The Legendary Toilets of Singapore and the Flushing Law

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In this video:

Over the years the city of Singapore has been described by many as one of the cleanest on Earth with roads and toilets being “clean enough to eat off“, which is perhaps to be expected from a city where it’s illegal not to flush a public toilet.

Sources:

[Raz.C]

I've been to Singapore more often than any other country on Earth (I always stop there when travelling away from home and then again when travelling back home) and I love it. It's a ridiculously beautiful country and being an Australian, we know a thing or two about beautiful countries. I made my first trip there back in '83 and even then it was a magical wonderland of mystery and adventure. While it may sound like a needlessly strict place, run by authoritarians who stifle free expression, the reality is the only kind of behaviour/ expression that's banned by law is the dickish kind of fuckwit behaviour, that all reasonable people should be happy to see outlawed.

[golftangosierraxray]

As a reasonably proud Singaporean I must say that I am impressed at the amount of research behind the production of this video. The only notable fact I can tell you as a resident in this tiny dot is that there aren't any undercover toilet police officers anymore, at least insofar as I've experienced. The only consequence of not flushing the toilet after usage is a dirty look (haha) from the person after you.

[eugenelim]

im a singaporean all my life, this law has never been enforce and not a single person is fine for not flushing toilet

[FozzQuaker]

Prisoner 1:- So what you in Prison for
Prisoner 2: I never flushed the shitter

[zCopyCatz]

Video about Singapore?
Mentioning Chewing Gum ✔

Mentioning Strict Law that is rarely enforced ✔

[DennisLimCY]

I would like to clarify that there are NO Toilet Police. Maybe the rules were stricter in the 80s and early 90s, but by now it is not the laws that keep my country clean. It is the civic-mindedness and habits. Having plentiful of toilet cleaners helps too in areas with high traffic.

Also... that chewing gum thing is blown out of proportion. The ban was on the sale of the gum, and all of us knows that if we want gums, there are many ways to get them. It was definitely less easy to buy them, but it is by no means impossible. Having said that, the ban did come at a time when my country was first introduced to our own subway system.

I remember how happy and proud we were that we had trains! with air-con! The ban of chewing gum definitely help kept the trains clean, but think about it, there are SO MANY WAYS one can litter and dirty the train. The main reason why the trains are clean is because it is a collective effort. Everyone played a part.

The government can introduce policy or rules, but there has NEVER been hoards of police on standby to arrest people. Please give us more credit. Thank you.

[rpm]

You should do an episode on that time Lee Kuan Yew rejected the CIA's attempt to bribe him and got them to publicly apologize

[thatguy-plpy]

I'm all for the anti urination on elevators movement

[phillipowen]

Got the notification as soon as I sat down to use the toilet. The team at Today I Found Out just gets me lol

[glenngriffon]

"As famous as a plumber can be"
Mario: Hold-a My-a spaghetti.

[tohruihao]

im my 18 years of existence and residence in singapore i have not once heard, seen, read of, even through 3rd party, not once-

of someone getting fined/sued for not flushing a toilet bowl

[digimanga]

Having just come back from a holiday, part of which was in Singapore, it was absolutely an amazing visit and I really loved it a lot! Amongst other things I could not get enough of the Honey Chicken Pau, that was SO GOOD!!

[ItsMEBetUDidntKnow]

I am Singaporean and I can definitely say that some of these facts on secret police checking toilets and fining people are very exaggerated

[ThisOldSkater]

The toilets in Japan are pretty good too. Even the worst one I used in a public transit station was head an shoulders above any public restroom I've used in the states. I mean it's not even close. I miss them so

[blipboigilgamesh]

Singapore: we'll ban gum because It's too expensive to clean it up.
Also Singapore: we'll hire this entire front of undercover police officers to make sure you flush your toilet.

[jeremytravis]

I lived there as a child and I went back again.
How wonderful it was. I hate chewing gum and that was the thing I first noticed was how clean everywhere was.
I wish I could go back now.

[colinp]

Joe Cocker was a famous plumber but not famous for his plumbing.
The Romans had a form of flushing toilet but the water was a continuous flow and they were not single seaters.

[XxMeTaLHeAdxX]

and now for some bonus facts... halfway through Simon and the folks are getting better every day research respect.

[garydavis]

I remember that American teenager who got "caned" for vandalism, and our President at the time tried to have it stopped. Singapore didn't relent, and the punishment was carried out...

[MomoKawashima]

37 people hate learning. Cheers Mr Whistler, been a sub for a while and will continue to watch your videos. Continue to fill our minds with knowledge, and ill continue to watch it ^_^.