It’s been a few months since we first heard about a diabolical-sounding invention called the toilet timer and learned that they were installed at a popular tourist destination.

©Getty Images

Back in June, this invention made headlines when it was reported that the Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in China, a stunning tourist destination that boasts 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves and niches — all around 1,500 years old — had installed toilet timers in their restrooms. As the name implies, there is a literal timer above the toilet, and you’ve only got a limited time to, well, do your business. This sparked WILD backlash, but primarily overseas here in the United States, not over in China, where it was taking place. We’ve spent months thinking about this (no, we’re not kidding) and decided to really dive into some research. As it turns out, China was FAR from the first place to implement the concept of timed bathroom visits — they’ve actually been around in the United States alone (in a slightly less conspicuous form) for at least 16 years.

When news of toilet timers hit the news, a staff member at the site in China said that they were introduced to help cope with the increase in visitors that they were seeing and assured people that no one would be kicked out of the bathroom at any time. However, they went on to say that they’re also a safety measure that ensures “the well-being of all guests, in case some guests use the toilet for an extended period and an emergency occurs,“, according to CNN. The timer at the top of the stall would show that the person had been in there for an extended period of time, and if someone were to check on them and receive no response, they might be able to help with a medical emergency.

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That was really the part that got us curious because it is true that medical situations can happen anywhere, including a restroom stall, and oftentimes, they’re silent, and no one may know. So, has anyone else adapted this technique or something similar in the name of safety? Well, the answer is YES, especially over in Europe. In Europe, more specifically in Paris, you’ll find single-stall restrooms called Sanisettes. That’s right. Toilet timers aren’t limited to China, though for now, it seems that unique style is exclusive to the Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in China.

©Medium

In Paris, for example, the toilet timer is a little less obvious (luckily). The trick is here that unlike many restaurants or stores or public places in the United States that will allow you to use their restroom, you need to pay to use many Sanisettes. Not all of them still require coins, but the ones that don’t have another safety feature to discourage illicit activity — yep, the door will POP OPEN and UNLOCK after 15 minutes.

©Wikipedia

As our research continued, we found an article from the non-profit newsroom Gothamist dating back to 2008 (!!!), in which they reported that New York City debuted Automatic Public Toilets (APTs) over a decade ago. Surprise! Even America has a version of toiler timers. These APTs cost 25 cents to use when they debuted and ALSO had a 15-minute time limit, again to discourage any non-bathroom-related activity. To be specific, “After 12 minutes of use, an acoustic alarm and red flashing lights go off for three minutes before the door opens.” There may not be a physical sign like the ones in China, but that sounds like a toiler timer to us!

©Gothamist

So, while the physical TIMER aspect is still relatively new, it was possibly inspired by these self-cleaning public restroom stalls seen in the past. The idea has been around for quite some time, and it means that we could continue to see the idea develop further at additional locations in the future. We don’t think this will be leaving our minds any time soon, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB — if there’s an update, we’ll let you know!

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