Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
Chinese government officials who carried out an investigation into excessive usage of loo paper at a public toilet have released video footage of people pinching it to highlight ‘a lack of public spirited behaviour’.
The video released by the government of Changning County, which is in the city of Yibin in Sichuan Province in south-western China, has captured two people – a man and a woman – caught abusing the public service.
The toilet users are supposed to take the toilet paper from the dispenser with them when they go into the toilet – but instead of just taking a few sheets – the suspected thieves are seen ripping off a huge mass of loo paper and folding up to take away.
The government officials did not comment on the legality of installing CCTV cameras in public toilets.
In the video, a male resident can be seen tugging at the toilet paper dispenser on 21st August, pulling at the loo paper until there is a large bundle in his hands.
After he is finished, a woman appears and begins doing the same.
The images show the same resident returning on three other occasions on 24th, 25th and 26th August.
She is identifiable by the clothing she is wearing, and on 25th August she appears to completely empty the loo paper dispenser, leaving another male resident with no toilet paper to use when he arrives.
According to reports, Changning County currently has 28 public bathrooms in its urban districts, most of which have been constructed inside parks.
A statement by the Changning People’s Government said an investigating into ‘missing loo paper’ also complained that residents were ‘wasteful’, and using more than they needed.
By 2020, there will be 67 such facilities, all of which will be open to the public 24 hours a day and maintained by sanitation staff between 6am and 11pm daily.
Officials have urged members of the public to act in a more ‘civilised’ manner.
Social media user ‘Hancheng Langzi Caimida’ asked: “Are they really too poor to afford loo paper?”
‘Yang Qilin’ said: “This is a result of having been poor their entire live.”
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