Maybe you’ve noticed, but I’m quite fond of travel.

I miss it.

That said, I don’t travel in a bubble, (which is unfortunate as it would be preferable to flying everywhere) every so often, I see and experience things that are…troubling.

I found the sign at the top of this post outside a women’s public bathroom in Taipei, Taiwan in 2018. I’d really like to say it was the only one I saw on my trip. In reality, it was just the only one I took a photo of.

Apparently, concealed recording devices in public bathrooms, was (and perhaps still is) such a common occurrence in Taipei, that these signs appeared with depressing regularity outside and in every restroom I visited. From tourist attractions to department stores and metro stations.

And while I’m not one to generalise, I’m going to hazard a guess and say that they do not appear on the walls of men’s bathrooms.

Although, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Most of the signs I saw were a lot more colourful and creative than the one above, featuring photos of a very serious, female metro employee “scanning” the stalls for illegal recording devices with a high-tech gadget. And yet, despite the prevalence of these signs and all their assurances that I wouldn’t be filmed whilst spending a penny, they didn’t make me feel any better.

They made me angry.

As if I’d been given one more thing to add to my list of: Things To Be Vigilant About When I Travel.

Then, in the interest of fairness, I did a quick (extremely careful) Google search for similar incidents closer to home. Turns out this whole filming-folks-on-the-toot shenanigans isn’t limited to Taiwan.

It’s happening all over.

Even in my own country where it occurs in Airbnb accommodation, sublet rooms and even the bathrooms of live-in Nannies and housekeepers.

Great.

I guess I need to also add it to my list of: Things To Be Vigilant About As A Female On Planet Earth.

Or maybe I’m reading too much into it.