SINGAPORE: A male cleaner forced a woman to leave a washroom at Khatib MRT station while she was still using it. Her close friend, Mr Jason Tan, took to ‘COMPLAINT SINGAPORE’ on Monday (Aug 12) to share the troubling details of the incident.
According to the post, the woman entered the washroom due to an upset stomach around 10:05 p.m., 25 minutes before the scheduled cleaning at 10:30 p.m. The male cleaner was still attending to the male washroom then.
Ten minutes later, however, the male cleaner barged into the female washroom to start his cleaning duties despite being aware that the woman was still inside.
“I’m unsure if he announced his presence before entering the toilet. But he knew my friend was inside as he spoke to her, informing her he was going to clean the toilet,” Mr Tan recalled.
“Despite her explaining that she needed more time because of her condition, the cleaner ignored her request and started splashing water into her cubicle, forcing her to leave immediately.
When she exited, the cleaner stared at her as if she were at fault.” Mr Tan then pointed out that this incident highlights several critical issues that need to be addressed. The first issue is the policy that allows male cleaners to clean female washrooms and vice versa.
He wrote, “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. I would like to hear from the ladies if you would be comfortable with a male cleaner entering the female toilet while you are using it.”
The second issue concerns the timing of the cleaning. According to the signage, the washroom cleaning was scheduled to occur between 10:30 pm and 11:00 pm.
Given this schedule, the cleaner should have waited until the designated time to begin or attended another area if the washroom was occupied before the scheduled cleaning window.
The third issue is the cleaner’s behaviour.
Mr Tan criticised the cleaner’s actions as “disrespectful and unprofessional,” noting that he ignored his friend’s request for more time and proceeded to splash water into her cubicle.
He continued, “Anyway, I’m not really trying to stir up any controversy, I could try to understand it might be a manpower issue, and people are just doing their jobs. However, I am concerned about privacy and safety.
The presence of 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. I would really like to know how comfortable all the ladies feel. Thanks in advance!”
“It is wrong for cleaners, especially of the opposite gender, to enter the toilet when users are still inside.”
In the comments section, most men shared that this isn’t an isolated incident, revealing they’ve also had experiences where female cleaners strolled into the washroom without warning.
One individual recounted an instance where two female cleaners walked into the male washroom and had a casual, in-depth conversation about a coworker while he was using it.
He added, “Men face the same issue with female cleaners. Unless you wanna start cleaning toilets and balancing the status quo, it is what it is.”
Another individual shared, “From male toilet POV: Sometimes males pee halfway at urinal and female cleaners just enter unannounced then who is at fault?
And have experienced female cleaners cleaning all the cubicles leaving males with just the urinal available. How are the males supposed to pee in such situation?”
These men shared that they felt uneasy whenever these incidents took place. Women who joined the discussion agreed that opposite-gender cleaners should not enter or clean washrooms while still occupied.
One expressed, “It is wrong for cleaners, especially of the opposite gender, to enter the toilet when users are still inside.
Usually, the male cleaners before entering the female toilet, will ask out loud from outside the toilet, to check if anyone is inside and enter only if no one is in the toilet.
Also, the cleaners should block the toilet entry to prevent anyone from entering if they need to clean it.”
Still, others defended the cleaners, arguing that they’re simply doing their jobs and that people should be more considerate. They pointed out that if it’s their ‘cleaning hours,’ they have every right to enter the washroom, regardless of gender.
One individual added that if people are unhappy about this, they could find an alternative place to relieve themselves or just hold it in. Another said, “The cleaning time is clearly stated; it’s your call. Maybe should ask the officials who flew to Japan to look at toilets!”