Wall of shame －恥の壁－

Are you irritated by the personal hygiene habits of any of your colleagues?  Is there someone at work who picks wax out of their ears and flicks it onto the floor?  Is there someone who spits as they are walking down the street with you during lunch break?  I’ll bet that there are some people who you work with whose habits annoy you.  I’ll also bet that you have never spoken to them about it or expressed your annoyance.  It could be a very awkward moment and permanently damage your relationship.

Here is an idea: a wall of shame.  There is a noticeboard set in a prominent place in the office.  On the noticeboard are the names or photographs of people with wayward hygiene habits and a description of their crime.  It might say something like, “In the hours after lunch break, Mrs. Smith from accounts (pictured left) picks her teeth with her fingernail, takes a look at what she has found and then eats it.”  Colleagues who observed disgusting behaviour could add this information anonymously, thus avoiding the need for an awkward conversation.  The offenders would be shamed and quickly change their ways.

Okay, maybe instead Mrs. Smith from accounts would break down into floods of tears, quit the company and then sue for bullying at work.

But I did not make the wall of shame up.  It really exists.  And it is being used in a context that is a lot more embarrassing than nose picking at work.  It is being used by some states in India to promote sanitation efforts in rural areas.

The problem is that many Indians do not use toilets.  If there are no toilets then it can’t really be helped.  In a rural area you might have to just take a walk into your fields and do as the bears do.  But it seems that even in areas where there are plenty of toilets, many Indians prefer to return to nature.  More than 500 million Indians continue to pass solid waste in the open.  A recent study showed that many people with toilets in their homes prefer to go outside instead.  Respondents to the survey often said that they found it “pleasurable, comfortable or convenient” to go outside or that it provided them with an opportunity to catch some fresh air.

So some states have turned to the wall of shame for help.  Imagine a noticeboard set in a prominent place in your village with your name and photograph.  It says,”(X) has been seen passing solid waste in the fields around our beautiful village, despite the fact that we have clean public toilets.”

It’s a harsh method, but I’ll bet it works.  Try it out at your place of work. 

Vocabulary:

hygiene : cleanliness to avoid germs and disease

to flick something – to hit something or get rid of it by a sudden and quick movement of the fingers

prominent – obvious; easily noticed

wayward – away from what is right and proper; disobedient or difficult to control

anonymously – without giving a name

to sue – to initiate legal proceedings against a person, company etc.

to make something up – to invent something fictitious or not real, such as a story or character