I have previously praised the emergence of modern gas stations along national roads. They serve as beacons of light in the pitch-black night of nowhere, offering well-stocked shops with a touch of unexpected luxury far from major urban centers, and dining areas for a welcome break.
Unfortunately, when it comes to relieving incompressible needs after a hundred kilometers of travel—often on rough roads—one increasingly encounters, as time passes since the inauguration, a deplorable lack of cleanliness or logistical failures.
In a third-world country, being a ‘petroleum company’ does not stop at selling fuel. Is it a matter of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or simply HR when it comes to basic staff training? It is a complex task considering the gap between their professional environment and their home life. If running water is missing, can one still flush? A handle or a push-button can be intimidating when discovered without instructions. Yet, minimal customer requirements are entrusted to these overwhelmed agents.
For a global brand, it would be interesting to know if they would install the same ‘Toilets 101′ that greet us at a station in Ambohimandroso (RN7) in another, perhaps more ’emerging’ country. A more local brand has just inaugurated a beautiful, brand-new station in Ambatolampy (RN7); it is a pity that at their other station in Ambohidratrimo-Alakamisy (RN4), the running water has stopped flowing, failing to dissipate the ammonia stench. It is highly regrettable, especially when we had high hopes that the ‘Shell-Total-Jovena-Galana’ toilets would eliminate the improvised ‘pee corners’ that no brochure for the hypothetical million tourists would ever mention.
This is where our self-perception ultimately takes refuge. The civilization of toilets is the seat of our inner gaze.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-29 05:38:46 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/la-civilisation-des-toilettes.html