SINGAPORE: When American writer Jonathan Reule moved to Singapore, he may have expected many things—orderly queues, scorching heat, and maybe even chewing gum withdrawal. But what really left him flushed with surprise was SG’s public toilets!
“One of the biggest shocks for me coming from the US to live in Singapore,” Jonathan (@jonathan.reule) confessed in a TikTok video, “is that you can go to even an MRT bathroom or something, and on average it is not gonna be as disgusting, torn up, graffitied and all of this other nonsense as it would in the US… and especially you’re not gonna have to worry about bloody needles being stabbed into the toilet paper.”
@jonathan.reule You can easily find a clean public bathroom in sg — i always avoid going to public bathrooms in the US! #fyp
Yes, you read that right. No blood-stained syringes, no graffiti threatening your life, and no pungent trauma-inducing whiffs. Just the low hum of cleanliness and the reassuring aroma of Dettol or something of the like of it.
Jonathan’s observation was titled innocently enough—“You can easily find a clean public bathroom in SG”—but what followed was a floodgate of commentary from local and international netizens. Some backed him up while others… well, let’s just say they were ready to flush the praise down the proverbial bowl.
“Try coffeeshop toilets… Some toilets at coffee shops are just the worst! Not to mention the huge door gaps!” one commenter complained, perhaps scarred by the sight of daylight beaming through those awkward 15cm cubicle gaps.
Another commenter, however, had the luxury life: “No kidding. I went to the restroom at ION yesterday and was surprised at how luxurious and grand it looked.” And for the record, ION Orchard’s restrooms have more marble than some five-star hotels.
But not everyone was singing the Merlion’s praises. A Singaporean who once lived in Oregon retorted: “I am a Singaporean, but I find public toilets in Southeast Asia not satisfactory even in Singapore. In Oregon… spotlessly dry, clean, never run out of paper or hand wash or hand dryer.”
Still, the consensus among Singaporeans is clear: It wasn’t always this way.
“Dude, it wasn’t always this way,” one seasoned commenter explained. “The government spent a HUGE amount of money on public campaigns and cleaners to get us here.”
Another noted Singapore’s strict anti-drug laws: “Unpopular statement, drug offence is punishable, hence you’d rarely find those crazy [bloody] needles…”
And who could forget the unsung heroes? “Thanks to the cleaner. Without them, kapott all over the island,” said one, reminding us that no posh public loo stays pristine without the hardworking folks mopping behind the scenes.
Of course, this is Singapore—The “Fine” City—where vandalism doesn’t just get you a slap on the wrist; it gets you an actual fine. “Not allowed in Singapore to vandalise. You’ll be FINED!” someone humorously warned. “We’re as picky about toilets as we are about food.”
So the next time you grumble about a hand dryer that’s not Dyson-level powerful, remember: Somewhere out there, Jonathan Reule is sighing with relief that his bathroom trip didn’t involve police tape, graffiti threats, or tetanus risks.
