Signage for Mobile Toilets in Scenic Spots
The movable signage for the 'tide toilet' in Guangdong Huizhou West Lake Scenic Area once sparked controversy. The dialable signs have now been removed and plans are underway to replace them with fixed slot-type door plates.
Controversy Over the Sign Design of Tide Toilets
Guangdong Huizhou West Lake Scenic Area once introduced 'tide toilets', with the core design being manually adjustable male and female signs to dynamically adjust toilet stall usage rights and alleviate the problem of women queuing for toilets. However, during a reporter's visit, it was found that these signs could be easily adjusted by ordinary tourists and there was no on-site supervision or guidance. This design raised concerns among netizens: if tourists accidentally adjusted the signs, it could lead to confusion between male and female toilet areas, and even trigger risks such as toilet chaos and privacy breaches. For example, men entering female toilet stalls or vice versa could cause embarrassment or conflicts; if the signs were maliciously adjusted, it could lead to even more serious order issues.
Sign Adjustments and Improvement Measures
In response to the controversy, the scenic area has removed all dialable signs and plans to replace them with fixed slot-type door plates. Fixed slot-type door plates restrict the随意 (random) adjustment of signs through their physical structure, requiring special tools or permissions for adjustment, thus avoiding accidental operations or malicious adjustments by tourists. In addition, the scenic area has also introduced multiple measures to improve the problem of women queuing for toilets, such as increasing the number of toilet stalls, optimizing the allocation ratio of toilet stalls, and setting up gender-neutral toilet stalls to enhance toilet efficiency.
Promotion and Core Purpose of Tide Toilets
The tide toilet model has been promoted in scenic areas across the country, with the core purpose of cost-effectively and efficiently alleviating the common pain point of women having difficulty finding toilets in scenic areas. By setting up 'gender-neutral toilet stalls' and using movable signs or lockable sliding doors, scenic areas can dynamically adjust toilet stall usage rights based on real-time foot traffic. For example, during peak periods when women need to use the toilets, some male toilet stalls can be temporarily adjusted to female toilet stalls; and vice versa. This flexible adjustment method does not require the construction of new toilets and can achieve optimal resource allocation simply through sign or lock management, demonstrating high economic efficiency and practicality.
