In China, they installed timers in public bathrooms and this is the reason

The Buddhist grottoes of Yungang, a prominent tourist destination in China, have attracted attention not only for their monumental sculptures and spectacular views, but for an unexpected measure: chronometers in the bathrooms. The presence of the digital timers was revealed in a video that quickly went viral.

In the images shared on social media, the curious system can be seen on each of the toilets, which consists of a screen that indicates in green if it is free and in red if it is occupied. Additionally, it indicates how long a person has been inside the cubicle.

Although it may seem like a measure to pressure tourists to speed up their use of the bathrooms, an employee of the facility assured the local media Xiaoxiang Morning Herald that Timers are not intended to limit the time of use.

“It’s impossible for us to kick someone out of the bathroom midway. And we’re not setting a time limit, like five or ten minutes, on how long someone can use the bathrooms,” he clarified.

“We want to ensure the well-being of all visitors. If someone uses the bathroom for an extended period and an emergency arises, these timers will help us detect it quickly,” said another employee at the site.