tourists can easily adjust the signboards, leading to a disconnect between the gender display and the actual toilet stall function. For instance, some tourists may switch the signs out of curiosity or mischief, causing confusion in the display of male and female areas and leading other tourists to enter the wrong restroom.

2. Disruption of Restroom Order
   Mismatches between the signs and actual functions can directly result in tourists queuing in the wrong direction and even awkward scenarios where male and female tourists enter the same area simultaneously, potentially causing congestion or conflicts, especially during peak tourist periods.

3. Risk of Privacy Breach
   If the signs are maliciously altered, it may lead to individuals of the opposite sex entering occupied toilet stalls, seriously violating the privacy of users. Such incidents in public places can trigger disputes and even negatively impact the reputation of the scenic area.

Improvement Measure: Fixed Slot-Type Doorplates

To address the above issues, the scenic area has removed all adjustable signboards and plans to replace them with fixed slot-type doorplates. These doorplates fix the gender signs with physical slots, allowing adjustments only by management personnel using specialized tools. This prevents random alterations by tourists from the source, ensuring long-term consistency between the signs and toilet stall functions and maintaining restroom order and privacy safety.