mandevu.net

Mamamandevu snapped this image of a sign posted in one of the public restrooms at the archaeological sites near Angkor Wat.  The wording follows the images, and basically says, “It is prohibited to stand on [the toilet].”  I like it because it is straight-forward in its message.  Sit-down type toilets are in the minority here, as far as toilet technologies go.  They are common enough in the cities, or in establishments frequented by foreigners.  But in my experience, squatting reigns supreme everywhere else.  I am very curious if Apsara (the authority which governs the whole complex) had these signs installed as a courtesy when the restrooms were built, or only after having to deal with user errors, like falls and broken toilet seats.  Interestingly, around the Angkor monuments these signs seem only to have turned up in the women’s restrooms, and seemed to be absent from the men’s rooms.  Our sample size was pretty limited, though (n=3, if I recall correctly).   

I can appreciate changing toilet technologies.  Not being particularly agile, my first encounters with the squat toilet took a bit of adjusting (with no shortage of user errors of my own!).  I probably could have used some signs, too.